FINI

All finished but the steaming and binding.  As I previously mentioned this was a LOT of fun to hook.  The blog post 'last lap' seemed like still a lot to hook but it went fast.  I finished hooking last night then did some preliminary clean up of the area where I hook on the sofa.

The finished dimensions are are 22 x 31 and this weekend plan to add that to the rug pattern site.  Also need to finish cleaning up the piles of wool and woolie worms.

Then....decide what will go on my frame next.

Happy Friday and happy hooking.

Saundra

This n' That

The other day I received an order for a doll from my old web site.  When going to the containers to see if Althea was still available I had doubts.  Lo and behold there she was.  Here is her photo from the web site.  Happy to sell some of my stock as I'm no longer making dolls or doing shows.  They are all stored safely in my home in a temperature controlled environment.  Sometimes take a couple to sell when attending rug camps.  

I kept the Domain Name so the old web site is view-able on the web.  But the software with which I built the web site is extinct so can no longer make changes.   There is a newer RUG PATTERNS site I built which needs updating as I've more patterns to list.  If you are a rug hooker click on the link to view what rug designs are offered.  The latest couple might not be listed so inquire.

Now to the 'that' part.  My close friends know this already but now I'm sharing with my readers.  Before I was divorced my now ex was writing his very first novel.  He has always been a veracious reader and had many life-times worth of experiences.  He often shared those world travels and military experiences with me and I constantly suggested he write a book.  

BJ, won't give his real name as BJ Coltrayne is his pen name, is a member of the Association of the US Army, Marine Corps Association and the Rhodesian Army Association.  The main character's name in all the books is Frank Burnham.   BJ is now working on his 7th book; here is a list of his novels:

• The Jackals Feed: A Novel of Africa (The Burnham's Book 1)
• Blue Dragon Cafe: A Novel of Indochina (Book 2)
• Venganza: A Novel of Central America (Book 3)
• Lone Wolves:  A Novel of Terrorism (Book 4)
• Mukaro Mission Redux: A Novel of Africa (Book 5)

And his most recent published book "First Strike" (Book 6)

If you know someone who enjoys mind-travelling the world with intrigue and action you might want to suggest these books.  If you'd like to read the reviews or perhaps purchase an eBook for a Father's Day gift you can check it out by clicking the link to AMAZON .  

He gave me his first 3 books in paper back but I've since purchased a Kindle and have all 6 of his books downloaded on it to keep them together.  Once his present novel is published I will purchase that eBook version as well.

Oh, I cannot finish that segment without mentioning that 3 times per year for 10 years after the divorce he came to my house and dog sat plus did homeowner repairs.  Quite a guy I'd say.

Okay, back to real time....now to finish Radiant Flower and decide what will go on my frame next.  Think I might try working on that 'challenge' piece but not sure just how long that will last.  

Saundra

Last Lap

Soon it will be time to bind this rug and begin another project.  Have really enjoyed working on this, which is named Radiant Flower.  When the last loop is pulled will dab some areas with black walnut liquid.

The colors aren't as washed out as it appears in the photo.  And, the original antique did have that extra length of a black strip as well as the change of color at the bottom of the light stripe on the side.

Seems my stash of Olde Patina is getting thin so will need to do another batch of dyeing to replenish my supply.

Father's Day is coming up real soon so tomorrow will give you an idea as a gift for those men who like to read manly adventurous novels.

Saundra

Rug Pattern Thinking

Soon it will be time to start a new  project.  And with the recent May 30th sighting of a Humpback Whale off the shore at Bethany Beach, DE I'm thinking of hooking a whale.  

There is a video of that sighting but cannot figure out how to separate the video from advertisement and other news so won't post it here.  However I do have some free images to share.

Here is the mighty whale breaching.

I read some very interesting facts about this mammal which you can also read by clicking the link above.

And here is a video of a whale saving a swimmer from a nearby shark.

I have long wanted to hook a certain antique whale rug design with whalers, also have an old issue of Early American Life magazine which has an Edyth O'Neill pattern free to copy.  Or could design my own using this Cousteau Society statue as my model.  It was named "Monarch of the Sea".

But who knows what will go on my frame next as my mood changes at the drop of a hat.  Haunting me is a challenge piece which I feel responsible to do but am dreading it.  Even passed it by when choosing to  hook Radiant Flower.

Happy Sunday.... it's just another rainy day here in Delaware.

Saundra

Radiant Flower Update

Am quite happy I chose this antique adaptation as my project because I'm still having fun.  My photo doesn't do the rug justice IMHO.  Hmmm maybe I should have searched longer to find a darker brown.  But I'm NOT ripping this out.

If you forget what the original antique looked like, here is a photo of the picture which is in the Kopp book "Art Under Foot".

I started pulling out some small areas and put in darker or dirty wool to make those areas look worn.  Still have more to pull and replace.  But will also use some walnut liquid to age the light areas when the rug is all hooked.

Below are photos I took yesterday morning after yet another day of rain on Monday.  Looking thru my kitchen window noticed the Mallard family back and they were inside the fenced area but soon exited out under the fencing to deeper water beyond the fence.

Here you can see the deeper water and the water continues into the woods for a few more acres.  It will be weeks before this water dissipates.

And water on each side of the house.

If this wasn't enough water to contend with, there will be more rain because of the tropical storm along the east coast.  Maybe I should be building a raft instead of hooking a rug.

Saundra

Memorial Weekend

This weekend is to honor the memory of those men, women and service animals who have made the ultimate sacrifice so we may live in a free country.

I was going to post a video giving tribute to them but started crying so thought that wasn't a good idea.  Instead will post a photo of a Polly Minick design I hooked with a boy and his dog leading the parade.

Seems Blogger has another issue with folks (including me) not receiving comments directly into their email.  As I didn't get any messages on my previous post thought perhaps everyone was busy with the holiday weekend.   Then was scrolling down thru my blog noticed 7 comments so went to read them.  Guess I'll have to look at my comments more often but hope Google gets it straightened out soon.

Saundra

Pattern has a Name and Newbie Lesson

If you are a follower of my blog you will recall reading the Kopp book described this antique mat as "having a ray-like flower".  Struggling for a name to give the pattern the only flower I could think of which had ray or spike like petals was Bee Balm.

Thanks to Julie the pattern now has a name.  She suggested "Radiant Flower".  How appropriate as it makes reference to a RAY-like flower in the name.  This is what has been accomplished so far.  The color of the flower and hooked arch isn't orange; it is salmon.

I'm so into this rug that all I want to do is sit and hook but cannot be immobile for too long as I get ants in my pants so move about doing something...anything.

Okay newbies, I've a hint for you to tuck away in your cranium for future reference.  When pulling wool to hook this design I only had half yard of Spruce Ridge Teal which I wanted for the border.  It was a wool purchased around 2011 from the Wool Studio .  I wrote Rebecca but she didn't have any left in stock.  

Planning smart decided to cut up what I had in #8.5 and spread it out along the four sides of the design figuring on at least 4 times calculations for my cut.  Then divided the four sides into baggies.

As you can see the 'short side' baggie is almost empty but still has a strip of wool in there so had some left from the planning.  Now I'm working on the 'long side' baggie top right and have little more hooking to finish that side but will have enough.

However, there is inside background to use a teal.  I've some stash which will work and will use, but.... decided to reach out to see if anyone had at least another half yard of Spruce Ridge Teal wool.  AH HA!  Well of course there was someone.... Mrs. Spruce Ridge herself Kris Miller.  Today I received another yard purchased from Kris; thanks Kris for coming to my rescue.  Am so glad to have more because it is a beautiful piece of wool ...here it is below.

So if you are in need of some beautiful teal, or if you would like to hook this design you know where to get teal.  OH, by the way, another secret to newbies who want to make a rug look old..... I used the cut wool with the light edge at the very edge of the four sides.  It gives the edge of the rug appear scuffed and worn.

Saundra

Vintage Rug Show

Time to share a few rug photos I've collected.  This first rug has a lot going on~ horses in the corners geometric border plus hit and miss background.  The rug measures 28 x 41, found in Pennsylvania but sadly no date was provided.

The rug below was hooked by Cecil Perrault of Quebec, Ontario Canada.  Again no date provided nor dimensions.

A floral with doves and scrolls from 19th century appears to be hooked in Waldoboro style, no size or location of find available.  

Below is a floral a follower sent me.  I has regular hooked scrolls but the urn and flowers appear to also be hooked Waldoboro style. 

Lion in the Garden has that wonderful background I like.  Since there was a lot of natural dyeing being done years ago I wonder if the lion colors faded or if that is what the hooker chose.  Sure makes the lion stand out regardless of the circumstance. 

A moose Adirondack scene measures 20 x 30.

This evening there will be MORE rain here even tho I still have 'water front property' already.  Yesterday while standing in the kitchen noticed a family of Mallard ducks and ducklings swimming in my back yard.  Yes it was a pleasant scene but would rather not have all that water in the yard.

Saundra

Un-Named Rug Update

Am still working on a name for the rug pattern but so far the words Bee Balm are resonating with me.  This is what has been accomplished so far.

Previously shown (below) is the original antique, a small mat from 1825.  I enlarged the design to a rug size of 23 x 32.  Below is a poor photo taken from the Kopp book; the photo in the book is okay but the third generation photo from me isn't so good.

So far I'm having fun and will find a way to antique some of those straight hooked lines.  OMG, there was a day when first starting to hook that my hooking didn't seem so good.  And now I'd give anything to have the naive higgly piggly style back again. 

So newbies reading my blog, enjoy the process and just practice.  LOL, one day you'll wish you had that naive style of hooking back again too.

Just have fun and do what you like.

Saundra

You Patiently Waited.....

So guess it is time for me to show what is on my frame.  I decided to do this antique adaptation which is in the booklet Folk Art Underfoot by Joel and Kate Kopp.  The rug is shown on page 25.

The original yarn sewn mat measured 8" x 12" on linen circa 1825.  I'm making my rug larger and this is what I've accomplished so far.  

Jacqueline asked what size the pattern was and what size strips I'm using...  The design measures 23 X 32 and am using some #8 but mostly #8.5.

Haven't thought of a name for the design yet as there was none given nor was there an owner's name.   The only other information was "the flower has ray-like petals".

The flower design with the spikes reminds me of Bee Balm so that has been floating about in my cranium.  Or, there is the thought of the 'ray of sunshine"; except it is a flower.  If anyone has an idea I'd love to hear your thoughts on a name.

Happy Friday; just wish the rain would stop!!!!  We needed it but has been raining since Wednesday and there are two more days to go.  My back yard and woods is flooded and am fearful what it will look like after the next deluge of rain.  This is what it looks like now.

 But is supposed to rain thru Sunday.

Saundra

Mow and Drive Carefully

Yesterday anticipating another night of storms I looked in the backyard from inside and saw turtle movement.  She was about 6 or 7 inches moving her legs about making a burrow to lay eggs.

Was so afraid of disturbing her so just watched from inside until I couldn't stand it any longer.  Grabbed my camera and went out to take a photo.

Then walked around for another photo to get a better look of her face for identification.  Took pictures quickly and came back inside.

There is some red and yellow on her front legs and yellow on her face which didn't come out of the shell.  

Still enamored by my baby mama turtle was fixated on stalking her and noticed she had burrowed numerous areas along that side yard laying eggs everywhere.

Will have to learn what species she is, how many eggs they lay and what the gestation period is.

Needless to say I'll need to post signs in my yard.

And will have to be cautious when cutting grass for baby turtle crossing.  OMG, it gives me shivers as I do love my critters.  Tonight AND Friday will be more rainy days so guess mama turtle knew what she was doing.  The next two days is predicted to give another 2-4 inches of rain.  Am sure the farmers are happy but already my back woods is like a pond.  Just praying it doesn't flood as it has in the past.

Not sure which I dread worse....WIND or RAIN.

OH... there IS a new pattern on my frame and I will share it with you tomorrow.  

Saundra

Flower Power is Finished

Yippee, Flower Power is hooked and whipped.  I really need to steam it again to tame the whipped edges but was too anxious to post a picture of it.  This was the design hooked with Eric Sandberg in April.

The finished size, after adding the border and whipped edge, is 19.5 x 32.  I purchased the pattern at a very good price from Maria Barton several months ago and the original drawing didn't have a border.  There was adequate space for me to give it a 1.5" border and still have the inch to roll forward for the whipping.  Of course I had to sew a piece of fabric on two sides to make it work on my frame but that was fine as I wanted that border.

You can see the pattern is a design by Cactus Needle and sold by Nola Heidbreder.  Now I can get ready to put another pattern on my frame and start all over again.  Thank goodness there aren't any rugs on the sidelines waiting for binding tho.

Happy Tuesday.

Saundra

Getting Closer on Choosing

Last I spoke about my next potential hooking project thought I'd narrowed it down to one antique rug, this one.

I started tracing out the design from a printed photo of the original and lost interest before the design was completely traced.  I've yards of delicious brown wool that would look great, and perfect reds.  But, as mentioned before....I'm a fickle hooker so make hard off the path turns.

Went searching thru the Joel and Kate Kopp book Folk Art Under Foot, and this one struck me as my next ...uh, victim, lol?

It hasn't been drawn out and am still  s l o w l y  whipping the edge of Flower Power.  Hard to believe I'm totally calm not having a rug on the frame to steal me away from this task of whipping.  

Who knows if this one will be 'the one'.  Will let you know as soon as it is ready to go on my frame.

Wishing everyone a very happy Mother's Day tomorrow.  So rest tonight and be prepared to be pampered tomorrow.

Thunderstorms are going to come thru here this evening and even heard a verbal 'tornado alert' for this area on my iPad thru the local weather channel.   After two trees recently went down with an April nor'easter I'm rather gun shy.  Make that storm shy.

Saundra

Am Bored ~ So back to my Hooked Pieces

Still no new project on my frame but at least I've started whipping the edge of Flower Power.  Also started tracing out the sketch of the pattern planned but got bored doing that.  To prove just how bored I was ~  pulled out the vacuum and cleaned up my wool room and organized my master paper patterns.  So you know just how un-motivated I am on what to hook next.

The first rug camp each year was usually in May with wonderful teacher and perfect colorist Barb Carroll.  The 2014 class project was Magdalena's Farm and it has the signature bits of purple.  

Rugs by the Sea rug camp is September and hooked a memorial of my departed Shadow.  That class was with Diane Stoffel and I hooked Shadow in #8.  OOPS, I see that the date on the photo for Shadow was 2013.

Which means the rug hooked at Cape May 2014 was Ali Katz, a design I drew and hooked for a class with Ali Strebel.

November class with Betsy Reed in Ocean City, MD was Olde Ducks, another Magdalena design.

The rest of the rugs hooked that year were on my own at home.  One was another Woolley Fox design hooked was the small version of Folk Art Horse.

The Chicken Challenge offered by Woolrights Guild seemed like fun and this was my version with the blotchy background.  Should probably have kept the hit and miss upper corners but I love the faded background of antique rugs.

Just before Halloween I designed and hooked a piece named Mache' Jacks.  Unfortunately I don't own an antique mache'Jack so made the one on the table and hooked the likeness in this mat.  OMG, I love that mat if I must say so myself.

That year I finally finished hooking an antique adaptation started well over 5 years prior.  The original 1890 antique rug in the style below was sometimes referred to as "Waved and Stepped" pattern, according to the Joel and Kate Kopp book.  I named it Granny Geometric since it reminded me of the crochet afghan squares.  But more recently has come to be known as a Zig Zag rug.  Perhaps that is the name given by the woman who most recently drew and hooked it.  

An adaptation of Pot of Flowers antique was a smallish, easy and fast mat to hook.

Was in the mood for another antique adaptation so drew and hooked what I named The Cat's Meow.  This is the rug hanging on the wall of a log cabin over a bed.  It was difficult to get a good view of the rug even tho the owner sent me personal photos.

An antique design haunting me for some time was this adaptation which I call Hearts and Swags and made into pillow form.

For years on my 'to do' list and finally hooked was the antique Santa and Deer adaptation.  I've seen various border designs and did mine plain so as to not take away from the main focus.

I hooked small pieces like a hit and miss circle mat (not shown) and welcomed people to join me.  And designed an adaptation from the Harriet Powers Bible Quilt piece which I named "500 Mile Betts".  After the Cape May rug camp I gave it to my friend Evelyn.

Hopefully something will SOON motivate me to make a choice of design to hook.  But for now will slowly whip Flower Power.

Saundra