How I Hang Rugs (edited)

Thanks to a follower who asked the question "how did I hang my rugs" you will all benefit from the answer, I hope.  In the beginning when I knew the rug or mat would go on a wall I would sew a sleeve on the back and insert a dowel.  Here is one I hooked several years ago showing the dowel inserted and a ring to hang it.  This happened to be an Elf Challenge piece which I'd hoped to sell at a show but still have it.

I did the same to the Rottweiler Memorial as well but didn't sew a ring, but rather hanging it in the middle of the dowel.  

When the rug is heavier or wider I used a yard stick and cut it to size.  Gossip's back has a sleeve and a yard stick with a sawtooth picture hanger nailed in the center.

In 2016 I did the same thing for my grandson's Favorite Sports rug.  I hadn't purchased the yard stick at that time so inserted a pen so you could see the opening because of the busy binding.  In case you're wondering I used doubled cotton for the binding on this and on Gossip above.  And I chose it to correspond to the racing checkered flag and the beading on the front.

Here is a view of the front of the rug.  That black and white beauty line was achieved by doing the 'beading technique'.  For you newbies that is when you work with 2 different colors of wool and hook them alternately.  

Once I used a carpet gripper strip but didn't like that nearly as much.  The last several rugs hung I used flat head short straight pins.  Of course I can do that since I have drywall not wood paneling or plaster walls.  I took a photo of two hanging in the the living room and maybe if you click on it you can see the shiny pins.  If I want to move any of the rugs and place them somewhere else it will only leave tiny pin pricks in the walls.

So there ya go, that's how I've hung my rugs.  If anyone has any questions about anything, please feel free to ask.  If you are a NO-Reply blogger I'll not be able to reply directly to you but if you send the message thru the 'EMAIL ME' location on the right side of the blog I will be able to respond and perhaps even do a blog post about it.

Follower Julia asked if I would show the pins I use and should have done that initially, but have attached a photo, thanks Julia.  The one on the far left is what I use now but have used the shorter pin on the far right previously.  Didn't like using that since the colors show up.  The pin in the middle is what I use for sewing.

This is the information on the container and not  sure if I purchased these at Walmart or a sewing center.

Follower Elaine says she uses 'map pins' a/k/a 'push pins'.  I chose not to use them since the top is big and thought it would be distracting, albeit easier to use.  I don't push the pins in but rather hammer them in with a mini hammer which, after checking at Lowes, they are really very cheap, click on the Lowes link.  I'm sure Home Depot offers them too.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Getting Ants in My Pants

I'm loving how the Horse Trainer is coming along and am close to pulling the last loops.  So naturally I'm antsy to start something new. That new project would be my grandson's next gift.  His very most favorite sport to play is soccer and it didn't get hooked into his last Christmas gift.  Only Nascar, the Orioles and Redskins made it in the hooked gift.

Since Zach's favorite soccer team is from Barcelona I'm going to hook their logo.  I've started gathering colors and even pulled some yellow strips from my wool worms.  The outline of the logo is hooked in a blue black so pulled what seemed to work and when taking this picture below, it showed up purple.

So back to my shelf and pulled out this piece of wool for the photo and it shows up too brown.  There is plenty of dark black/blue wool on my shelf so will find something suitable when time to start hooking.

Normally I don't sew on my binding first UNLESS I know for sure the margins or borders will not change.  Sewing on the binding before hooking makes it so much easier when binding time happens.  Uh, still don't like doing the binding part but it is easier.

Happy February 1st everyone.

Saundra

Happy New Year !

Wishing all of my readers a very happy and healthy new year ahead.

Per usual I welcomed in the new year behind closed eye lids and no one in my quiet neighborhood set off firecrackers to welcome the new year. Or if they did I was obviously so far into slumberland I didn't hear it.

You'd think I'd know by now to never say "never".  In 2015 I designed and hooked a Man Cave rug for my son as a Christmas gift.  It was started early in the year so that I could work on something else and still have it done for Christmas that year.  Didn't have any plans to hook another sizeable gift rug in 2016 but my grandson Zach loved his dad's so figured he deserved one as well.

Zach's favorite sports rug was also started early in 2016 so it could be taken off the frame with fun hooking between shifts.  Don't get me wrong, both rugs were hooked with love but when it is a gift find hooking more worrisome.  When it was all finished and bound I said to myself..."never again will I do a gift rug for anyone".

HA!  Never say "never" Saundra.   My grandson's face was so delightfully happy with his Christmas gift that grandma now has decided to hook his favorite soccer team logo for next Christmas.

The above photo of my grandson Zach will be part of the label on the back of it when finished.  This project should be a piece of cake compared to the other Christmas gift rugs ~ there's no detail which requires narrow cuts, just regular wide cut hooking.

May all your loops, stitches and punches be perfect in 2017.  And thanks to all of you who follow and read my blog.  Comments and questions are the icing on the cake too, so don't hesitate to ask questions.

Saundra

A Christmas Gift

Christmas Day I couldn't wait to deliver my grandson's gift to him and stood with my camera in hand to take a photo of him opening it.  

As soon as he unrolled the rug I could see a huge grin on his face which stayed there while he placed the rug on the back of the sofa for viewing.   As I'm taking this picture he tells me, "I really like it Grandma".  And I knew he would because he admired his dad's rug last Christmas....the Porter's Man Cave rug.

Immediately Zach took me to his bedroom and showed where he wanted it hung....over his desk.  On the top shelf of his desk is a signed Orioles baseball cap, a school award and some floating darts given to him by his cousin.

As I looked at his room saw some old valances I'd made eons ago and told him they needed to be replaced.  I asked what he wanted and he said soccer fabric.  He loves playing soccer and his favorite team is the Barcelona, Spain team.   

Don't know that I can buy that fabric in the USA but he said black and white soccer ball design would be fine.   HOWEVER.... grandma has a plan for another project for my beloved grandson for next Christmas.

Hope all of my blog friends and those beyond had a good Christmas holiday.  

Warm hugs and Christmas cheer to you all.

Saundra

Oh Happy Days!!

Finally finished and in plenty of time before Christmas.  But think my son's rug was finished in July so finished his in record time.  Here is my grandson's Favorite Sports rug from the front.  It will still need steaming again in MHO.

And a photo of the back which shows the cotton binding and even the sleeve has been stitched on.  It is hard to tell where the sleeve is but there is a blue pen slid between the sleeve at the top to show where the yard stick or dowel will go if they choose to hang it.

Also notice the label stitched to the back.  That was a Facebook photo I stole the day this rug was being developed in my mind.  I wanted Zach to have a record of what he looked like when his grandma decided to hook this rug for him.

I have lots of HAPPY's..... am happy to have designed and hooked this for my grandson and VERY HAPPY it is done!!!!!  OH!!!!!!   And HAPPY it is done WAY before Christmas.

Hope you have a great evening.  Temps here going to rise again tomorrow to over 90 degrees Fahrenheit and high humidity.  So the 'fells like' will be over 100.  Hey Kim, would you want to come visit??? 

Am so looking forward to fall but am NOT looking forward to shoveling snow.  

Have a great evening.

Saundra

Cotton Fabric Binding a Rug

Am binding my grandson's rug using black and white checkered cotton to carry the checkered flag theme.  Have also kept the wide linen foundation for a little stability so did serge and trim the corners to reduce bulk.

The above photo shows the mitered corner and section already stitched down.  I did a running stitch 3 rows up from the bottom to catch the foundation to the cotton binding.  And then stitched the top which is turned over at the edge of the foundation.

Above shows the width of the foundation and the parts which have already been stitched down.  Before that top strip is stitched down it will have a sleeve sewn on in order to slide a dowel or yard stick thru for the rug to be hung on the wall.  Or, if used as a rug that can be pulled out.  Will show final finish one of these days soon.

The thread used for stitching is a very strong silamide thread purchased from Kris Miller of Spruce Ridge Studios.  It comes in different colors.

My son's Man Cave rug was bound using denim so it is possible to use a cotton fabric for binding a rug too.   

Just be sure the foundation has been zig zagged and stitched to protect from raveling.  Please do not ever just trim your edge and cover with binding without protecting that edge.  Otherwise it WILL eventually ravel.

Have a good evening.  Presently it is pleasant here with low humidity, nice breeze and think the A/C can be turned off tonight.  The weekend, however, will change.

Saundra

Mission Accomplished

I did it!  I pulled the last loops on Zach's Favorite Sports Rug!!!!!  

Must say the blue wool was a close call and had it not been for the random adopted piece of wool from last year's generous giveaway at Cape May I'd be up the creek.  Well, guess I'd have made it work somehow.  This is all the blue that was left.

Even managed to separate out those few worms and put them in the stash baggies.  

Now what needs to be done is steam and bind Zach's rug.  But since working outside today in the 99 degree heat (felt like over 105 because of the 75% humidity) the steaming will wait.

However, am now finishing binding Simple Gifts, a design by Karen Kahle.  Should have that to show you tomorrow.

Had even more rain today and expecting more tonight.  Matter of fact weatherman says we are to get rain thru next Tuesday.  I don't have the wood or skills to build an ark but perhaps should consider buying a boat.

Stay cool....uh, and dry.

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

Zach's Favorite Sports Rug and I'm Still Learning

Oh so close to being finished yet still too far away.  I've faced the narrow cuts on the dreaded Redskins logo and it is now hooked.  All that remains is the background and border.  For sure the rug will be done before December.

Now my only concern is .... will there be enough blue background wool for the rest of the rug.  If not I'll just do another fresh recipe.  Which means there might be some tweaking to replace darker wool with lighter wool to more evenly spread the color.  Am sure you can see the difference in value in the background.  

Oh well ~ Making sure you have enough background wool isn't the only lesson I've learned.  The other is the wonderful technique of "beading" along the border.

That black and white check fabric is for the binding.  But also chose to do a black and white beading technique as the inside border line to carry over the checkered flag.  

WHAT I DID:  With this rug my beading and border went first and then hooked the inside area along the way.  

Problem is that beading, because of the twist of the two wool strips, makes that the first place which gets ripped out on the grippers.  Even tho I have a wonderful Snapdragon frame it still rips out and is more troublesome to re-hook than plain, regular hooking.  Therefore, when I do beading again ....

WHAT I WILL DO:  I'll hook the main rug inside and hold off hooking the border until that inside design is all hooked.  

That said, it just could be that IF I'd made myself a larger excess of linen at the edge the beading wouldn't have been caught in the grippers.  Yeah, I know.  But I HATE wasting foundation fabric just to be cut off and tossed.  I'm from the 'make do, make it work' generation.

Have a great evening.

Saundra