Back to My Rugs

'Twas the year 2013 and another delightful rug camp with Barb Carroll on the now sold Ligonier estate.  The rug I hooked in her class was a Woolly Fox design named Oh Deer.

While at Barb's I fell in love with a newly hooked rug by Barb named Westmoreland Ponies.  Well of course I had to buy some of the wool she used in hers and then later hooked it at home.  The pattern is offered by Woolley Fox but it is also a free pattern in an older issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.

While perusing active blogs noticed Karen Kahle providing a tutorial on hooking a spiral chair pad.  Thought it a way to use up some worms so drew one up and hooked it.

Another rug hooked that year was Big Dog Hollow by Briarwood Folk Art.  Kathy wanted to hook my E.S. Frost sheep so we traded patterns.

Below is Long Island Farmhouse, a design by Lucille Festa.  Still  in my stash is another of her designs named Moon Over Vermont that I need/want to hook. 

Drawing for Polly Minick I was given permission to hook any of her designs at will.  Since I was drawing Two Chickens patterns for her upcoming class decided to hook one for myself.

With chickens still on my  mind and in the mood to design a small mat drew up this "Mother Hen" original, and sold it.

From my pattern stash it was time for me to hook Henny Penny, a Woolley Fox design... ya see a theme here, lol.  

Since I save pictures of antique rugs decided to replicate a design the auction house called Red Bird and the rug was found in Pennsylvania ~ thus the name Red Bird of PA.  Naturally that red bird had faded.

And a year can't go by with hooking a Magdalena rug....Lollipop Bouquet is among one of my most fun to hook even tho I was somewhat skeptical since it had 66 circles.  Yup, I counted them before starting to hook.  But was fun because those colors came out of my worm baggies.

Before Halloween I wanted to hook a sweet mat designed by Barb Carroll called Jack.  It is in an old issue of Rug Hooking magazine.

Hope you have enjoyed seeing more of my old hooked pieces as it has been fun for me to reminisce on the enjoyable hours of hooking.

Saundra

Designing a Rug by the Seat of My Pants

Yes, this Mother Hen design is still in progress and am designing as I'm hooking.  Initially there were just 4 peeps and thought perhaps an odd number would be more eye appealing and drew the 5th one to the bottom left and over Mother Hen's skirt.  Not sure what I'm going to do about that yet... 4 or 5 peeps?  It just might be that having 3 bright yellow peeps at the bottom would be a distraction rather than making the eye move around the rug to pick up a glance at just the four.

Also, I contemplated several types of border....OR no border at all before I drew this out.  The design could be reduced in size by changing the border making it more interesting a project for those beginning hookers or those who like quick results.  Presently drawn the design measures 15 1/2 x 17.

I'd thought of doing the primitive swags, or a straight border with a wavy line in the middle with dots along the wave (that would have made the design even bigger), or what I drew.  

When I was color planning was unable to find a suitable background color.  Well, actually did pick out a tan texture but have since changed my mind.   At this point I'm thinking of making the background a primitive black, reducing the perimeter and having swags instead of this wavy border.  Uh, still haven't decided on the 5th peep yet.  And, could be that I could have that 5th peep above the skirt and in the background as a rouge peep.  

Stay tuned to see what this design turns into for better or worse.  Heck, I just might make a hard right hand turn and come up with something totally opposite of what I've mentioned.

Thanks for dropping by and be kind to one another.  OH!  And stay warm for those of you having winter and frigid temps.

Saundra

Some Progress

Today my plans were to start a new design for spring but still pulled a few loops on Big Dog Hollow.  The basket in the dog's mouth still needs work and I've a plan on what to do to change it.  And, the cat I thought looked good until seeing it in this picture.  The right eye looks a little into the ear, BUT, could just be the way the linen thread is leaning so will attend to that later too.

Speaking of the eyes of the cat ~ since the cat is so small I used white linen thread pulled from linen backing that I've saved from previous patterns.  This is a technique that Bev Conway taught us for putting a sparkle in the eyes or for something this small to be the eye.  All you do is a slip knot and then hook around that white thread, cut it off and there it is.  Right now my thread is taller than my loops so it could be that the thread is leaning toward the ear.

I did manage to draw out my new design for spring and even cut some wool for it.  So tonight I'll start that project since I don't have a spring mat for my harvest table nor for my web site.  It is more whimsy, I'm calling it Mother Hen and yes, Lauren it is smaller ~ I know you think all my rugs are too big.

So maybe tomorrow I'll have something new to show and so you will have a diversity from watching my Big Dog Hollow grow.

Keep warm and love one another.

Saundra