RUG HOOKING CHIT CHAT

Am sure many of us have way too many magazines on their shelves or somewhere in the house and I'm guilty of that.  I promised myself to not subscribe to Primitive Quilts and Projects when my subscription was going to lapse.  I failed to keep that promise and subscribed again going until 2025.  Foolish I know.

Just received my Winter 2023 issue and on the cover top left look at what it says  ... "Our final print issue".  

So until my subscription ends in 2025 they will be sent via email.  At least I can save any interesting hooking patterns without adding magazines to my overwhelming stash.  

In the latest issue of Rug Hooking Magazine there is an article on a book excerpt about Louisa Creed.  Not sure if you remember but I showed several rugs hooked by Louisa and her departed husband Lewis.  You can see those previous posts HERE.

Again I've promised myself to not renew my subscription when this subscription ends.  Hope I keep that promise.  One subscription I will continue to support is ATHA as it offers more than the other two IMHO.
Uh, anyone want to buy a particular issue of RHM or Primitive Quilts and Projects?  If so contact me.

Just sat down to pull a few loops as I was busy most of the day and want to make a little progress on the sheep.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN ...

..your rug hooking journey began?   I sure do and knew it would be a love everlasting.  I soaked up Rug Hooking magazine, loved the photos and particularly paid attention to the 'beginner' rug hooking articles.  But one can only read so much before it comes time to purchase supplies and put the little knowledge to practice.  When it came down to buying a booklet with whimsical primitive patterns it was one offered by Ali Strebel and the first finished project was a hooked mitten.

The photo below was my first year at Cape May 2003 with teacher Patsy Becker after a couple years practicing on my own.  My hair looks like it needs shearing, lol.

My first hook was under $8 but now I use a $42 Hartman hook because it has a large shank to push thru the foundation to make a nice opening for a larger strip.  Things we learn as we work.

The very first frame was an embroidery hoop and that was just too awkward to hold and pull loops so purchased a used Puritan and stand. Here is a Puritan with original stand but not the one I purchased.

(A random Puritan frame photo)

Well, it was better than the hoop but sold it to purchase something more substantial that would rotate and tilt, Puritan wasn't a winner in my book.  So now I have a sit-upon which travels with me to camps so I can  hook in the sleeping room at night.  And use it at home for hooking small stuff.  My favorite frame is the Snapdragon but have an Acadian Frame for larger patterns.  So one of those travels to camps to be my classroom frame.  Most times I take the Snapdragon since it is an easy off when its my turn with the teacher.

I also own an original Townsend 16" Orbiter seen in this old photo with my departed big boy Ben.  I think Ben was sizing up the small empty space on the sofa wondering if he would fit in.   Anyway, as I have no plans to hook huge rugs in the future I'm planning on taking the frame to Cape May in case anyone is interested in purchasing it.  Closer to September I'll pull the frame out of the closet and photograph it without a rug.  

The first cutting tool was a rotary cutter which I no longer have since I loaned it and was never returned.   However knew I was in this game for the long haul so had purchased a more substantial and more expensive cutter.  As with most things for this rug hooking venture I've upgraded and have a back-up for all my toys tools.   

I have a Bliss (with suction cups), a Fraser 500 with #3 - #8 cuts and my beloved Townsend Cutter with #6 - #10 cartridges.  At this time I don't plan to sell any of those because I use the smaller cuts on the Bliss and Fraser so as to not have to purchase cartridges of those sizes for the Townsend.

Sorry to bore you with this time travel back decades but it came about since someone asked me if I'd teach them to hook.  When I did shows I'd hook something in the booth between customers.  So many times people would ask if I'd teach them to hook.   I'm not a teacher and don't want to be a teacher as I feel I'd lose the love of hooking as I did when making dolls.  

Eventually making dolls became work and right now my time hooking is my time for pleasure.  I don't wish to make that feel like work.  Frankly all the teachers I've had deserve LOTS of credit for what they put up with and only hope that when I was in their class I was a good student.

Whew!  Sorry this was such a long post, have a lovely evening, enjoy hooking and I'd better get back to pulling loops on my 1911 Horse as well.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

BACK to the BEGINNING

Well maybe not way back to the beginning.  In a previous post about the background of The Shield antique adaptation I questioned my original idea of doing a hit and miss background trying to keep the integrity of the antique.  So did some reverse hooking; then after several of you confirmed you liked the hit and miss I reverse hooked that other choice.  Here is what the 'other choice' looked like.

Why did I question my original plan, insecurity at my age????  Perhaps I should have waited to reverse hook until I'd heard the jury's decision because as soon as the jury was in, those background loops were reverse hooked immediately and went back to plan #1.  This is what it looks like now.

There's no going back now baby!  The hit and miss background is it and am happy.

On another note about the recent Challenge, several of you participants  suggested I do an article for ATHA, Rug Hooking Magazine, or even contact the organizer of Sauder to display the pieces.  A couple days ago I wrote to the organizer of Sauder with a link to the blog on the challenge but have not heard back.  Today I emailed the Editor of ATHA but haven't yet heard back.

Here's what you should know if the pieces go to Sauder each participant would need to ship them (am guessing at their expense) and would be gone for a duration of time.  I've never sent anything to Sauder so don't know anything else.

IF an article is approved for ATHA a very good straight photo would need to be taken with high pixels (best setting on your camera).

Would you believe temps were in the low 60's today!  Did a little yard pickup of limbs and pinecones, washed sheets and hung them out (still love the old fashion way of air dried sheets.  Still many more tiny limbs to clean up before grass weeds begin to grow.  I don't hire lawn people ~ since I live in the woods I figure why spend money to fertilize, seed and water the lawn so grass will grow which needs to be cut???  If my weeds grow green and need cutting I'll cut it.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

Since I missed posting on 'Throwback Thursday' thought I'd give you a Friday version.  Good heavens, has it been nine years already?  This is a photo of a hook-in held at my house April 2011.  That is me on the left  with my girl Shadow. 

From left to right is me, Shari, Deb, Mary and Char.  The girls stayed a couple days which also corresponded with the rug camp being held at the Dunes Hotel.  That would also be the same rug camp which has been cancelled this April due to the Corona-virus.

Here is a picture of Shari and Char on the deck since they were the first two to arrive.

It appears Shari is working on a Bev Conway design with pears on it.  And I happen to have a finished photo of it.  Think it was called Pears and Partridge in case you want to purchase the pattern from Bev Conway.

I was working on two different rugs at that time and here are both finished.  One was Home Tweet Home, a design by Karen Kahle.

Was also working on a hooked version of the 1863 Jane Stickle Quilt using blocks which I could hook in #8 strips.  

Here is the booklet that was the inspiration for us rug hookers to honor Jane Stickle.

Those who participated in this rug challenge and send photos by the deadline were debuted in the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.

Mary didn't hook, instead she brought her spinning wheel and spun wool.  For the life of me cannot recall what Deb or Char were working on.  

When April camp was in progress there would be a rug show so a couple gals drove the hour to take in the show and eat lunch while the rest of us stayed behind.

Happy Friday, happy hooking and wishes for good health.

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Getting Ready

With April rug camp right around the corner it's about time I started getting ready.  I've cut and serged the edges of the linen foundation and hope to draw the pattern today.  I've a follow-up doctor appointment this morning and who knows how long I'll have to wait until he sees me.  But, I'll be taking Lancaster Barnyard with me and continue binding it.

There is also a pot with wool soaking to over-dye. 

I will attempt to dye a sepia color.  A rug hooking friend ('Ms P') shared a recipe and I just happened to have all the Pro-Chem colors.

And another friend ('Ms L') said Donna Hrkman only used one brown Pro-Chem dye to hook her "Paul Laurence Dunbar" piece.  Not sure which brown she used but in looking at the wool samples in the binder the two which look most like the color are #501 Mocha Chino, on the left and #502 Choc. Brown on the right.

This is a photo of Donna Hrkman's Paul Laurence Dunbar.

I re-read the article in an old issue of Rug Hooking magazine hoping to find out which shade she used but didn't see a Pro Chem name or number.  But she did describe how she got the values.

Back in the day when I worked in the office there was a phrase used and heard often.  It was the K I S S theory......"Keep it Simple Stupid".  So I will choose a number, use just one dye and keep the process simple.

Happy hooking.

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

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

And Then.....

.... after hooking for a couple years had feelings of inadequacy as to my hooking.  There was an atmosphere that wide cut primitive hookers weren't 'real' hookers and hooked only what they were capable of.  

That year I signed up for a class with Jon Ciemiewicz ~ I know you have seen his magnificent works of art in Rug Hooking Magazine and shows.  That was the class I started work on my Rottweiler Memorial.

The dogs were hooked in #3 but got so frustrated with narrow cut that the background was hooked in #5.  The background was a mixture of that same High Meadow Green dye recipe, a staple of mine.  The wool in the dogs were dip dyed by me using repurposed brown wool dip dyed in black.  

And some of you may know, at the nape of the neck between the color change some of their hair is hooked in.  I'd saved each of their hair during grooming when they were alive.  Friend Leslie, now departed, spun their hair on a narrow core of wool yarn.  In person you can see the hair, which makes this a very special piece for me.

Okay then.... I got my confidence back!  I now know my capabilities of handling a narrow cut, could paint well with wool but CHOSE to hook wide cut and primitive.  So what did I do next, you ask?

Pulled out a piece of linen and drew a primitive rug and hooked it in #8.

One year at Cape May someone was working on Bev Conway's pattern Rufus the Lion and it was love at first sight.  So purchased the pattern and hooked that in a class with Bev.

Those shades of fuscia and purple aren't really me but since his adorable mane had those colors they needed to be spread around the rug.  The rug is in my wool room.

Meanwhile during the year I hooked several more purses for shows and small mats until it was time to go to another rug camp.

The pattern Birds and Pomegranates by Edyth O'Neill was in a book so drew that out for the class with Eric Sandberg; and sold that one.

Was time to put another rug on my frame so chose 1880 Running Horse.  This one I hooked on my own using the picture of the antique as a guideline ~ sold this one too.

Going into 2007 Polly Minick was offering Patriotic kits with portion of the proceeds to benefit the Semper Fi Fund, which helps wounded warriors and their family.   I recently donated this to the American Legion so they could sell chances  ~ all proceeds went to their cause.

That was also the year  Polly and I developed a great working relationship which lasted 10 years until her recent retirement.  

In a class with Lucille Festa I hooked 1847 Turkey, a pattern in a Needl'love publication named Falloween.

Next on my frame was Crow Sampler, a design by Kindred Spirits.  I changed it up a bit with the border.

And here is the original on the web site.

Tonya (Mad Hen) invited me to hook a design to be included in an upcoming booklet.  There were a few of us rug hookers who were included in that publication.  It was quite an honor for me; heck, she provided the pattern as well as the wool.  The only stipulation was that the black was to be for the sky (a/k/a/ background).

There ya have it for another blog post rug show.  After breakfast I will go back outside and work my aching bones to clean up the small limbs.  But at least the trees are being whittled down and the mess will eventually be gone.

 Although you can't see it in theese two photos, the trees are still in a very precarious and dangerous position as the weight of the top tree is teetering on the tip of my clothes line post.  

Here are close-ups.  The weight of the top and heaviest tree is sitting on that tilted clothes line post.

The men will be back this morning to begin work again.  Would you believe there is another storm with rain/snow and wind developing for Tuesday and Wednesday?

Saundra

My Hooked Items #2

And so it continues.......  In my previous post was able to get 3 years worth of rugs in the one post.  But eventually found my rhythm and production of hooked rugs and items increased per year.  All newbies learn not to twist the wool, how to control the loop to prevent it from falling down when the next loop is pulled and finding that rhythmic feel.     
In 2005 I hooked Fall is Here, a design by Vermont Folk Rugs.  I was beginning to establish more of a wool stash and had a better sense of putting colors together.  I even over dyed that blue wool for the background....talk about getting BRAVE!  The first time I dyed it was if I was about to perform brain surgery and kept reading the instructions over and over from the beginning before doing each next step.

Then in an issue of Rug Hooking Magazine there was a delicious article by Karen Kahle with loads of pictures and a free pattern insert.  AH HA! Gotta hook that baby (I thought), and so I did. 

In one of Karen's catalogs I saw a pattern called Stop and Smell the Roses so that was the next to be hooked.  It remains on the floor since 2005 and still in great shape.  It is in an area where it is walked on several times a day but not in front of the kitchen sink or front door.  If I were to hook it now the white rabbit wouldn't be so white and would have picked a better choice of wool for the bunny on the left....Oh, and the basket would be different, lol.

Can't say anything bad about Harry, a design by Sally Kallin (Pine Island Primitives), since I purchased the kit.  I loved the rug when it was featured in an issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.  So contacted Sally and ordered the pattern and kit with like wool. 

Although I'd always been creative...oil painted, made dolls and used to draw, I was very insecure about designing my own rug/mat.  And I wanted something for fall so designed a small very humble Pumpkin Runner and a side pocket for me to use to keep pen and money in at my shows.  The pumpkin runner sold so not all was lost.

A few years later I would design a small runner called Mache' Jacks which is a far cry better attempt at designing pumpkins.  But, in 2005 was still feeling my way around.

Soon after decided the side pocket didn't work so made some zippered pursettes.  I made a couple ~ sold one and kept one.  Since I made both black and white dolls thought I'd put one on each side.  At camps people have taken notice and taken photos of it.

Then came my first adaptation and cannot remember where the idea came from.  But was determined to hook a larger rug and experiment. Again came the 'brain surgery' of dyeing wool for the background color (hey, what did I know?, lol)

SO you see that I used a lot of what I had on hand...greys, black, white and overdyed white with YELLOW, lol.

FYI, yesterday's blogpost has been updated with more photos I've found.  It made sense to me to add the photos from 2001 in that post than add them here.  ....So, take a trip back in time and see what is there.

Happy Friday to you all.

Saundra