There's Something Abojut a Lion

The King of the jungle ~ the lion, in rug form that is, has always intrigued me.  Matter of fact I've hooked 4 different lion rugs which I'll show further down in the post.  Three were someone else's designs and one is my adaptation which I offer as a pattern.  But first I'll show you some antique lion rugs which interest me.  This one is gorgeous!

A gorgeous antique lion rug hooked in 1880.

A lion with delightful background; or at least I enjoy looking at this multi-colored style and hooking it is more fun too.

The following lion has a human-looking face.

This is a new lion rug I recently found on the internet, and while the photo isn't all that great what I see is still wonderful.

Here is a wool and cotton hooked lion which has a very nice body shape.

A very primitive lion and don't think I'd have realized it was a lion had the word not been spelled out.

Below, this lion rug is bound with denim, according to the info I obtained from an antique site.

I'm sure there are many more lion rugs I've saved in various flash drives or folders on my computer but think you are almost on lion overload for now and I'm not even done.  The very first lion I hooked was a design by Bev Conway called Rufus.  I really need to take another and better picture one day.

The second lion I hooked was a whimsical design by Tonya of Mad Hen.  And somewhere in my stash I've another one of her lions under a tree.

Then my friend Evelyn gave me a design she had in her stash which is an adaptation of an antique rug.  I hooked it in a Barb Carroll class.

This is the original antique rug from which the design was drawn.

So then I wanted to hook another lion adaptation and pulled the elements I liked best from two particular antique hooked rugs ~ this is my adaptation of Lion in the Woods.

Here is one of the two rugs from which I picked the elements.  The other was a picture in a book and don't have a pic of it on my computer.

Here are other versions of the same basic design some appear more recently hooked.

 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Saundra

The Magic of Pinterest

I'm wondering how many of you have joined Pinterest.  Frankly I knew nothing about it even when a friend asked me a year or so ago if I'd heard of it.  Under protest decided to join to see what all the hullabaloo was about.

Okay, so I could check out rug hooking, and then define it to 'antique' rugs.  Oh my but what a wonderful access to rugs others have seen and not me.  There is a very friendly search engine which will connect you to 'Snowmen', jewelry, etc.  Well guess you more informed young'uns knew about this venue way before me.

What I'm alluding to is that I have had an outdated picture of particular snippet bags on my web site since like 2006.  They were sold long ago and decided to not do the Velcro detachment any longer.  This lovely lady Ann saw a picture of those on Pinterest (NOT my web site), my name was attached (thank you who ever provided my name as the source) and Ann contacted me. 

Ann inquired about a particular design, I told her I'd make one similar but not sure the exact wool was still here.  Wanting to give her a choice I made two and gave her a choice with no obligation to buy either.  She decided to purchase both.

Interesting that I pay for a web site but she saw these on Pinterest.  So I say take pictures of my things but please do give me ( and ALL OF US) credit in your pictures.  Again, thank you to the person who provided advertisement for me.

Saundra

Too Much to Resist

When I saw Sue wearing one of these at Cape May I knew one just had to be mine so inquired where she purchased it.  Well hey, it was from our own Lauren of Rugs and Pugs.  Today mine came in the mail and cannot wait to wear it.  This beauty has extra bling on it which might cost extra if you want more than necklace and pendant of choice.

I also have a silver spoon necklace from Lauren which says Hooker on it which I proudly wear to rug camps.   I'm partial to elephants vs. donkeys, btw :~)

Below is a fish for anyone who may be a Pisces   Wear it as a necklace or make a wind chime out of several of these or all her silver art work.

Lauren also sells scissor fobs with initials on them, garden markers and not sure what else her creativity has conjured up.  

And tomorrow I'll show you what I worked on today.  Yeah did pull a few loops on the Ali Katz but I received an inquiry from someone who saw something on Pinterest that I'd made.  That's a story for tomorrow.

Have a great evening everyone.  And Lauren, thanks for sending my beautiful ELLY necklace so quickly.

Saundra

Good Katz Bad Kat

Oh my but there is one nasty Kat giving me fits and I'm considering changing the design of it to make it more hooker friendly.  It worked fine when doing the silk painting but when you're painting with wool it makes it a little more dicey.  Uh, unless I were to hook it in a #3 NO thank you!  The problem Kat is the unfinished orange and pink to the far right. 

Yeah, I know there isn't a whole lot of progress.  That is because I get up and walk away and do something else to get a break from trudging on or changing things. 

With the body design and the tail triangles going on I'm afraid it will look like one HOT MESS.  I've re-drawn so many lines on the body to follow that I can no longer figure out the atlas I've drawn.  So ME is thinking that perhaps I'll leave this side of the rug and go finish the polka dot tail of that lovely dark orange kitty on the left and the cutie behind it.

Of course I love the design and can't wait for it to be finished so I can enjoy it.  But now is the first time since starting it that it hasn't been fun.  I'm sure things will change once I start working on the other side.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday. 

Saundra

Looking for a Cutter?

Are you looking for a cutter?  If you are, a hooker friend has one for sale and when I wrote her last night she still had it to offer.  This is her original post on Rughookers Bulletin Board:

"Right before Townsend closed its door, I bought one of their cutters along with a #8 cartridge. This is my second Townsend as my original one was misplaced when my wool room was packed up prior to my move into town. I discovered it one when we unpacked some of the boxes that were in my storage unit.
Obviously I don't need two, so I need to re-home one of them.  It comes with not just the cartridge but also its case, wrench and instructions.
If you are looking for one of the originals,  I am asking $550 (or obo) plus shipping.  I don't accept paypal, but personal checks or money orders are fine.
Please send me a private message and we can talk"
trisha
And  this is a picture of what a Townsend looks like, but isn't a picture of hers.  This happens to be my original Townsend but is on Townsend's stand.  Trisha's will come without a stand but it clamps nicely onto a tale or you could purchase a small stool from a craft shop in the unpainted wood section.  I LOVE my Townsend cutter!!!!!

If you have an interest, please click HERE to contact Trisha. 

And if you want to compare cutters I did a previous blog post about the differences and pictures of each.  You can check it out  here:   http://woodlandjunction.blogspot.com/search?q=cutters

Good luck,

Saundra

Gotta Pick Up the Pace

Good grief, I've another rug camp and leaving here one month from today and will start a new rug.  Right now my plans are to do Olde Ducks which is a design by Magdalena Briner.  It is all drawn but no wool pulled yet.  Mama's gonna get back to her roots.

However..... as you know I've got the Katz in progress and really WANT that one done and out of the way before I leave.  I'm hoping I can accomplish that feat AND have it bound would be incredible.

Meanwhile, this cutie is unfinished ~ it is Folk Art Horse, a design by Magdalena Briner and the small size pattern offered by Woolley Fox.  So if the Katz are done this will go with me to work on the night before class starts and while I wait for Betsy to get to me.  This picture is taken with a flash inside.

This photo is taken in evening light on the back deck without a flash.

Well guys and gals, time for me to finally do some hooking on that pink/orange cat.  Today I did start with the quilled eyes but that is as much as was accomplished. 

Have a great evening and hope you enjoyed the same mild temps today as I did in Delaware.

Saundra

Another Decision to Make

The border decision was made after I pulled up my big girl panties and went for it.  For those of you just joining, I wanted a companion rug for a silk painting I did in 1998 inspired by Laurel Burch~esque cats to fit in a certain area. 

For the border my initial thoughts were to have diamond shapes, as in the two cats in the middle.  Or perhaps different sized blocks of color used in all the cats.  Yet that would distract from the already busy cats which are the main focus of the rug.  Finally decided what might bring the rug together was use of colors in the two cats in the middle.  I'd use the zig zag shape in the cat to the left and the colors would make the eye circle around the entire rug and pull it all toether.  Hope it works.

But NOW...... need to choose colors for the cat on the top right (see copy of my painting below). OH, I eliminated that yellow cat as seen in the picture below.  It would add to my angst of an already 'out of the box' hooking project for me.  And ....yes..... I'm still having fun.  But to add that small cat in the equasion or those tiny cats at the bottom of this painting would have been a deal breaker.

Here are my choices at hand.  The orange look close in color and value but they really are different wools.  The pink has a lighter side and darker side but the oranges are different wools.

Another choice is the same pink but a different and lighter orange added for selection choice.  Once I look at all this on the computer perhaps it will make it easier for me to choose.  Plus the flash sure does change things doesn't it; seems to make everything brighter.

And yet another option.  This is a brighter pink and eliminated it immediately after seeing this on the monitor ~ just TOO bright!!!  But thought I'd let you see what was pulled for ideas to choose from.

NOW...... Just need to choose.  Meanwhile I'll hook a little more on the border since that is a more boring task.

Have a wonderful evening everyone!!!!!

Saundra

Rugs to Inspire

Most of the time when I have a rug show on my blog it is either from a rug camp or vintage rugs, which are my all time favorites.  But also enjoy looking at modern day rugs and some give me pause to hopefully soak up some talent through osmosis.  Here are just a few that I've seen and admired lately. Many times when I see them on Pinterest or elsewhere there is no name identified as the hooker, so if anyone knows who hooked it I will happily change the name on the picture to give the person credit.

This one I do know is called "Victory Garden" by Heather Richie ~ talk about getting the 'birds eye view', you even see the birds flying.  What a wonderfully creative piece.

Look at the 3-D mane, eye lashes and tail hair on the Zebra!  Awesome.

This piece is a double paisley design with cut outs by Sharon Townsend.  Oh bet that gave her fits to finish but it sure is effective and beautiful.

A cool locker hooked purse.  I've got the locker needle/hook, the instructions but still after about 7 years haven't done any locker hooking.  Just can't seem to remove the Hartman hook from my hand.

As long as I'm on this here contraption, my Ali Katzs aren't making much progress.  So ta ta for now.

Saundra

Best Laid Plans of Mice and Rug Hookers

Seems I started out the gate as an over achiever with grandiose ideas for the border of this rug.  And it probably would have ended up as a HOT MESS even if I hadn't gotten frustrated by my math.  This is the undecipherable border with all the dashes for measurements and lines drawn thinking it would be the right one.

Yet, in retrospect decided that would have been too busy a border for the central pattern which are the cats.  So now I want to look at what I've hooked and decide if I want to do two rows of blue or a row beside the blue of the cat color above him.  For sure the bright blue needs to be at the border to bring it all together.  And since those are the two center cats perhaps they should be side by side....OR divided by a row of dark background?  Guess there will be more playing with wool tomorrow.

One thing I know for sure.....the pattern of this I offer will NOT include a border.  It will be for those beauties in the middle.  Besides, the silk painting I did of this in 1998 was only the cats in the middle; I only wanted the extra end borders to fit into a certain part of my garden bath.

 

Must say that I do like Ali's suggestion with the beading at the edges.  This rug will be on the floor but will be with VERY LIMITED walking so that double wool in places around the edge will not pose a problem.

 

Have a great evening and get ready for the temperatures to become fall like.  I'm not ready to turn the heat on so will put on sweat shirts, turtlenecks and sweat pants to keep warm until the dreaded heat.

 

Remember to be kind to one another.  Tis the season coming up with longer lines and frustration.  But just a smile and a fun comment could turn the atmosphere from dark to light.  Life is just too short so let's enjoy it's potential.

 

Saundra

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda....

Haven't we all been there before where we second guessed ourselves? UH, yeah!!  Well that is what I'm feeling on my rug right now.  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy, but wondering how I could make it better and what I should have done.  This is what the rug looks like now. 

In looking at the photo above I wonder why I didn't put a mouse under the belly of the blue cat... or a yellow dot?   Or maybe I'll end up pulling loops and hooking a circle of a color in a few extra places.

So now it is time to figure out a border treatment.  The area this rug is meant for needed a width larger than the silk painting I did in 1998 so now have to figure out the border for the ends.  OY!

I thought of blocks of color and the beading all around the border.  But am afraid those blocks of color will take away from the beautiful cats inside since they would be so structured.   

So, I've other thoughts rambling inside my grey matter and will practice here and see what I come up with. 

In all honesty it is hard to believe that I'm still hooking a rug so far out of my box.  I believe a lot of that has to do with the inspiration from my teacher at Cape May (first week) Ali Strebel.  Ali, if you're reading this I had a blast and would take a class with you again.  OH!! And I'd want to do the Sampler again the first day too!

Check back to see what damage or progress I've made in my next post.  AND, PLEASE be kind to one another.  Kindness really does go a long way and multiplies. 

Saundra

October Antique Rug Show

Can't believe it is October 1st already, just where does the time go?  In celebration I thought it was time for another antique rug show, my favorites things to look at. 

And what could be more appropriate for the month of October than this scaredy cat rug.  So is the cat afraid of the mouse?  OMG, this is definitely going on my 'to do' list.

There is something about the worn and faded blotch look of antique rug backgrounds.

Below is a busy montage of motifs which I find very interesting.  Oh but to know what the hooker had in her mind when doing this.  Obviously family, farm, hunting for food maybe and for sure a human connection.

Always a chicken rug and guess that was the staple of the farm life.

Wish I could have gotten the whole phot of this rug.  It looks like hit and miss snow shoes.

Again my favorite type background.

This chicken rug below I've seen in another antique design as a rooster without cats.  I'm wondering if perhaps this was originally a burlap sack of chicken feed which people used as a motif for the rug.

And below is the example I was thinking about.  Same fowl shape and different rug.

Another nice hit and miss border with a soft and simple design in the middle with my favorite blotchy primitive background.

This scalloped edge antique rug is great but can you imagine having to bind that edge?  No thanks.  I'll admire this beauty from afar.

Thankfully my HORRIBLE day ended up okay.  I went to start my car to run errands in the morning and I heard this clicking sound.  I was hoping it was only a battery and not an alternator or starter.  BUT.... was still stuck here at the mercy of a neighbor until they came home.  Finally just minutes ago the problem was solved and my post finished as it was just a battery.  WHEW!!!!!

Have a great evening everyone and please be nice to one another.

Saundra