Room With A View

Actually all rooms face the ocean and this is what my view looked like at 5:55 a.m. Monday morning.

And again at 6:30, time for a shower then first day of camp.

After the April and September camps were cancelled and just two days before Ocean City camp, it became a reality that this one was really going to happen.   I was cautiously apprehensive but decided to go anyway, I needed to get back to living.  

As soon as I arrived to my room and before unpacking anything I wiped down all surfaces with antibacterial wipes, sprayed the air with an antibacterial spray, pulled down the covers and sprayed the sheets and pillows.  Plus I took two of my own pillow cases to place over top of the two pillows I would sleep with.  

At camp I wore my mask and or face shield all the time.  Well, except at meal time.  Even then, when not eating but waiting for the main meal after soup or salad service I'd mask up again; some didn't.

There were 8 students in one class and 7 in the other and all held in the same room.  The weather was nice so we opened one door to the outside which brought in fresh air and it flowed out thru the doors open on the opposite side so air flow was good and the breeze could be felt.

In the photo above, to the left is Jeanne Benjamin, behind her is the door to the outside which is open.  Not sure where all the other students are but perhaps I was taking photos just after lunch when the room was less full.  

Below is a Sharon Smith pattern being hooked named Carrot Cake. 

Here's a review of what some of the students were working on.  It was easier/better for me to take photos when people were out of the room so as to keep distance.  

Hard to recall who was sitting where on the other side of the room but think this one was being hooked by Martha, who obviously started it before camp.

Cant remember who is working on this truck and you can see she is trying Bev Conway's message technique which will not be seen from the front ~ believe it or not.  I tried that at Cape May once and it does work.  If you would like to see the post I wrote about my experience click HERE.

The geometric below is being hooked by Phyllis Sheetz.

Pam Johnson hooking this rug and I love the coneflower colors.

Love the colors in the flamingo, and each time I see a pink flamingo I'm reminded of my dear departed mother who used to have the plastic things in her yard.  

Renia is continuing on the lion rug she started with Jeanne in a previous class.

Heather is hooking a Star Rug Company design and changed the dog into a cat.

Someone is working on a small version of an antique geometric.

Below in the forefront is Heather, one of my table mates, close and on the left in the grey and black top is a portion of Bev's head as she is doing something with Stella's design.

Another table mate is Loris who is returning to her spot and working on the floral pattern purchased from Bev.

Below is a view of the rug by Bev.  The rug is folded to show the front and the back.  The secret message can be hooked not be seen from the front but perfectly legible from the back.

An Owl in flight was awesome and had to take a photo of it even tho it won't be something I'll hook ~ too much detail for this primitive wide cut hooker.

My rug isn't posted today and plan to save it for a separate post.  There's a couple things I wanted to point out so you'll have to wait.  😉

Happy Friday 13th and happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Finally Finished

Thank goodness the rugs are finally bound and can continue hooking my current project without telling myself I should be binding.  The Primitive Horse rug below is a Lib Callaway design which is offered by Jeannie Benjamin and understand Jan Cole sells the pattern as well.

The finished size of Primitive Horse is 251/2 x 391/2.  It was hooked using hand torn, scissor and machine cut.  Also pulled wool from my worm bags.  Size strips ranged from #8 to #10 and larger.  The photo below shows this rug was bound using doubled cotton of the same colors.

Birthday Lion is a Bill Laraway design, was hooked using #8.5 and #9 strips.  The finished size measures 201/2 x 25.

This one also got its label attached since I'd already printed it up.  However the Primitive Horse rug still needs its label.  But the most dreaded work has been done....the binding.

Blizzard still going strong here but weatherman says snow will let up today around 5 p.m.  This area is receiving more snow than predicted but what is worse is the sub freezing temperatures with wind.  

That is compounded by the fact my stage 2 emergency heat is fueled with propane and am almost out.  The company does not deliver this area until next Tuesday so I'm sure the tank will be totally empty before that.  So if my heat pump kicks in it will work its self to death trying to keep the house warm.

But at least I'm thankful for what heat and electricity there is here now.  Hope all of you in this weather are able to stay warm.  Snuggle up under a rug and hook, hook, hook.

Saundra

Last Loop

Just now pulled the last loops on #227 Primitive Horse rug.  The un-steamed dimensions are 26 x 39 1/2.  I know that hooking a rug alters dimensions from the unhooked foundation to the hooked version.  So will be interesting to see what measurements are after the rug is steamed.

Again took two different camera settings; the first one doesn't wash out colors.  OH NO!!!!!!!!!  I forgot to do the pre-binding stitches 1 1/4" away from the last row of hooking.  Now I've got to manipulate this honking big rug 3 times around to do the two rows of straight stitch and one joining zig zag stitch.  Oh well, have forgotten before and won't be my last I'm sure.

Here is the other camera setting with more pixels so if you tap on the photo it will provide more vivid view of colors in the rug.

In case I forget to mention previously in a post of this rug, It was hooked using hand-torn, scissor cut and some machine cuts.  Size of strips ranged from #8 from my worm bags to 1" hand torn.  At the outer edge I used a faded out (actually a walnut dyed) wool strip so it looks like it had been scuffed and worn compared to the second row of wool hooked elsewhere.  A little lesson on making an antique look I learned from Barb Carroll.

Tomorrow I'll steam the rug but tonight I'll clean up my wool clutter from this project and prepare to finish Birthday Lion.  Haven't seen Birthday Lion in almost two months so wonder what changes might be in my forecast.

Hoping all of your Christmas shopping and wrapping is done or almost done... mine is.  And if someone unexpected drops in they will get a bottle of wine.  That's my excuse for having numerous bottles of wine on the rack 😉 .

Saundra

Primitive Horse

As mentioned previously, this pattern is a Lib Callaway design but it is also offered by Jan Cole. 

You will notice lots of un-hooked space on my rug.  That is because I've very little of a certain wool named Gold Dust, a Rebecca Erb wool from 2010.  What is left I'd like to spread around as equitably as possible and then fill in with other similar as is and black walnut dyed wool for variance.

The one row on the outer edge is hooked with wool over dyed with black walnuts.  My intention was to make the outer edge look worn and aged compared to the richer Gold Dust wool just inside.  Just a little something to give the aged illusion to my rug.

The variance in color in the red flowers was hooked using the same concept....to replicate fading and wear.  

Have a great evening everyone.  Sheesh, just think.... only 20 days until Christmas eve (sorry Lauren, I know you hate that 'C' word).

Saundra

You've Been Waiting.....

....or at least think you've been waiting to see what my project was at rug camp.  Am disappointed I've not made more progress.  But life happens and will make this rug my main focus before going back to Birthday Lion.

This is a design by Lib Callaway called #227 Primitive Horse.  Lib's patterns are now being offered by Jeanne Benjamin.  I understand that Jan Cole also offers the pattern.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family as I did.  The plus part was having left overs for future sandwiches, soups, chow mein, etc.  Oh so many more meals ahead; so that turkey is a gift that just keeps giving, and giving and giving.

Happy Saturday and hope you aren't exhausted from Black Friday marathon shopping.

Saundra

More Betsy Reed Class

Betsy Reed always has something new to share at each camp.  Me thinks me needs to take more classes with her.  She had the coolest idea for pouches and zipper bags to carry hooking tools, applique pieces for projects, even makeup in the plastic bags if you so choose.  

 Above are three adorable applique bags.  Two are just wool with drawstring and one with a zipper top (on the far left).

 Above shows a larger applique container and the pot under the flower is part of a sweater...how cool is that?  The below photo shows the inside which is a purchased craft zipper bag.  Then was hand stitched to the outside wool.  Next time I go to Salisbury I'll need to check out Michael's to see if they have them.

Below is a photo of Lois who is hooking a mermaid pattern.  I had so hoped to get a more completed picture of her rug at the 'throw down' but had to leave before that happened.

Below is a photo of Jeanne Benjamin (on the right) a teacher sharing our room.  I had a class with her several years ago and purchased some delightful dyed wool.  Beside her is Sibyl Osicka who wasn't teaching this time but rather enjoying the hooking family in Jeanne's class.

In all the years I've attended either the April camp or November camp I've never taken a picture of the traditional High Tea at The Dunes Hotel.  Finally, just before the 4 p.m. close I managed to get a photo of Betty getting the delicious tea.  Hey.... this isn't tea bags you can purchase because I asked.  They make this stuff themselves and it is AWESOME.  There is no need for sugar or milk, just sip and enjoy.  

If the tea by itself wasn't special enough, they also have warm scones and cookies.  Must confess I indulged just one day although I wanted a scone EVERY day.  OMG, the aroma of the scone is still lingering.

Oh, wanted to show you this delightful necklace Betsy was wearing.  She told me it was purchased on etsy even told me who sold it, but by the time I got back to my seat I'd forgotten.  Will have to ask her again.

Also forgot to post this whale pillow Betsy was working on as a demonstration, thought it was worthy of posting since she offers the pattern.  When Grace Ayers saw it she said, "I need to have one".  Grace was working on Nantucket Broom Ride in class.  Am hoping someone will send me a photo of it to show in a future post. 

Next blog post will be photos taken of how Betsy does the braided edge.  

My house is sadly quiet.. I miss my boy.

Saundra

Meet My Friend Shari

Shari always loved putting color together either with scrappy quilts she made in her 20's to her Santa and primitive doll business from her 40's to her 60's.  Her love of anything antique led her to discover hooked rugs. 

Shari continues....."I met Saundra at this time and coincidentally she was intrigued with hooking as well."  Like me, she struggled on her own at home teaching herself to hook.  Finally in 2003 we decided we could use the help and expertise of a teacher, to take just ONE class to get us on our way. Years later we are STILL taking classes and enjoying every moment." 

The above rug was Shari's first camp rug where we attended together. It is a pattern purchased from House of Price, neither she nor I can remember the name of the pattern but was either a Charco or a Primco design.  

Shari has been influenced by such people as Barb Carroll, Lucille Festa and Karen Kahle's rugs.  Shari likes the way Karen is able to pull soft colors together and her goal is to one day take a class with Karen. Meanwhile she will strive to perfect her color choices of soft old colors on her own.

Above is a design by Karen Kahle called Small Flowerbox which Shari hooked.  She likes to hook florals most of all so will choose soft old colors for them.  Shari likes old teal, mustards, yellow green, and soft purples can be found in many of her rugs.

Shari will often change the design to suit herself; an example of that is her rug below where she is using teal in the triangle border.

It is an adaptation of a rug (Old Chatham) she purchased from Hook Nook who carried Lib Callaway designs.

Now Lib Callaway designs are offered by New Earth Designs.  Above is the original pattern and the banana shapped basket Shari changed.

Shari said her biggest hurdle was trying to keep her business going, responsibilites of husband/home life and finding time to hook. Then since retiring from her business she can enjoy her great love of rughooking freely! 

Sadly, while keeping the business going Shari had to sell some of her precious rugs but is thankful to have had a venue to sell them to make ends meet at the time.  The General George Washington is a rug which was commissioned.

Another cherished rug she sold was an adaptation of an E.S. Frost rug. That design is offered by Woodland Junction.

Now Shari can spend her day playing in the wool to her heart's content.

Above is a foot stool she hooked last year in a Barb Carroll class.  

Last September at Cape May Shari designed and hooked the design above.  You can see the inspiration she is channeling from Karen Kahle in it's design.  

Shari's light bulb moment came when she realized an 8 and 8.5 cut enabled her to keep to the primitive style yet small enough to give the slight detail she likes her rugs to have. 

Want to thank Shari for the idea of this segment and for sharing.  If any of you wish to participate and share your rug hooking journey, you can get the questions on a previous post HERE.

Saundra