Special Gift to Myself

Was so excited to get my mail today even tho it included a couple monthly bills.  I mean, who doesn't want to GET money ...OR...get GIFTS?  This was the special gift to ME.  It is a chair pad designed AND hooked by none other than Edyth O'Neill.

After buying it I asked if she would kindly sign it for me before shipping, which she did.

The name of the pattern offered by Woolley Fox under Edyth O'Neill's name is Flame 1.  Edyth hooked the chair pad in this shape to fit a chair of hers I'm sure because the pattern in the WF book is more rectangle.  This has a slight angle from front to back which would fit nicely on an old chair.  

I have an antique rocker but there sits a doll I made and don't want to cover up my new beautiful gift.  So am presently sitting on it and this is where it will be and what I'll see when coming to the computer.  Oh, and a note from Edyth thanking me for the purchase.  Edyth... thank YOU for allowing me to purchase it.  This is a treasure from a true artist of many talents ~ antique doll restoration, painting, designing and hooking rugs.

IF you check Woolley Fox for the pattern, which  measures 16 x 20, the visual in the pattern book will be in this direction.

I enjoy surrounding myself with things which give me joy.  This is one of those things.  Thanks Edyth.

Saundra

Have You Any Wool?

Yup, that's the name of the pattern I'm working on.  It is a pattern design by Carol Endress and offered by Woolley Fox except it isn't listed on the web site.  So if you are interested please contact Katie.

Those of you who said the sheep looked like a skein or ball of yarn were correct.  That is exactly what my vision was but wasn't sure I'd be able to pull it off.  The difficulty was the head and the rear due to shape.  But still glad it was good enough that some knew.

Since yesterday have decided on two possible background and border choices.  What makes the decision difficult is having a GREY sheep and BLACK face and legs.  So a light background would conflict with the light grey sheep.  A dark background would loose the legs of the sheep.

OH NO.... what's a hooker to do?  (a little humor here).

So looking thru my humongous stash of wool knew there WAS an answer.  Above is a teal plaid which just might work.  The light teal strip cut for the background would be nice and the darker section for border would work well with adding flowers of any color.

My other thought was a red background and using the black legs and face for the border and using the red for flowers.

So, stay tuned to find out what I decide.  BUT... as always do truly enjoy your input.

Saundra

And More Rugs

Goodness but I've given up trying to pin down a date when a rug was hooked.  It takes time running to the rug and checking on the label.  So will just show numerous rugs in succession in descending years according to my distorted records.

This is an antique adaptation of a pattern I replicated and from the provenance given named it Red Bird of PA.  Even tho the bird isn't red perhaps originally hooked it may have been red and faded.

Hooked a rug named July Cabin which was a free to copy and enlarge in a Woolley Fox book.  I'd become increasingly comfortable making changes to a design to suit my home and my tastes.  The original design had flags as leaves, the smoke going straight upward making the rug taller.  So my changes reflected the tree leaf colors that sweet Barb Carroll helped me color plan for the Woodland Deer rug.

A small candle mat was needed so hooked an Edyth O'Neill.

Another antique adaptation which I called Lions in the Woods.  After seeing numerous antique rugs with similar design and colors chose the elements from those which I liked best.  After it was hooked it was sold and released to a buyer who also appreciated it.

While drawing patterns for Polly she gave me permission to hook any of her designs.  And I've hooked quite a few.  This is her Seaside Swimsuit.

I sold the companion piece first and was surprised the swimsuit one didn't sell. So it is still here if anyone would like to purchase it for their summer cottage.  Here was the companion Beach Oar which did sell.

That year also hooked Baa Baa Dorr.

Another year at rug camp with Barb Carroll I wanted to do something special for her again.  In a previous visit had taken a photo of her Woolley Fox sign and drew up a little mat for her.

Delaware doesn't have lions but I've managed to hook 5 of them so far. Her is one named Lion and Trees which is an adaptation offered by Port Primitives.

Another antique adaptation pattern I hooked was Ducks and Eggs nest which was a Canadian hooked design.

That year I hooked another Polly's designs and hooked it twice.  Her original pattern called Daleview Farm had 3 chickens, but she wanted the pattern smaller so hooked two chickens instead.

When at Barbs that year I noticed her hooked rug Westmoreland Ponies and just HAD to have the pattern so purchased it from her.  Little did I realize it had been in Rug Hooking Magazine as a free to enlarge pattern design.  HA!  Guess I need to pay more attention to those wonderful freebie designs to hook in magazines.

Another horse of a different color and only half of an antique rug attributed to Magdalena (1885 Horses) was hooked by me.

Magdalena's Dog was a small and quick mat to hook.

Okay guys and gals, think this wraps up this blog post so that I can work more on the Gossip rug.  Must get more accomplished before the bolt of linen arrives (hopefully today) as I've a few Magdalena Goat patterns to draw.

Saundra

Rug Camp In and Out of Class

My gal pals were in Barb's class and I really wanted to be part of the group...but since I wasn't there chose to work on a Woolley Fox design at home to feel like I was enjoying camp too.

Below is a rug being hooked by my friend Deb called Gettys Birds and is a Woolley Fox design. 

This is what friend Shari was hooking, and was posted previously.  She didn't provide an updated photo so this is it.

Sadly I don't have a photo of Mary's rug and don't think anyone took the time to take a photo of Joanne's rug either.  I was SO looking forward to seeing their accomplishments too.

While my endeavors aren't as great as the gals who were IN camp, here is my minor accomplishment OUT of Camp.  Gossip is another design by Woolley Fox ~ BUT ~ I took some creative license to change the bird motifs.  Uh, that poor Goldfinch is mis-shappen and I refuse to pull loops and rehook yet again.  Hey.....it is a primitive...right? 

In case you are wondering, the tree limbs and trunk is mostly #8.5 but using some #8 worms.  The red bird & blue bird is a mix of #8 worms and cut #8.5.  The chickadee and Goldfinch are all left over #8 worms.

Am thinking there may be more photos coming from friends when they read their pictures are missing.  So stay tuned.

After ANOTHER 3 days of rain there is a thunderstorm coming thru. Have a good evening everyone.

Saundra

More Inspirational Rugs

Here are a few more rugs which inspire me for color, design, hooking, etc.  Some I have no interest in hooking myself but have a lot of admiration for the work involved.  This one is called Stars & Fans and  hooked by Sondra Marshall Ives.  I love that red background and color combination plays well together.  Saved it because a red background rug needs to be in my future.



This was an eye catcher for me too.  American fields and sky.  Again don't know who to give credit for this but kudos to whomever designed and hooked it.

Take a look at this drop dead awesome hooking.  Can't remember where I saw the picture and don't have any information but named it Zebra with 3-D Mane.  Wish I knew who hooked it so he/she could get credit.  Click to enlarge the picture and really study this beauty....the lashes on the zebra, the mane hairs and hair going toward the tail.  Also the soft hairs inside the ears.

The 4 Seasons rug was designed and hooked by my friend Joan Strausbaugh.  Joan does excellent hooking and all her loops like they have been pressed even as she is hooking they are so uniform.  Again not something I would personally enjoy hooking.  But she makes it look so easy with the transitions from season to season without putting each in a separate box separating the seasons.  And even the border colors make that easy flow with the seasons as well.  Great job Joan.

There are other photos in my inspirations file too, like this this 1820 Pennsylvania Trinket Box.  I like the colors and design and one day hope to do a rug like it.

Darn it!!!!!!  You'll just have to lean to your side to see this pretty boy named Tom which is a design by Woolley Fox and hooked by Alice Frasier.  Alice must have taken the picture for me with the camera on its side to capture the other hooked rug (not shown).  But the photos default to the original position which was on the side.  In looking at a blank linen on this design I'd have absolutely no interest in hooking it.  BUT, when seeing Alice's hooking of it this would definitely be on my list of rugs to hook.  Problem?  I'd want mine to look exactly like this!  Fantastic job Alice.

Well kids, just a little more to hook on my Black Kitten Mat and it will be done tonight.  Then I MUST work on my son's rug and bind Chum (still not bound), bind the kitten but before the binding I'll draw out another kitten to hook for a friend of mine.  Will do those other tasks before hooking the kitten for a second time just to give myself a little space from it.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend.  Hugs to all.

Saundra

 

A Question from a Follower

Just love it when people ask questions as it gives me something to talk about.  Not that I know all the answers to everything, but most likely I've tried whatever the subject matter is about.  And if I don't know figure I need to know so do a search to learn.

Glenda inquired about how to hook with wool roving ~ does one hook like normal hooking or do a proddy?  I have only hooked this rug using wool roving on the two sheep.  It is a Woolley Fox design called "July Cabin" and a free pattern in a book by Barb Carroll titled American Folk Art Rug Hooking.  I tool some creative license by making leaves on the trees instead of flags and changed the direction of the smoke to make the rug smaller.  Sorry the flash really washed out the colors in the photo below.

A closer view. 

And  a close up of one of the sheep.  I did regular hooking with a hank of the three ply wool yarn and cut off another length if I needed more.

This is the Icelandic Lopi I used to hook the sheep which is a roving that had been carded but not thru the final twisted spin to make it a hank of knittable wool.  I purchased this years ago direct from my Icelandic friend Sofia Katla Leifsdottier.

I was in Kris Miller's class when one of her students used Kris' curly locks to use as a Santa beard.  In looking thru old Cape May photos I believe it was this Santa (a Polly Minick Design) that was the pattern Kris helped Jeri with in her class.  Click on the photo to see a close up of that fantastic beard using Kris' curly locks.

Kris Miller has a great blog post about the subject which covers more than I just posted.  http://spruceridgestudios.blogspot.com/p/hooking-101.html  and if you are interested in purchasing some of her curly locks, purchasing a pattern or taking a class you can contact her from her web site HERE.

Hope your weekend is marvelous.

Saundra