Mini Vintage Rug Show

Am holding off showing additional progress on Magdalena Goat so thought I'd entertain you with a few old rugs.  So far this evening it seems I'm on the "Winter Blues" theme.  Below is a rug with two horses and hearts said to be late 19th century from Pennsylvania.  Hit and miss background and wonderful blotchy horses.

Below is a stitchery, not hooked but worth mentioning.  It was hooked by Polly Bedford 'in the twelfth year of her age in 1991.  Handiwork was proper back then, when I went to school in the 'olden days' 😏, we were taught how to sew and cook.  Don't think many 12 year old girls today even know how to sew on a button.

The rug below is a simplistic design but I like it.  It was documented as being hooked around 1890.

Don't have a date for the Blue Bowl of flowers below.  Interesting is the cobalt blue base with lighter blue above.  Was this planned or did she use what she had and placed the colors strategically?

The blue bunny rug below was dated 1900 and dimensions of the rug were 30 x 54.

Below is a Cat with blue stars.  I wonder what those figure 8 motifs are.  There must be some meaning because the same shape appeared in the recent rug I hooked (Primitive Horse).  The rug below was dated at 1900 also.

This rug below I've drawn for Polly Minick to hook so have the paper pattern to use for myself.  One day I'd like to hook it as well.  Too many grandiose desires and so little time.

Last but DEFINITELY not least, is this dog design.  Don't know if the initials "BUS" is of the hooker or the dog's name.  But I've already sold two patterns even before hooking it myself so this is what will be on my frame next.  I have named it "SPIKE" because of the collar and sounds like a proud name for a dog.  

Interesting side note on the above rug is that Cammie Bruce said she placed a bid for it at the on-line auction house and didn't get back home to do a final bid before it was sold.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

WOE IS ME

Today decided to soak some wool to attempt getting a better blue wool from a 'fresh' dye recipe.  Below is the wool soaked for hours in synthropol to ensure good coverage.  

The larger piece of wool measured 30" x 32" and the two smaller pieces were parts of a upcycled jacket section.

Previously I'd attempted to 'revive' this same recipe (Warm Sky) which had crystallized but wasn't happy with the results at the time.  You can check out that post HERE, about my misadventures of that dye job. However, now I'm not so sure it was so bad; you'll see in a few minutes why.

Above and to the right side are the results of today's dye job.  Was attempting to get a wool to match the light wool already hooked in the right side of the rug since the left side was becoming increasingly dark using the rest of my blue stash.

However, as you can see from the pictures above and below, this turned out too light...dang it.  Uh, that's not the wording I used when you weren't around. 

Interesting how much lighter this dye job turned out and appears to be much lighter than would work.  Since there were a few, very few lighter wool strips left to hook decided to place them on top of what was dyed today.  

First, they have a green hue to them since I was resorting to pulling out all sorta similar wool to fill the background.  So THEN.... decided to go to my blue wool section and pull out some of the wool that was from the 'Misadventures of a Rug Hooker'.  

The two wool pieces to the right are from that task and might just be what I'll use to fill in for the remaining part of the background for Zach's Favorite Sports Rug.  

I've so much blue wool now that I'll be  hooking blue hearts like Kelley all this winter when I get those 'winter blues'.

Last evening and today chose to hook on the gold border of Ned but think I'll switch and work on my grandson's rug.  There will be so much ripping and switching wool strips throughout the rug that I may as well bite the bullet and start now.  Besides, that dang rug needs to be done within the next 5 months and Gran is getting tired tweaking it.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra