NEW PATTERN UPDATE

Had hoped to have all the border hooked but it has been 3 days since my last post so thought I'd send an update anyway.  At least you will see the entire design this time and is an antique adaptation I've named "Geometric Garden".  

By the way, the reason I name rugs is in case a reader wants to know more information about the design or wants me to draw them a pattern.  That way I can easily find the original on the flash drive and provide info from the auction house.

Finally today was a day without rain but it is so dang humid and hot.  Not sure why I'm so surprised because I grew up in this eastern shore environment and know what it's like.  Yet as a kid my friends and I would run and play hide and seek in the fields but the sweat and itching from the grass didn't seem to bother us.  Oh my how sweet youth and innocence was back then.  Sadly it isn't that way any longer.

Apparently grass cutting will be on my list of things to do SOON unless more rain is in the forecast.  My heart and prayers go out to those in Vermont, up state New York and all those dealing with flood issues.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

ANTIQUE RUG SHOW

Basket of flowers dated 1910 measuring 27 x 36 and hooked with cotton and wool.

A bird in flight, no other information was available.

Interesting border to use up worms but think I'd get bored with those small blocks.  Again, no info on size and date hooked.

A floral with straighted border measuring 24 x 36.  Said to be hooked between 1890-1899.

I really like this floral with faded red and blue roses 30.5 x 48.5 hooked late 19th century.

A circular shirred rug with stylized flowers hooked 1840.

A geometric with hit and miss border and flowers measures 22.5 x 36.

Do you or do you know someone who needs Good Luck?  Auction house said it was hooked 1900.

Last is a horse drawn buggy with lady rider measuring 19 x 32.

I don't meditate ~ I hook rugs.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

NEW PATTERN ON MY FRAME

This hot weather and holiday have given me time to draw a new pattern and hook a little.  It is an antique adaptation, so what's new, right?  Perhaps it will be a little familiar to you.

Something weird happens with my mind when there is a holiday because the regular TV programs show reruns or celebration events, there seems to be very little interaction on blogs because everyone else (but me it seems) has a life outside of rug hooking so I don't know what day of the week it is.  And a holiday on a Tuesday makes it even worse because today seemed like a Monday instead of Wednesday.

This afternoon a little after 3 p.m. I looked at the inside thermostat and the temperature outside at that time was 103* f.  Went to get my camera, put the memory card in it, returned to take a photo and the temperature had dropped to 101*.  Am wondering just how high the temp had reached before dropping to 103.  But it was wicked HOT and HUMID outside so pleased to be inside working on a rug with the A/C working.

P.S. just watched the local news at 6pm and the weatherman didn't indicate our temps for the day was that high.  But that is what it read on my thermostat inside the house.  Perhaps the sun was in the direction of the heat pump which maybe reads the outside temp?  I don't know, all I can say is that was the reading on the thermostat.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

On July 2, 1776 we gained our independence from Great Britain and July 4th we celebrated our freedom.  Happy Birthday America.

The pattern above is a design by Polly Minick and is a free to hook pattern in one of her booklets "American Summer".

I loved that design and thought about hooking it but it was so long I hooked this instead.

Yet another time I hooked something with a similar 4th celebratory theme on a pattern called Wee Folk by Vermont Folk Art Rugs. 

Wishing all of you a happy and safe holiday.  My plans are to stay inside and enjoy the A/C which I finally turned on full time yesterday.  Last week it was maybe for an hour during the hot part of the day then turned it off and I was fine.  But not yesterday as it was too hot and humid.

HAPPY July 4th!  

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

FOR INSPIRATION and CONTIMPLATION

I've shown this antique dog rug in a previous post.  The original antique measured 31.5 x 40 and is delightful just as it appears here.

But look how Karen Anne hooked it channeling Magdalena with the pops of red.  Isn't her rendition fantastic?  So how would you hook it?  As for me, after seeing Karen Anne's version I can't imagine the rug being hooked any other way.  

Recently found the folk art bird on tree stump rug and wonder if you hooked it would you hook the date and the initials?   Would you put your own initials or remove either or both?  An inquiring mind wants to know how you would hook it.

If you recall, Barb Carroll kept the initials in this rug design below and used those initials to name the design "Cora and Bentley".

And one more for good measure with no questions.  Recently found this one also and thought it was cute as the dickens yet I have no intentions to hook it.  Shame it is in such disrepair.

Goodness, July already.  Have a fun filled and safe weekend.  Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com  

PHASE TWO of SCALLOPED FLOWERS

OH NO, while I was applying black walnut stain noticed I'd not taken the time to do the 3 rows of stitching to protect what will become the edge before binding.   Which means I'll have to maneuver this bulky rug 3 times in a small area on my sewing machine.  Guess I was just too anxious to start my new project.

Okay, you asked for it but even after two applications of black walnut stain there is very little, if any, difference.  Here is the before.

Here is the after. 

Perhaps it toned down the white a little, maybe.  What I'm looking at is still pleasant and don't think I'll go for round three.  I'm quite happy with the directional hooking and felt that would calm the already busy ripple or echo hooked effect of the piece.

This one is going to be bound with cotton rug binding as I think that may help straighten the curly appearance caused by the repetitive hooked scallop design.

Last evening at 7 p.m. looking out my kitchen window saw a doe drinking from the water bucket I'd put out during this drought.  Then after she stepped away saw something small run toward her from back of the shed.  I went to the bedroom window to get a better view.   Didn't take the time to grab my camera as I didn't want to waste time and the screens on my windows gives me nothing but poor photos anyway.

I've never seen a fawn so small in my yard so very tiny.  As the fawn nursed her tail was moving a mile a minute as was the mom's.  It was such a beautiful scene and was amazed in wonderment at how the doe  communicates to the fawn to stay until she returned.  Once the fawn saw the mom headed toward her the desire to nurse was just too strong.  What a beautiful few minutes I had.

This holiday weekend will give me a chance to find something to hook and would like to have a plus-one handy too in case I get bored.  Plus it has the added benefit of being a project at the ready once the next one is done.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, be safe and it will be happy hooking for me.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

MISC. CHIT CHAT

First subject would be Phase One of finishing Scalloped Flowers which is the hooking part.  It hasn't been steamed yet as I just pulled the last loop around 6 pm this evening.  I started hooking it around May 21st and drew it approx. 23 x 37.5 ~ the finished dimensions change depending on wool strip size, foundation weave chosen and the direction in which the pattern is cut on that foundation.

The rug has not yet been steamed or stained as that will be phase two or three.  Since I'd like to age parts it would need to be sprayed with water on the front and back in a few places then sprayed or painted with walnut dye.  Yes Janice I'll show you a picture of the before and after, lol.

Normally I don't do directional hooking but did so on this one to try give it an aged look.  Yet do regret that small horizontal hooking to the far left middle but am not going to rip it out and do vertical hooking now.

Changing the subject....yesterday morning I did a little weeding, pulled up future unwanted infant trees and other weeds.  I wore gloves and upon coming into the house washed my hands.  This morning when I woke up there was a crusty area under my bottom lip.  WTH?  So I washed it off ~ it didn't itch but the oozing was reminiscent of poison ivy.  OMG!!!!!!  No way!!!  Was something out there poison ivy, oak or whatever?  How did my under lip come in contact with poison leaves???

Doctors have told me I'm so allergic to poison ivy that I could become infected just by leaves floating in the air from burning or grass cutting.  

Today I used alcohol (no not good wine, lol) to rub on it and then applied the anti-itch solution.  But it hasn't itched.  I've changed my pillow cases and will go thru this regimen again before bedtime then cover the chin area with bandages.

BTW, in case anyone ever notices Robin's (Cranky Crow) comments referring to me as "MD" it is because one year I had so much poison ivy all over that I went to bed with long sleeves, wore cotton gloves and tied a small cotton scarf around my neck as it was there too.  I felt wrapped up like a mummy, therefore the name 'Mummy Dearest' was born.

Sadly I have not YET found anything for my next project.  I've checked previous 'wanna be' patterns and am no longer enthused.  Went to my favorite PDF pattern sellers and don't see anything.  Heck, there's already an abundance of pdf patterns here by my favorite designers already but I'm so fickle my mood changes.

But I've still more to do with finishing Scalloped Flowers and will be content with that task and then the binding.  HUH??  Did I really type that??  While binding is not my favorite thing to do I'm looking forward to seeing it finished completely.

Sorry this post was so long.. that is if you made it this far, lol.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

RUG SHOW

Whimsical rug of a man riding a penny farthing measuring  22 x 29.  I'll save you from 'fact checking' the wording or getting the spelling wrong, so you can learn more about those types of cycles HERE.

A shirred wool design from the 19th century.  The stool cover which is very attractive, could easily be adapted to a rectangular or square rug  I think its both the colors and unusual border which grabbed my attention.  

Hearts and flowers; sorry but no date or dimensions were provided.

Horse with triangle and floral border measures 30 x 45 at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Another horse rug 37 x 37 hooked 1880.  But found this one much more intriguing ~ look at the orb on inside brown border above the horse.  Is that the spirit of the person who hooked it?

A cat with sawtooth border hooked late 19th or early 20th century.

And a close up of the bottom right.

Amazing this rug turns me off only because of that putrid purple around the deer.  Otherwise I'd love it.  If only my brain could envision that surrounding color something other than putrid purple. Said to be hooked between 1900-30 Ontario, Canada.

Guess the rug below could be called a geometric floral or would you call those snowflake shapes?  No date or dimensions provided.

American Eagle measuring 36 x 45 hooked mid 20th century.  

Don't have a date or dimensions on this Elk below but I like the primitive style and earthy colors.   Oh, also the botchy light background is a nice switch from the primitive dark blotchy backgrounds.

Ten rugs this time, hope you enjoyed the show.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

BACK TO THE DYE POT

That lavender wool was returned back to the shelf and chose the wool below to over dye with the leftover brown mixtures instead.  Since there wasn't much dye left in either jar knew only a small amount of wool would be needed.  The wool to the left is 1/4 yard and even less for the one to the right.

The photo below shows the before on top and the after dyeing at the bottom.  I've more yardage and wonder why the heck I bought it.  Matter of fact when I look at my wool stash wonder why the heck I chose a lot of the wool on my shelves.  Perhaps now that it is an old (dirty) gold I'll be more likely to use it.

It was a clear but humid morning then after lunch it poured.  Weatherman said around 6 p.m. there will be a thunderstorm and more rain.

Here is miss Turtle taking a walkabout between showers.  Notice those two orbs at the bottom right?  

Soon I'll have to get serious about choosing another project as I'm getting close to the finish line with Scalloped Flowers.  Happy weekend and happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

WET, WINDY, WEDNESDAY

Try saying that three times fast!

Sadly the forecast seems to show rain thru next Tuesday.  When I awoke this morning plans were to use up some old remaining dye mixtures and among those remaining chose the oldest.  Had a small amount of light brown, even less of a mix of silver gray and seal brown also Indigo blue.  

Thought I'd add hot water to both brown mixtures and combine them to tone down something.  The indigo I hadn't decided on what to do.

Went to the wool room to choose something to tone down and quickly pulled small amounts of these gawd forsaken purples.  I only like certain colors of purple.

Took this photo then immediately changed my mind.  Not so sure the brown would provide successful final results with these colors ~ sure wouldn't make them look vintage and doubt the dyes would make them any prettier.  So aborted the whole idea.

Have yet another turtle tale to tell ya (another tongue twister 😊).

Yesterday looking out my back window noticed a female turtle had found its way into the fenced in yard.  When my ex put up the fence for my departed boy Ben he made it so there were spaces at the bottom in random places around the perimeter of the back yard.   But the turtle doesn't have the skills the rabbits, squirrels and raccoons have to easily find an exit.  Sorta like the primitive fish baskets where the fish can swim in but can't find their way out.  It's actually two baskets and the fish swim in the small one.

Back to the turtle tale... I watched the turtle try poking her head thru the holes in the fence and move further and try again.   She was so close to the opening under the fence so picked her up and placed her in front of the fence.  Didn't take a photo unfortunately.

Nope, she moved away and came closer to the back corner near the house.  This time I went outside, opened the gate and hoped she'd know what to do next.  The square is the turtle making its way to the opening and the arrow points to where she was when I moved her in front of the gate but hadn't taken a photo nor had I opened the gate for her.

And here she is finally exiting.  Of course she would be welcome here but would limit her to survival in a smaller area, outside the fence she has acres to explore.  Had my camera on the wrong setting so you might have to stare to find her.

Finally getting that much needed rain but might end up being much more than we need if it lasts until next Tuesday.  Good thing I've lots of wool and a pattern to keep me occupied.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

GUESS WHO I FOUND (edited)

While walking in the yard was surprised.  Surprised I even noticed this teenie weenie tiny turtle.  The turtle is the same color as the dirt around it.  Came inside to grab my camera and take a picture of the wee one.  Now when I walk outside I have my head on a swivel looking carefully for baby turtles so I don't step on any who maybe foraging.

And no, it didn't come from one of the two eggs buried earlier as I checked and the area was undisturbed.  

EDIT:  When I first looked at the turtle and it didn't have the pretty gold coloring wondered if it was a snapping turtle or was it  from the family of Eastern Box Turtles in my yard.  So did a google search and sadly didn't put the link in my original post since I thought it would be a given it was a pretty little thing and not a snapper.  So to see what I learned about newborn Eastern Box Turtles you can see the birth and see them them HERE.  When the video starts wait a couple seconds and click on "SKIP AD". 

Happy Hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

ANTIQUE RUG SHOW

A floral hooked late 19th century or early 20th.

The rug below looks like delicate fanning flowers and leaves.  Love the blotchy background of this and the one above.

Center star with circle of flowers measures 39 x 41 but no date.

Yarn stitched motifs.  I enlarged it so you can see the stitched detail.

Songbird with hit and miss border & background.  Dimensions are 32 x 36.5 and hooked late 19th century.

Two  Scotties measuring 20 x 31 from the estate of Penny Marshall.

Tree of Life hooked by EL measuring 28 x 39.  What sort of textile do you think is the black and red trim around the edge?  I don't think wool would keep its shape like that ~ interesting.

Below is a close up of date and hooking.

A companion piece hooked by EL of geometric shapes.   This one also measures 28 x 39.

And a close up.

Wish there was a better picture of this palomino pony and more info but this is all I could find.

Happy weekend everyone.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com