Let's Drop by Denise Scholfield's House

Denise says that Julie Thomas of the Old Tattered Flag had just opened a new shop and as soon as she saw samples knew she wanted to join in the fun.  In 2004 she learned to needle punch needle and the following year Julie suggested Denise try rug hooking.  

Denise had just turned 50 when she learned to hook after having been a quilter for 20 years.  January 2015 Denise had her first class with Julie's mom, Carol Decoteau, and knew after that first class she was hooked!!  

Denise continues......"The crow rug was my first rug.  I wasn't very good at first and my rugs were lumpy but I didn't care, just want to learn more.  I love the wool, the colors and love seeing it all come to life.  After quilting for so many years, it gave me a renewed sense of excitement.  After I hook a rug must run my hands over it and bask in the feel of the wool....lovely.  I was like a manic, hooking every chance I got, even hooking a few rows before work.

I like to hook whatever appeals to me.  I'm not set on any one design or design element but do tend to go for smaller rugs, wall hangings and table runners. My favorite design elements are sheep crows and vines....love hooking vines and backgrounds!   I also like to hang the rugs all over my house and have a couple special spots where I switch out as the seasons go by.  I have a hard time putting them on the floor and walking on them.  Sometimes I look for a pattern to use as a table runner. My favorite designs are from from the Old Tattered Flag. Julie's shop is local and only a hop, skip and jump away so I can just run over to her shop and get my fix there.

I tend to go for muted colors, grungy colors.....the primitive look.  Am still learning how to use color and what colors I like best. Right now I am intrigued by plaids and how different they look hooked into a rug so am trying to expand my wool stash.  Every rug hooked I learn something new or discover a new wool.

The Snow Angel was the first rug I did using my own colors and incorporating left over wooly noodles from other projects.

Prim Cats is a recent piece I hooked which was purchased from Betsy Reed.  I used wooly noodles to hook this rug also, which has become my favorite way to hook.

The primitive sheep was done in a Betsy Reed class where she taught hooking with torn strips.

Mr. Cool was an experiment.  I'd run out of a red so used every red in my wooly noodles.

The Rabbit Pete (or Skinny Pete as I call him) was my latest rug.

Julie Thomas and Carol Decoteau at the Old Tattered Flag have been a great influence.  I had no idea what rug hooking was until visiting their shop. I love Carol's sense of color and she is always willing to share techniques and help with colors.  

Another influence is Betsy Reed of Heavens to Betsy.  I took a class from Betsy at the "Gathering of Friends" that was put on by the Old Tattered Flag and it was awesome.  She shared so many techniques and I learned how to rip wool to hook in my rugs.  Have also been inspired by many other rug hookers and love seeing what techniques and colors are being used. 

Hooking with a frame was a challenge.  It was so out of my comfort zone that it took me months to figure out how to use it best.  As a former quilter, I was used to a sewing machine so sitting using a frame was a bit of a challenge.  It took me several hooks to find the right one as well but after a couple rugs I finally found my zone.

I spend a lot of time in my sewing room and have a table all set up for my frame to sit on, my basket of wooly noodles and my beverage.  I can hear the TV in the living room so I actually listen to movies or shows that my husband is watching while I rug hook.  My room is filled with all types of creative goodness.....quilts, rugs, punch needle, so I love just sitting in there and working on a project."

Well Denise, I say there's nothing better than being surrounded by the things you love.  Thanks so much for taking part and sharing your rug hooking journey with the rest of us.

Saundra

Let's Visit a "Jewell"

...that would be Jul from California who still considers herself somewhat of a 'newbie' even tho she has hooked around 10 rugs so far. Unfortunately she couldn't give me pictures of her early rugs as they are remodeling their home and couldn't get to the rugs.

Jul says she is completely self-taught with one hook, no cutter and learning as she goes. Where she lives there isn't much to offer in a craft department if you don't scrap book.  She buys wool on line and pre-drawn patterns on whatever foundation cloth the pattern is drawn on. As there is no way for her to see how others hook she purchased a few already hooked rugs.  That way she could see what they looked like in person to have a way to guide her.

She is drawn to primitive black and reds with a cranberry rich red being her 'go to' color.  Since there are no supply resources nearby, she is still learning about types of foundation.  So for Jul and other newbies, here is a link to my source of foundation cloth ~ Dorr Mill Store.  

My choice of backing (foundation) is the natural primitive linen because of the durability and the acceptance of my wide strips.  Bleached foundation weakens the fibers.  I don't care to hook on monks cloth because the hook always seems to find itself between those tiny fibers no matter how hard I try to zero in the center hole.

Here is a rug Jul just finished and told me to not look too closely. In all honesty, I think she did a great job.  No way I had the courage to choose a large project like this when first starting.  

Jul went on to say she is just learning to hem {bind} a rug and got a wee bit frustrated but even that didn't discourage her.  She joined Cindi Gay's on-line class but because of work and house remodeling doesn't have the time to spend on the class time.

Jul uses hand torn strips, then learned she could tear the wool and use scissors to cut those pieces in half.  BTW, I LOVE the look of hand torn and the way the loops curl after they are hooked.  Now I WISH that your rug could be seen up close just for that curling effect.

She recently purchased a rug pattern from me, another long runner to hook~ Domestic Zoo.  Wow, she doesn't seem to be intimidated by rug size so we definitely have a fervent hooker amongst us.

So Jul, I'm hoping once Domestic Zoo is hooked you'll send me a picture to brag about your great work.  

And thanks so much for participating in this endeavor of getting to know each other ~ I know you are a little leery of being acknowledged and gave you the opportunity to back out or to be anonymous.  So thank you for your trust.  Believe me, each of us have been where you are; all of you can read my story which was posted in 2014 about my first rug camp.

Happy Hooking everyone.

Saundra

Rugs Started in Betsy's Class

Okay, now it's time to show some rugs being hooked in Betsy's class.  My roomie Deb started with her pattern which is a NotForgottenFarm design (Lori Brechlin), and offered for sale by Spruce Ridge Studio.  Deb took the liberty to draw a border around the design as she liked the wavy line and dots in the original drawing.  Deb is hidden behind her rug but you can see Norma helping to hold it up for the class to see.

BTW, it was really nice seeing Norma having fun and playing in the sandbox with the rest of us instead of working hard at Rugs By The Sea rug camp she and Linda organize.

This is a geometric being hooked by Marsha.

Sarah Guiliiani designed and is hooking this beauty.  Her strips are about 1" wide and it looks incredible.  I asked permission to post it on my blog and told her I'd give a link to her web site but guess she forgot by the time she got home.  I'll write her and send her the link to this so perhaps she'll write back and give it to me and I'll post it here in case you'd like to hook one too.  Or perhaps you may see other designs you'd like.

 

Pam is hooking a design offered by Lucille Festa.

Phyllis worked on this one in class and I'm sorry but don't know the designer.

Oh dear, I can't remember who was hooking this one and I don't recognize those hands.

 

The rug below is a design by Betsy Reed and is being hooked by Janice Russell.

Another design by Lucille Festa being hooked by Grace.

This pumpkin is yet another design by Betsy. 

Someone in the class was hooking a rug as a gift so I promised to not post a picture of it and give away the secret. 

And then you saw mine when returning from camp and haven't worked on it since coming home.  My plans are to finish Lucille's Long Island Farm first, THEN Shadow, and then have fun finishing up the hand torn started with Betsy.  But this is what my camp rug looked like when I came home.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra