Cape May rug camp is less than two weeks away and wanted to start gathering the rugs hooked during the last 12 months for their rug show. And was quite surprised at the number I'm taking for the show this year. Yes, some are mats, some small rugs and others a little bigger.
If it was a contest of 'most hooked rugs' it would be easy enough to figure out the total square footage of my accomplishments and compare to another person, but I'm not concerned since I don't think size matters. Frankly I feel guilty that I've not been dusting and vacuuming enough but rather am having fun hooking.
So first rug finished since last September is Ducks and Egg Nest which was the rug I was working on at Cape May last year until my teacher (Bev Conway) could get to me. This is an adaptation of an antique hooked in the late 19th century or very early 20th century in Canada.
And it was the Wee Folk (by Vermont Folk Art) as the rug chosen to hook in class, which is also done and will be in the show.
Now I'm not sure of the order here, but do know that the Karen Kahle inspired Spiral Chair Pad came soon after....
...as well as my design of Mother Hen which I wanted to offer as a pattern on my web site.
Since I was on a roll for designing seems to me that since the holidays were soon coming up, the next on the frame was to hook and offer Holiday Ornaments.
Okay, if memory serves me think that Kathy of Briarwood Folk Art and I made a trade of patterns and I chose her Big Dog Hollow pattern to hook and it was loads of fun to hook. A number of woollie worms were used up on this one as well.
Still being in the mood to offer more patterns to my offerings designed and hooked Red Bird of Pennsylvania which is an adaptation of an early rug located in ... you got it.....Pennsylvania.
Then in May went to Woolley Fox and hooked Barb's Oh Deer under the tutelage of that magnificent woman.
Somewhere in this mix of rug hooking wonderland I also hooked Barb's Henny Penny rug which I adore since it looks like an early work.
Once returning from Woolley Fox and falling in love with Barb's Westmoreland Ponies, just knew it was on my list of very next rug to hook. It's done and I love it.
And let us not forget Jack which was a free pattern insert in an issue of Rug Hooking Magazine. Funny story here is that someone saw me post a picture of my progress of this design on my blog. He/she then wrote Barb asking if she'd see this and was concerned someone was stealing her design. However, that was further from the truth as it was a free pattern insert in a Sept/Oct issue in a 1997 issue of RHM. Must say I adore how this fellow came out. I changed the nose from the pattern in the magazine to make it more to my liking.
Presently I'm working on Magdalena's Lollipop Bouquet and not sure if it will be finished in time for the show in Cape May or not...... time will tell. Sorry there isn't an updated picture of it but will show you tomorrow.
Just listened to the local weather and seems like fall is coming soon. Hopefully those hurricanes which happen this time of year will stay at bay until after Cape May rug camp.
Have a fantastic evening.
I've been teeter tottering on the fence about how to bind Wee Folk by Vermont Folk Art. My thoughts were either wool covered cord or binding with wool strips. Frankly, I find it faster to do the wool covered cord because when I bind with wool strips or yarn it is like whipping twice. I roll the backing forward and whip with thread first and then go back over it with wool or strips. I've tried in the past to roll forward and whip in one process but I really don't care for the results because my backing starts getting slanted and then when I try to ease it back straight, there seems to be mild hills and valleys. So with the whipping the roll first with thread the whipping with yarn goes easier.
This morning I measured out how much cording I'd need for this BIG rug (24 x 47) when all of a sudden I noticed some blue wool yarn in my stash. Realizing that doing another rug with a blue border was unlikely decided to use up the wool on this project. So now my decision has been made for me and the color is right.
And I'm dragging my feet about starting because I really would rather be hooking and have this new project started. But, since my rug swap partner hasn't started hers yet (she's travelling) should take advantage of this time to bind the rug and finally put it to rest.
Well, Ben doesn't want to go walking in the rain so perhaps I'll trim the excess backing now and start the undesirable task of binding yet another rug.
Thanks for visiting.
Saundra
'Twas the day before Christmas.........
....and I've met my personal deadlines set on hooking rugs. I managed to complete the Holiday Ornaments mat and have it displayed on my harvest table before the holiday. And, more importantly finished hooking Wee Folk and have steamed it. Binding it wasn't a priority because I'm still unsure as to how I want to bind it. The two ways I'm considering is the wool covered cord or whip with blue wool strips.
So now the Lions in the Woods design is back on my frame and am happily hooking it during the Christmas holiday.
The Santa above I made a few years ago. What isn't too visible are the toys in the green sack; there is the cutest handmade moose sticking out a little and all you can see is a piece of the cloth antlers.
Hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday season and New Year.
Saundra
My wool selection has been made, most of my colors are pinned to the rings just as was done for Cape May with more of those colors in my totes. And if I didn't bring what I need then Lucille will have plenty there to select from, or choose from other teachers. Inside the colorful mesh bag are the rings with wool and my pattern.
And, behind the totes you can see two full bolts of linen foundation which just arrived today because when I get back from this camp I'll be working my booty off drawing more patterns for someone. You can see some of my patterns as well as other patterns in the picture. However, there is yet another container of the most current patterns to be drawn when I return in another section of the room.
My wool room is a mess and will be even more so once I return from this camp because I'll have wool from the Wee Folk, wool chosen for the Lions in the Woods which some will be used and some will need to be put back on the shelves. But I'll be too busy drawing patterns to concern myself with that.
And then there is this bunch of wool which is being used for my Wee Folk rug right now. For sure you cannot be a clean freak if you are a rug hooker as it makes dust, you have all those worms which you see in the plastic bags in my totes. I say that but I'll bet that some of you (Joan and T'ere come to mind) is meticulous in everything.
Must say that the Townsend Orbiter frame has been wonderful for working on this long rug and decided to work on the other end at home so the weight will be more distributed when I'm hooking on it waiting my turn for the 'teach' ~ uh, Ben is trying to hone in on the attention here....isn't he handsome? Oops, I see worms on the floor, worms to the left and there are worms on the sofa arm which you can't see. I'm a messy hooker too. I start out all nice and organized and somehow it all goes to hell in a hand basket.
I still have lots more to hook on this rug and it is always a struggle deciding what to hook when I get home from another camp with a newly started rug which I'm excited about, and one you want done that was started previously. Thus, I'm betwixt and between.
The frame I'll take to the next camp will be my Snapdragon since the Lions in the Woods is smaller and the Snapdragon keeps a drum tight surface for sure. That is why I wanted to work on the end of Wee Folk for when I place it on my Snapdragon it will be more balanced.
Thanks for stopping by for the chitter chatter.
Saundra
Oh my but I'm having some issues with the Wee Folk rug ~ wasn't sure how many issues until I pulled it off the frame to take a picture for the blog. The one that stuck out even before pulling it off the frame was the two blue half circle at the top. This was supposed to be representative of half of a wheel, that I get. And at camp it was suggested to not put in the separation grid lines but to just have the color changes and alternate the light blue and dark blue. Frankly, I don't like the way it looks right now. Was thinking that maybe I should make the two outer triangles in light blue and make both middle triangles a dark blue and still not have the grid lines. But for sure I do not like what I see right now. I'm open for suggestions.
And the other thing bothering me is that I feel the rug needs another color separating the top red border and the little gold and green triangles and background.
Now, look at the bottom of the rug design for the border. You can see there is a drawn in section between the background and the red border at the bottom which has been hooked in the suggested green. So, maybe I should do a green line separating the red at the top as well. The green was chosen perhaps to carry some of the same colors throughout the rug to make the eye move about and since there was already a lot of blue, she chose green.
Now, it was suggested that the border on top and bottom be red and the end borders (left and right side) be dark blue. Therefore, I could change that green trim to a dark blue to encompass the design with all blue around albeit just in trim inside the red.
I am now updating the blog with two new pictures. Decided that perhaps I should take a picture with the blue and green line at the top and the blue at the side. Not taking the time to hook it but just lay it out for comparison.
Here is the blue separation line at the top and could replace the bottom green with blue to match.
And now is a picture taken with the green at the top since the green is already at the bottom where the red border would be.
So for now think that I will concentrate on hooking the wheels, flags and background and maybe a light bulb will go off to give me direction after I sleep on it. For sure it seems that I need a trim or separation line between the background and the red at the top. And, any input from my knowledgeable hooker pal readers would be welcomed!
Thanks for stopping by and hope you can help me with my dilemma.
Saundra
As I'm typing the post title I am humming Willie Nelson's song, "On the Road Again". Oh man have I been waiting to put this rug back on my frame since being home from Cape May about three weeks ago. BUT, I had well over 100 patterns to draw (hey, I gotta support my habit), finished hooking a mat which has since been steamed, bound and shipped as of today) and now I can put the Wee Folk back on my frame.
You won't see a whole lot of achievement since the picture taken at Cape May but at least there is a little. Although I wanted to hook one of the flags before taking a picture figured that two days was long enough for you hooker followers to wait for pictures and information about hooking on a hooking blog. Here it is now and after posting the blog will go cut some wool for a flag to start.
I'm going in so many directions with the rug..... want to hook a flag, want to start the border, want to get more of the background done. Sheesh, enough already Saundra! Chill, take your time, relax and enjoy the journey..... ahhhhhhh, I feel relaxed already.
This is a big honking rug and it will look adorable in the location I have planned.
Okay, so this is how it looked at Cape May when I left.
And, want to talk about the "S" configuration for the background which is a lesson learned from Bev Conway MANY years ago and which I follow 'sometimes', depending on my mood.
Barb is not a believer of the echo or ripple effect of hooking. However, in the right cases it is absolutely the right thing to do (I think). For more primitive naive cases it perfectly okay. UH, I'd LOVE to have opinion's here (Lynne??)!!! A perfect example of a great "S" background is my Rottweiler Memorial rug of precious Shumba and Panzer.
With all that background the ripple effect would have overtaken the beauty of the dog profiles. So for sure I had to do the S design there where there was no noticeable hooking lines.
But I'm still thinking about Wee Folk because it doesn't seem to be that there is all that open background space which would detract from the animal images. Plus, it IS a primitive naive design and that ripple effect just might make the individual critters stand out.; Will see...... stay tuned and see what this rebel hooker decides to do.
Honey's, I'm HOME!
Got home late yesterday afternoon and Ben was waiting for me at the house/garage door since he could see me when I pulled into the driveway. I gave him a huge long hug around the neck and lots of rubs and he licked me from head to toe (Ben loves to give kisses). Camp was loads of fun, as usual, and I'll talk more about camp when I have more time. However, did want to post a couple pictures and say, "hi" to everyone. And, needless to say, I've not had time to read anyone else's blog so am sure I've missed out on a LOT of good pictures and information.
This is the rug I started at camp; it is called Wee Folk and is a design of Vermont Folk Art Rugs. This rug will stay this way for a while because I want to finish the Ducks and Egg Nest rug, need to finish up the sheep rug someone wants me to hook for them, and have over 100 patterns (smallish ones tho) to draw up for someone who needs to kit them up and ship before the end of October, so I'll be quite busy.
And this is just about finished. I haven't checked for vacations on the back yet plus I'm rethinking the nest colors. My plans were to take some creative license with the nest because it had a lot of black in the nest in the original antique, which I didn't want. When I put it on the floor to look at it again was thinking that maybe the ducks and nest would flow better if I pulled out the most yellow of the wool in the nest and replaced it with the duck color. So if you have an opinion I would love to hear your thoughts.
Took lots of pictures and have lots to tell you, but tomorrow I MUST cut my grass so not sure if I'll have time to spend that much time on my blog, however I might post a few pictures.
Thanks for stopping by and will post more later.
Saundra
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