RUGS HOOKED DURING 2009

Woodland Deer seemed like the perfect choice to hook in a class with Barb Carroll.  That made perfect sense since I live in the woods and see plenty of deer to my enjoyment.  The photo is quite washed out and not that light in person.

At a Cape May class my teacher was Bev Conway and chose her pattern Speckled Hens.  Instead of hens each sitting on a huge egg I wanted them sitting on straw.

While at Cape May and checking out the rugs in the show I saw Evelyn Lawrence's adaptation of Domestic Zoo.  It was awesome and knew it would be next on my frame.  I drew it and hooked it at home trying to replicate the colors in the original.  It was the largest rug I'd hooked but nothing compared to the ones ladies are working on these days.

Tonya Robey's whimsical designs were always fun to hook and Fat Dog was no exception.  Matter of fact, you can't see it in this photo but he has a little 'bling' in his teeth, which were sequins.

My picking whimsey designs continued with a Red Saltbox pattern named Flying Trio.

The bee skep and attached bees was my design made to sell at a future show, just something fun and small.

Debbie's Horse is a Barb Carroll design drawn from a pattern in one of her books.  The colors are not that bright in person.

Another small mat I hooked and sold was a Cornucopia design by Maggie Bonanomi. 

Once I had a class with Gail Dufresne so I could learn how to better work with colors and she helped me design a mat I named The Great Escape.  Turns out that I'm more of a drab person.  Thought the name of the piece was better than the colors, lol.  Sold this at one of my vending events.

And last rug of that year was my first and last wool yarn hooked (not punched) rugs.  It went into time out for about 2 years before it was finally finished.  It was a Claire Murray kit purchased on eBay and immediately learned I was NOT a fan of yarn hooked rugs.  As the dang thing wouldn't sell I eventually gave this rug away just to get it out of my house.

Well that's another year of rugs and have learned many of my old rugs don't have a label nor a hooked date.  So if I was positive on the year some were hooked, I'd do a label with the dates.  But guess I could do a label anyway to provide the name of the designer.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND

This blog post was handed to me by follower/friend Lady Locust who suggested it's been a long time since I hooked a 'structure', house, etc.  I began to wonder myself so looked thru photos of rugs I've hooked and sent her a list.  Then the lightbulb lit up that this should be my next post.

Actually I have had thoughts of hooking a row of log cabins but that never materialized.  Perhaps if I wasn't so lazy I'd draw one up.  Meanwhile, here are some rugs and mats I've hooked with some sort of building on it.

These aren't in any special order but some might spark a memory.  The first photo has two small structures in it and was a pattern swap with Briarwood Folk Art.  She wanted my Frost Sheep and Birds pattern and I chose her Big Dog Hollow pattern.  Nice fair swap and neither of us had to spend money except for postage.

I drew the Deer with Blue House, an antique adaptation.

Another antique adaptation I drew and hooked was Cottage and Apple Tree.

A small mat which was my contribution in a swap on Yahoo Rughookers before Facebook came along.

This next rug inspired me because Evelyn Lawrence mentioned she was to teach at Sauder and her subjects were to be designs by Harriet Powers (quilter) and Granny Donaldson's cow blankets.  So I asked Evelyn if she'd be interested in taking something I hook of Harriet Powers' designs as a sample for her class.  Of course she jumped on the invitation.

It is my interpretation of the 500 Mile Betts block in Powers' Bible Quilt, and I gifted the piece to Evelyn who has it in her personal collection.

A Day in the Country is a design by Tonya Robey.  The colors look washed out, sorry.  Good grief, hard to believe this was hooked in 2015, where has this last 10 years gone??

Early Farm Scene which is in private collection, sold 2024.

Below is Long Island Farmhouse which is a Lucille Festa Design.

When hooking a Tonya Robey design to be in one of her "Inspirations" booklets she drew this design and I hooked a dark chicken.  But....

.... it was hard to see so reverse hooked and changed it to a white duck, lol.

There was a row of houses in Lori Brechlin's Nantucket Broom Ride which is sold by Kris Miller.

Below, using various motifs available, I designed the rug which was named Puppy Love.

Rainbow Cabin is a design by Barb Carroll and located in one of her booklets.

A Karen Kahle design has many cute slanted cabins in her Small Flowerbox pattern.

In the distance are two structures.  This was a Spring Challenge organized by Kelley Belfast one year.  My daffodils were proddy and a real bell on the sheep.

Oh what fun this next pattern was to hook.  It's name is Windy Day and Cushing sells the pattern.  I should have had it out a week ago when the wind was horrific but March is just around the corner and will pull it out.

My design named Ox Farm has a house in the background.

And finally, another Lori design named Merrie Oct. 31st.  You can see I opted to not put 31st as I might want to keep it out more than one day.

Well kids, that's it for today's trunk show.  Anytime you get a hanker'n to pull my chain and give me an idea, please feel free to do so.  Thanks Lady Locust.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

MY HALLOWEEN HOOKED PIECES

On the harvest table is my favorite Nantucket Broom Ride, designed by Lori of Notforgotten Farm, pattern by Spruce Ridge Studios.  The flowing scarf is not part of the design but rather a suggestion by my mentor Barb Carroll.  Actually Kris Miller color planned it for me in class but Barb use to read my blog and sent me an email with that suggestion and some wool.  She was a generous soul.

At home not thinking about the sliver moon being gold I hooked a gold house on the same side at the bottom.  It should have been a gold house on the left to distribute the color and make the eye travel, oh well.  So I made the far left tree in gold, lol.

Another design by Lori and color planned with Kris is the pattern Do Goode Be Nice.  Instead of hooking a skeleton key I attached a real one instead.  Those are supposed to be chin hairs on the the witch.  I think she needs eye surgery, 😁

This Jack was a free pattern insert in the Sept/Oct 1997 issue of Rug Hooking Magazine, a design by Barb Carroll.

Mache Jacks below is my design.

Another design by Lori which is sitting on the sofa table near the front door.  I believe this pattern was purchased from Lori's etsy page vs, Spruce Ridge.

Hobo Joe is a pattern by Lucille of American Country Rugs. It was intended to be a cut out door hanger but I had other plans for him.

I have another Halloween themed pattern by Lori which I haven't hooked yet.  Hmm, two in fact.  

Here's something I didn't hook, sew or applique but I love it and it is hanging on my front door.  It is a wool applique stocking which Tonya Robey made and I just had to have it.  Hard to see but the stitched word at the bottom is BOO.

Happy Halloween and happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

I'M DY'N HERE

Even tho it is hot and humid outside thought I'd dye up a little wool for my next project.  No you didn't miss seeing what that next project is because I haven't shown you yet.  There are a few more loops to pull on Cottage and Apple Tree and before starting the next one will force myself to pull Mary out of hiding and pull a few loops on that.  Which might be very few loops me thinks.  But have no fear you'll find out soon enough what will be on the frame next.

As luck would have it there was still a little mixture of "Midnight Run" from Tonya Robey's dye book and also some mixture left of "Olde Patina" from the Beautiful Wool dye book.  Used less tablespoons of Olde Patina as I didn't want this as dark as I've done before.

The rug in the foreground is an antique adaptation and one I hooked of an Early Farm Scene back in 2019.

Diane recently sent me a photo of a rug I drew for her named "Rainbow Petals".  So want to share it with you as it looks wonderful.  It is also an antique adaptation.  

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Yesterday vs. Today

Yesterday the temperature was in the low 50's and sunny.  When I woke up this morning it was dreary and raining with temps at 41.  The rain stopped, the temperature dropped and it is now snowing like crazy and 36* outside. 

That's not the only difference between yesterday and today.  Yesterday I was in a funk all day despite the nice weather.  The only things productive were dropping off fabric, patterns, books and magazines to the thrift shop on the way to the grocery store.  

Had plans to list some items on ebay but just seemed like too much energy involved for not having the items sell.  Wanted to draw a pattern to hook for my wonderful DIL but wasn't in the mood.   Also wanted to do a blog post but wasn't in the mood to do that either.  

So thought I'd plop my butt on the sofa and watch TV while pulling a few loops but ended up surfing more than hooking and got bored with that.  Seemed nothing suited me.

Today I cleaned off my drawing table and drew out this pattern for my sweet daughter-in-law love which will be a Christmas gift or maybe birthday but doubt I'll have it done by then as it will be a part-time project.  Found the Tonya Robey pattern in a Primitive Quilts and Projects Winter 2014 issue and as soon as I saw it knew my DIL would love it.

Also drew a little something for me to work on as a break from the horse and scrolls rug.  Perhaps if I'd had a pattern on the side to play with it would have been enough to pull me out of that funk.  Won't show you what it is just yet, want it to be a surprise and it will give me something to blog about on another day.

CARRIE ~ thank you for your comment but I cannot respond to you personally as you are a no reply blogger.  What that essentially means is that when you signed up in blog land you did not give your email address in your profile.  Thus no one can contact you unless they know it.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

This, That and The Other Thing (edited)

THIS is what I'm working on now, have had this Primitive Spirit pdf pattern for years and finally decided to hook it.  As I often do, took the liberty to change something in the design.  The original has Santa holding a sack from which the small sheep is showing out of the top.  I felt that unnecessary and distracting to my eye so changed the mitten somewhat and hooked Santa in his clothing only, no sack.  

Figure the black mittens make the eye think there are legs folded under.  But I think the eyes and mouth needs a little work to make him look more happy.

Am editing the post to show you a view of the original design.  Should have done that upon doing the post yesterday.  

I'm hooking it in 8.5 and the sheep are hooked with varying sizes from #8 thru #9.  Below is the wool I'm using for the sheep and something purchased from Gail Dufresne several years ago at camp knowing it was a perfect sheep or Santa beard wool.

Santa's beard, however, is hooked with a very fuzzy white wool my pal Deb shared with me a few years ago.  I didn't take a photo of the beard wool as the fluff didn't show up, but here is a picture of the wool purchased from Gail.  

This wool is rather thick and I did hand cut a lot of it but when my hand tired of pulling wide strips of the thick wool I ran it thru my Townsend in #8.5.  It was a slow processing guiding that wool thru but made it more manageable to hook as I wasn't able to get uniform strips with hand cutting.  

THAT would be providing something Halloween for Cranky Crow's ravenous appetite.  In my sewing room I have two Halloween items hanging all year, one is yet another of Tonya Robey's handmade items.  Just love this wool Halloween stocking with the words BOO stitched near the toe.

I keep the Vintage Halloween Cat as a reminder to make a rug pattern from it.  The hanging ornament is a little worse for wear, has some bent pieces, areas taped and toes missing; but he is the only vintage Halloween item I own.

Took a photo of the back and you can see years ago when sold it was 10 cents, when I purchased it from the thrift store a few years ago I paid $1.

THE OTHER THING is taking a lead from Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) and make a "Project List" to monitor my accomplishments or lack of.  

    Wooly Santa ~ pattern to linen - hook - bind - label

    Old Tom ~ Hook - bind - label  😞  Sadly that task hasn't been done since the rug was hooked in September.  These are not the true colors of Tom as he isn't neon gold in person.

Okay, over and out for the day, gonna go pull more loops on my Santa this rainy day in Delaware.  Yesterday the temperature rose to 80* which is well over 10* higher than normal for this time of year and today will have a high of 56*.   Delaware is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Back to Halloween

Happy now Robin?   I'm giving you more Halloween.  😉

These witches were very popular, sold many and wish I had one of these left too.  Out of these two think I'd choose the one on the right.  Which one would you choose?  The pattern is designed by Veenas Folk Art Primitives.

That wonderful rug they are displayed on was an original hooked by Tonya Robey, I have many of her mats and rugs and love each of them.  She used to own Mad Hen Prims .

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Sunday Happenings Here

On a perfect Sunday I'd be on my way to Ocean City, MD for rug camp.  But not this year.  Hope like heck all is well by September so Rugs by The Sea takes place as scheduled.  However I probably will still carry a mask with me.

Moving along........I was envious of Lauren's accomplishments of dyeing wool particularly since I have some of the same butt-ugly brown and cream plaid wool she had and I've never used.

Decided to over-dye the wool using two different recipes:  1/4 yard with Lauren's Fraktur Black and another pot using Tonya Robey's Evening Shade.

I gathered my Cushing dyes and proceeded to open up a fresh envelope of Dark Green for the Evening Shade recipe.  Say what?  Did someone make a mistake and put the wrong dye in the envelope?  So went to my stash of dyes but that was the only package of Dark Green here.

Oh well, it looked more like a shade of blue/purple to me but what the heck......I put dye in the cup, added 1 c boiling water and took a leap of faith.

Here are the results and in the center the wool used.

 On the left of the original wool is Evening Shade, on the right is Fraktur Black but mine didn't turn out like Lauren's (I'll go borrow pictures from her blog am sure she won't mind).

And on the bottom are two small pieces I added to Evening Shade when I didn't think it was going to absorb all the color.  For you non-dyers, here is an interesting fact for when you decide to dye.....not all dyes absorb at the same rate.  As the wool and dye mix had been in the pot well over 30 minutes when the small pieces were inserted, it appears the black and the Dark Green absorbed faster than Seal Brown.  That is why that piece looks  more brown.

Here was Lauren's before photo but her brown and cream plaid looks darker than mine...

And her after photo using Fraktur Black.  Her results look more grey and mine more brown.  Could it be the camera, is it the water?

Whatever it is, the wool I dyed today will be used whereas it would not have been the way it was.  Thanks Lauren for inspiring me to dye.

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com