More Antique Rug Eye Candy

So as to not bore you with yet another update on my rug with minimal progress, thought I'd give you a show.  I've been busy drawing out patterns but today time was spent cutting and serging 18 rug linens. So now those patterns need to be drawn.  Good thing is this will put pennies in my pocket to buy more wool and help paying for rug camps.

Above is what looks like a St. Bernard and was reportedly guessed to be late 19th or early 20th century.

The double chickens above also makes good use of the hit and miss background using 'what is available'.  Can't help to chuckle thinking of the old question..."why did the chicken cross the road?"  In this case it is to get to the chicken on the other side.

The Cat and Flowers above was said (on the auction site) to have been hooked around 1930.  It must have been hidden in a trunk for all those years for it still to have these bright colors.

Although faded, the two white horses tethered to a tree is a nice soft antique rug.  Below is a copy of the corner of the rug where you can see the true colors up close.

More soft colors is the kit and miss blocks with cat rug below.  A little eye candy for all of you, especially Kelley.

Okay chickadees, I have to save some eye candy for when I need to slide by so that is the show for tonight.  This will allow me to pull a few loops before resuming my pattern drawing duties tomorrow.

Today is a Martin Luther King holiday.  He truly was a peaceful leader who was lost too early.  Hope people of color who choose to riot, burn and shoot pollce officers will remember what Martin Luther King's message was about.

Have a great Monday evening everyone.  

Saundra

UFO's She Asked

Jennie (Over the Hill and Running) asked if I had any UFOs since it appears that I'm diligent in finishing projects.   The answer is yes. Last winter decided to use a small piece of linen to draw a 12" square. Plans were to use worms and make a hit and miss chair or table mat.   

Didn't like what I'd hooked, got bored and it has been hanging around since.  One day between rugs I'll pull it out and probably pull out strips and do something else.

That is the only UFO here UNLESS you consider Simple Gifts by Karen Kahle still needs to be bound completely.  I worked on it a little yesterday in the doctor's office waiting room and on Monday in the dentist waiting room.    Like Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) since binding is not fun, it is a perfect time to seize the opportunity.

And, still have some of Ned's border to finish and then bind.  But then feel my grandson's rug and Ned (Woolley Fox) were being hooked in tandem so don't think they classify as a UFO.

However....... in the past I had two rugs which stand out as long term UFOs but now finished.  

As a relatively new hooker saw a cute design by Claire Murray named Strawberry Patch on eBay. Price was good and thought it a good idea to try hooking with yarn. Learned quickly that yarn was a beast to hook with (for me) .  Not only that but the too clean, too bright colors didn't fit in my house since I have antiques.  It would look adoreable in a child's room or a chipped white cottage room.  Uh....I'll definitely sell it if anyone is interested.  Anyway, after hooking the bunnies and a couple flowers put the rug away for a couple years.  

The next to go on a very long hiatus was this geometric rug design I drew up.  Well of course my thought was to use up all those worms which seem to multiply like rabbits but soon got bored.  Think this was tucked away for like 5 years until getting motivated to use up more worms.

So my plan of action was to hook one block per day then hook something fun.  Soon a lot of the rug was hooked and was motivated to finish it.  My friend Evelyn had told me she thinks this one is a keeper and to not sell it.

If you look closely at the 'granny geo' you will see this was an early hooked rug of mine too.  At the time of starting it didn't know how to make sharp corners and many of those designs take on a shape of their own and are rounded.  I enjoy that rug now but it isn't on the floor....yet.  

Have a good evening everyone.  Am HOPING to post a finished (hooking that is) of Zach's Sports Rug tomorrow.  That is, of course, if I get off this dang computer.  Stay cool.

Saundra

Over the Rainbow....

...and I mean that I am totally over the rainbow situation.  Am considering calling this rainbow finished!  Have hooked and reverse hooked colors in different places numerous times.  Either the colors didn't seem to work well together (think hit and miss) or had too much red or another color in one spot.  Really wanted to use the green wool which is in the limbs and stems but it didn't seem to work when the strip of wool was in my hand.  I'm over this damn rainbow ~ I think.

In looking at that photo again appears there still is too much red and to think I was worried about red elsewhere in the rug.

So contemplating this rainbow as finished have placed a strip of background wool along the underside.  Since the star on the left was made higher and into a flower perhaps it would work okay.

Now, if you look at the second photo again you can see what I'd considered hooking as a border along the rainbow section instead of the background blue.  Only considered that when hiding of ends in various ways didn't work out.  Yet, since it is a multicolored strip it isn't known yet if only the blue will show up or the red will show at the top of the loop.  Perhaps I'd be best served keeping the background wool all along the edge.

Plus, if I do pull out the blue then some of those now hidden ends would need to be redone inside the loops of whatever is hooked in its place.  See what I mean about being over it?  

There are some of you out there who are not intimidated by hit and miss.  While I do love the look obviously don't have knack for it.  Now, if it was regimented with 5 or 6 different colors of wool and they were worked in order over and over then that would be easy peasy.  I'm working out of my worm baggies and want it to appear primitive.  

Think I'll work on a little background along the bottom and safe sections of the rug and not bother with the rainbow any more tonight.

Wanted to get this piece further along before drawing out the OOHRH challenge rug.  Plus still haven't completely finished binding the two horse mats.

Have a great evening and hope your Sunday was as mild as it was here today.

Saundra

Harvey's Magdalena Update

Seems I've been quite the slacker on blogging lately; matter of fact I've been a slacker as far as reading blogs and perusing Pinterest and all my other favorite things to do in front of the computer.  Reason?  Rug camp at Woolley Fox is coming up in less than two weeks and I want this trio of critters all hooked and ready to bind on the trip to Ligonier, PA. 

Right now I love what I'm looking at but this was not the case on Saturday evening after Friday's episode and residual effect (affect or effect?) on Saturday.  Loops were pulled Friday evening and Saturday morning but in the evening it all looked like crap so pulled it out and rehooked the sections in question.

For those of you just finding my blog, below is what the original Magdalena rug looked like.  And yes, I plan to hook red legs on my ducky.  Notice how all the animals have red eyes, and beaks ~ interesting that Magdalena had the artistic thought to have a bit of spark (aka 'poison') in her rugs.  Remember, they used what they had back in the 1800's.

If you would like to learn more about Magdalena and see pictures of some of her original rugs there is a booklet available.  The research was done by my friend Evelyn Lawrence and co-authored by Kathy Wright. 

If interested in purchasing the BOOK, just click on that word "book".

Must say that using worms in a Magdalena rug is far more easy than hooking a hit and miss border or hit and miss design.  I've done a few chair pads with hit and miss as well as my Granny Geometric and Magdalena is the easiest. 

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

Easter Sunday

Easter Blessing to all of you and hope you found a basketful of eggs or chocolate bunnies.  It is always the ears which are bitten first on chocolate bunnies.

Weather was nice here and green weeds have grown fast with all the sun and warmer temps so today I cut Ben's backyard.  And mulched the leaves of areas which had no grass yet.

Worked a little more on Harvey's Magdalena today after chores.  Forgot to mention the dimensions of this and I owe that to my gal pal Lauren who always (usually) reminds me to post the size.  Surprisingly she didn't remind me this time; hope she isn't angry because I mention her name...luv ya Lauren.  Here is Harvey's Magdalena.  To see a better picture without all the wiggly background just click on the picture to enlarge it and you'll see a more clear picture.

This one I drew to be 18 x 27 and it will be a wall hanging.  I'm having lots of fun working on it and have temporarily put my son's rug aside.

As soon as I do the complete outline of the crow I'll start to hook the background and outer edges of the rug.  Magdalena designs are a joy to hook on many levels:  it is primitive and antique; you can use a lot of worms for the rag rug style rug; all the while giving you pleasure in doing hand work to give a personal gift to someone or to enhance the beauty of your home.

Enjoy the rest of your Easter Sunday and warmer weather.

Saundra

Using Up Some Left Overs

I'm working on Betsy's Crow pattern which will be one side of a pillow.  The crow has been hooked and now am hooking the patchwork background.  But first I need to address a topic my gal pal (you know who you are Lauren) asked and which I think many newbies might want to know.  Lauren is not a newbie she just keeps me on my toes.  She wanted to know if I used left over strips for my crow.  The answer is YES.

Above is a close up of the crow where I cut only a few black/dark strips to go with the left overs.  I knew there were dark strips which had purple, green, red, black and some or combination of colors in the same strip.  All wonderful iridescent crow or raven colors when hooked. 

So now it is on to the background.  Oh my, the easy hit and miss patchwork background, right?  WELL.... the hit and miss sure looks like it is easy and when it is all done it looks great and everyone thinks it is a piece of cake.  

The patchwork background I'm trying to do is using neutrals and I'm having a hard time trying to choose what is next to one another so there is a difference in value. 

You see all those lines in the linen and obviously you can see I've taken liberty with the exterior design for MY pillow dimensions. 

Stay tuned, who knows what this rouge hooker will do next.  Hope you all wake up to a good morning tomorrow.  This morning for me it was a sheet of ice on my steps, the tree limbs were encrusted with ice and even the blades of grass looked like crystal.    Drive safely.

Saundra

I'm an Absentee Blogger and Sorry

When I first started my blog it was with intentions of motivating newbie hookers so they didn't feel alone and help them along without the struggle I felt during that new adventure.  Well, that is until I found rug camps and other people who shared the same love of hooking as me.  Then I didn't feel alone any longer.

Sorry I've been absent, but the delay in my posting was due to lawn mowing, weed pulling.  Oh... weeds!!!  Today I found numerous tunnels of those sharp spiky briar tree like things.  Don't know what they are called but I HATE THEM, and never could understand why God made those or mosquito's. 

Anyhoo...this is what my 'circle/penny mat' looks like now. 

Hopefully the next time you see this rug it will be fully hooked.  I'm having a lot of fun hooking the vintage cat rug so will have a struggle switching since in two weeks is a great rug camp with Barb Carroll and start something new.  EEKS, that means I've got this small  mat to finish before I go to Barbs for sure.  Oh my but the pressure is on now.

Have a great evening.

Saundra

Going Around in Circles

Yup, finally started hooking the penny rugette/mat, the pattern of which was posted the other day.  I'm using only worms in the circles as #8 cuts are no longer my favorite cut to use and I've plenty of them to rid myself of.  For the background and border I have cut some #8.5 to add to the already small collection of wool strips in that size.

Were you wondering which type of penny rug I would hook from all that eye candy I posted?  My plan was to keep you in wonderment as to what my final design would be until now.  Hey, just remember that circles and hit and miss cannot be copyrighted so PLEASE feel free to copy what I've done IF YOU WANT.

Sadly I didn't accomplish nearly as much hooking as I'd hoped but you will get the idea.  Plus, my gentle hooking curves at the corners of the design have taken a life of it's own from what I drew as that was just a guess.  But that is how the hooking took place and is okay since a gentle curve is what I was looking for anyway. Plans are to do at least one more row of border around and perhaps two ~ won't know until my hooking continues.  Sure do like the curved corners tho.

In case you are wondering how I went about hooking this mat, here is a close up.  I first hooked AROUND the circle with the background colors, then drew lines with a felt tip pen to show a general idea to follow for hooking in the colors or bland colors.





I would love to see your rendition if you plan to take on this fun project.  If you have a blog it would be fun to see your post of what you do.  If you DON'T have a blog but would like to share..... I would be excited to have you send me your photo and I'll share it on my blog along with my slow update.

 

Hey, that would be fun to share projects hooked by others ESPECIALLY by newbie hookers.  Gals and Guys.... I was ALSO a NEWBIE hooker.  So whatever questions you have or feelings you have I've also had them.  We all did.  Now I'm wondering if I want to hook on the geometric to post an update tomorrow or continue with the 'going on Circles' rug.

Hugs to all and I'm wondering if winter will EVER END????  Is this the winter that just keeps on giving and giving and giving?  I think so. 

 

Saundra