Meanings of Symbols in Harriet's Quilt Piece

In a previous post I introduced you to Harriet and gave a little history of her.  Also mentioned that Betts the hog walked 500 miles from Georgia to Virginia.  There is more to the story behind this quilt piece from which I chose a few motifs.  If you look carefully in the middle just below the star bursts, you will see a pendulum clock. 

According to information provided by Harriet this is the meaning: 

• Rich people who were taught nothing of God. Bob Johnson and Kate Bell of Virginia. They told their parents to stop the clock at one and tomorrow it would strike one and so it did. This was the signal that they had entered everlasting punishment. The independent hog which ran 500 miles from Georgia to Virginia, her name was Betts." (this information was gathered on the web site of Museum of Fine Art, Boston).  If you wish to read more about Harriet Powers and her quilts check it out.

For my adaptation I chose to draw a modern day clock closing in on the 1 o'clock hour and put a home in the center instead.  I also picked a chicken and 2 duck motifs from her other quilt to add to the farm homestead scene.

And I have indeed painted myself into a corner.  Actually, it looks better in this picture on the monitor instead of up close and personal.  At first I thought it was going to be 500 Mile Betts as my only source of color value frustration.  But nope, the light colors of the people's shirts and the woman's grey hair is also a problem to me.  Since I was considering pulling out the blue/tan texture from around Betts thought that I'd try a very light wool (like the man's shirt) on top of Betts' snout.  It is the same color as the natural linen foundation so is probably hard to notice. 

Can you imagine a pit walking 500 miles?  I wonder how long it took and .... also wonder if she was sold and then walked back to her old home.  I sure wish Harriet was still alive so I could ask those questions. 

Perhaps it is time to put 500 Mile Betts aside, take a breather from the piece and will pull loops on the background of my Santa and Deer tonight.  At least I know what I'm doing with that one and bet it will be a more speedy result for my efforts.  I was going to pull some loops on a heart but think the Santa and Deer idea is a better one for tonight.

Have a great evening everyone.  It was a rather mild day today which made the snow disappear but this nice mild temperature is short lived.  I'll take it whenever and no matter how short it happens.

Saundra

500 Mile Betts Update

Happily I've been busy drawing patterns or there would have been more hooked on the Betts piece.  My plans were to hook the ducks before showing a photo but didn't happen.

So far I'm pleased but must admit being anxious about the values since throwing caution to the wind and hooking my motifs first.  Usually I know sorta what I want in my rug and pick the background color first.  Normally it is primitive black, my favorite background.   But since Harriet Powers (the woman who made this quilt in the 1800's) was black and that is how I wanted my people to be, primitive black background would not have worked. 

Oh my, and I also had a vision of what the man and woman of the house would have worn back then..... he in his farm clothes and she in what she made.  So now I've got both dark and light in my motifs...DUH, so what is the background going to be????  Your guess was/is as good as mine. 

My plans were to make it primitive and have embraced the idea that my color choices would indicate that motifs and Betts the pig would have faded out over the years.

Oh, scroll back up.  There is a story about the clock.  In the original quilt piece it was a pendulum clock which I changed.  Where the log cabin is was where pendulum clock was.   So........ if you want to see what happened before, then visit my previous posts so you can catch up.

Have a great evening everyone; and Lauren I hope you are relaxed, had fun and ready to tackle work tomorrow.  Hopefully there's no more snow so the transition is easy.

Saundra

Geometric UFO

While perusing my favorite blogs was reminded by Louise's post on Dogwood Farm that I have a well overdue geometric rug which was started over 8 years ago.  I enjoy looking at geometric designs but I have a problem working on this one beyond two squares at a time, then it is back in the wool room waiting for the next visit.  My choice of colors hasn't been the best as there are both dull and intense colors in my rug.  Plus hit and miss isn't as easy as I once thought.

Louise's rug has great earth colors and they are the same intensity throughout.  Also her blocks are square and mine are step style.  What on earth was I thinking????

Well Louise, thanks for lighting a fire under my butt.  I've pulled out the tote and it is sitting in the living room waiting for me to finish 500 Mile Betts.  So before I start anything new after Betts I'll hook a couple more blocks of my geometric.  Still, at that rate the rug won't be done for another 10 years or so.  That is unless I make it smaller and make a pillow.  Hmmm, now that's a thought.

Have a great evening everyone; thanks for visiting and be kind to one another.

Saundra

One Hooked and Another One Bound

Who'da thunk I really would have finished hooking this Granny Geometric?  Not me; as I was sure it would go to the thrift store unfinished.  All the hooking is done, the pre-binding stitching and trimming done all around and will wait its turn to be bound since the Chicken Challenge rug will be next.  That is when I'm in the mood or while waiting to pick up my grandson at school it will be started.

Also finished binding the 500 Mile Betts rug I adapted from a Harriet Powers quilt block.  The binding was done a few minutes at a time while waiting to get my grandson from school. But today decided to finish it.

And thanks to Lauren of Rugs and Pugs for showing me how she did her last rug label.  She wrote the date, name, etc. with a silver Sharpie and wrote it on a piece of cotton binding.  She then attached it to the rug.  I thought that was a great idea so purchased a bronze Sharpie and put the information on my binding but hers was much neater.  Sure wish I'd been more careful to have the letters all the same and spacing between words applied better.  Guess it is obvious I'm not a teacher ~ I've never seen a teacher who didn't have the most perfect printing and cursive ever.  Unless it was a draftsman.

Now I'm pulling a couple loops on the penny circle mat and tomorrow will start out fresh on my new project.  Have a fabulous evening and hope you all have a great week.

Saundra

Rugs in Review 2014

My but how time flies and will soon have to remember to write 2015 on checks instead of 2014.  Another year older and hard to believe almost 8 years has passed since the divorce.

Something that I like to do now is look back at the rugs I've hooked over the last year.  A few years ago I started keeping a list of the rugs completed during the year as it is fun to reflect back on them and memories associated with the time hooking. 

The first one finished in 2014 was an adaptation of a Harriet Powers quilt block which I named 500 Mile Betts.  I gifted it to my dear friend Evelyn Lawrence since she admired it so much and knew it would have a good home with her.

Next was Magdalena's Lollipop Bouquet and must say this one was on top of the list as one of the most fun.  It was fun trying to replicate Magdalena's colors while using up a lot of my left overs and with some cut wool for consistency in the neutral background and base.

Then was the project which wins 'greatest accomplishment' of several years of hooking..... that would be the completion of the damn Granny Geometric which had been started about 10 years earlier.  I'd pull it out, hook one block and back in the tote it would go for another year or 5.  Happy to say it is done and bound ~ again using up a lot of left over strips.

The Chicken Challenge was offered by Woolwrights Hooking Guild  and I jumped on the chance to get a free antique adaptation pattern.  This too was fun to make mine different from the original and have blotchy background.

When perusing Pinterest I found a wonderful rug hanging on the wall in a cabin.  I knew it appeared to have the age of a copywrite free rug but didn't know who owned it.  And some of the images were hard to decipher so guessed they were birds on the sides.  Once I learned who  owned the rug I wrote for permission to hook it, sell the patterns and received permission.  I named the pattern The Cat's Meow because as I had over dyed wool to give an aged look and as the rug came to be it was THE Cat's meow.

Next was Magdalena's Farm; building up quite number of Magdalena's rugs.  Soon I'll have as many as Evelyn Lawrence who did all the research and who has hooked all her rugs.

Then I wanted to have another antique adaptation pattern to offer for sale so hooked Pot of Flowers.  A picture with a flash and one without.  Makes a huge difference in the way they appear on the monitor.

After that I had two commission pieces to do which were rather large.  I listed them as something I hooked but they weren't mine to keep and received payment for my work.  The names of the patterns and client will remain anonomoyous.

Lucky to win a Duluth Pumpkin kit from generous Maria Barton of Star Rug company I hooked this next; thank you very much Maria.  Love those button eyes that came with.

Okay, so then wishing I owned some of those antique Jack-O-Lanterns I knew growing up, decided I needed to design my own Fall/Halloween pattern and came up with "Mache' Jack-O-Lanterns"

Always needing something else to have on my frame chose to hook Magdalena's Folk Art horse next.  Yup, those Magdalena rugs are mounting up here Evelyn.

OOPS, while going thru my photos realized I hadn't put Ali Katz on my 2014 list (it's there now tho).  Guess that is because still some defining lines need to put in around parts of some of the cats.  But it was hooked and bound in this year.  I have already sold one pattern and can't wait to see she chose to hook it and hope to get a picture.  I understand it won't be worked on until next spring/summer but am still looking forward to it.

Last year just before Christmas I saw what Maria was working on and that little Jolly drove me crazy.  Just had to have him so purchased it from Star Rug Company.  Yeah, did a change or two to make him my boy Jolly.  I love him Maria and he is sitting on my sofa table right now.

And recently last loops were pulled on Magdalena's Olde Ducks.  Even tho it hasn't been bound yet still consider it hooked in 2014.  Perhaps during the start up of 2015 and during the slow time of this remaining holiday the binding will get done.

EEK, I forgot to mention my 'detour' project of hooking arm chair covers for my computer chair.  It wasn't a big project but was hooking nonetheless.

Now all that remains of my hooking in 2014 is Cherries and Candy Stripe which I will show you tomorrow with a bit more of an update.

Have a great evening everyone and may all your loops be perfect.

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

A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND

This blog post was handed to me by follower/friend Lady Locust who suggested it's been a long time since I hooked a 'structure', house, etc.  I began to wonder myself so looked thru photos of rugs I've hooked and sent her a list.  Then the lightbulb lit up that this should be my next post.

Actually I have had thoughts of hooking a row of log cabins but that never materialized.  Perhaps if I wasn't so lazy I'd draw one up.  Meanwhile, here are some rugs and mats I've hooked with some sort of building on it.

These aren't in any special order but some might spark a memory.  The first photo has two small structures in it and was a pattern swap with Briarwood Folk Art.  She wanted my Frost Sheep and Birds pattern and I chose her Big Dog Hollow pattern.  Nice fair swap and neither of us had to spend money except for postage.

I drew the Deer with Blue House, an antique adaptation.

Another antique adaptation I drew and hooked was Cottage and Apple Tree.

A small mat which was my contribution in a swap on Yahoo Rughookers before Facebook came along.

This next rug inspired me because Evelyn Lawrence mentioned she was to teach at Sauder and her subjects were to be designs by Harriet Powers (quilter) and Granny Donaldson's cow blankets.  So I asked Evelyn if she'd be interested in taking something I hook of Harriet Powers' designs as a sample for her class.  Of course she jumped on the invitation.

It is my interpretation of the 500 Mile Betts block in Powers' Bible Quilt, and I gifted the piece to Evelyn who has it in her personal collection.

A Day in the Country is a design by Tonya Robey.  The colors look washed out, sorry.  Good grief, hard to believe this was hooked in 2015, where has this last 10 years gone??

Early Farm Scene which is in private collection, sold 2024.

Below is Long Island Farmhouse which is a Lucille Festa Design.

When hooking a Tonya Robey design to be in one of her "Inspirations" booklets she drew this design and I hooked a dark chicken.  But....

.... it was hard to see so reverse hooked and changed it to a white duck, lol.

There was a row of houses in Lori Brechlin's Nantucket Broom Ride which is sold by Kris Miller.

Below, using various motifs available, I designed the rug which was named Puppy Love.

Rainbow Cabin is a design by Barb Carroll and located in one of her booklets.

A Karen Kahle design has many cute slanted cabins in her Small Flowerbox pattern.

In the distance are two structures.  This was a Spring Challenge organized by Kelley Belfast one year.  My daffodils were proddy and a real bell on the sheep.

Oh what fun this next pattern was to hook.  It's name is Windy Day and Cushing sells the pattern.  I should have had it out a week ago when the wind was horrific but March is just around the corner and will pull it out.

My design named Ox Farm has a house in the background.

And finally, another Lori design named Merrie Oct. 31st.  You can see I opted to not put 31st as I might want to keep it out more than one day.

Well kids, that's it for today's trunk show.  Anytime you get a hanker'n to pull my chain and give me an idea, please feel free to do so.  Thanks Lady Locust.

Saundra

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