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Armenia Corkum picks a "Bushel of Love"

4/17/2013

Armenia Corkum isn't just another rughooker. She is special beyond words...with infectious good humour and sweetness of character. She is my little rug hooking pet and considering how much I love my puppies, that's a pretty strong term of endearment.

She's been coming to my shop almost from day one. I remember the first time she walked through my door to check out the new kid in town. We clicked immediately and that's never changed.

She's been a regular at our hook-ins but now finds driving at night difficult so if she can't catch a ride with another hooker, she drops by for the Saturday gathering to catch up, hook and chat.  We always end our time together with a hug and I love you.

This is Armenia's lasted completed project. She's quite a prolific rug hooker although she wouldn't describe herself as such.   She can be a bit down on herself because a few of her friends said she wasn't a very good hooker and I tell her I'll spank her if she says anything negative in my presence, but maybe I should just spank her friends!  We laugh, but I'm serious! Armenia is a beautiful rug hooker! All her pieces are immaculate and special. She's sold a few of her finished rugs but mainly hooks for the joy and socialization it provides. She gets around that girl...hooking with several groups; the Riverport group, the Hebbville group and  my Main Street Hooker gang.

This pattern was first designed for Jean Morse many years ago. She hooked it for a family member and it was lovely, but I think Armenia's is just a bit more colourful and vibrant, just what this pattern needed.   Armenia was waiting for me to custom design a lily pattern but decided to do this one first, to welcome in the feeling of spring and sunny skies after such a dreary winter. It was in my closest for some time, folded and forgotten along with a few other, not up to par, patterns so I offered them to my group as freebies.  This Bushel of Love pattern had been stained pretty badly when I accidentally spilled black dye over it so and I couldn't hang it on the rack. Although it didn't impact on the design it was messy looking and I have my pride!  Armenia liked this pattern and I said "it's yours" and we started talking colour!

There is a lot of whimsy going on here. The girl is picking hearts from the tree to fill up the bushel basket on the ground, thence the name Bushel of Love. There are some fallen hearts on the ground and the border is a swirling heart garland, all connected by a line from heart bottom to bottom and are hooked in several different tones and textures of red for depth. The hearts on the tree and in the basket were hooked with a spot dyed formula called Geranium.

The outside border is a dark navy plaid that tied in beautifully with the blue sky and lush green grass.   The tree trunk is a mixed blend of leftover brown spots, solids and textures hooked vertically to enhance the length. The stylized curled branch gives the tree a bit of whimsy and holds three, nested, little baby birds crying for a worm. The sky was done beautifully with a swirled effect and a custom dyed abrashed wool. The hat of golden yellow adds the perfect hit of sunlight.

The girl is on tiptoes reaching the branches and the wind has caught her dress and hat ribbon for a bit of movement. Armenia did a grand job hooking this piece and I loved watching it come to life through her skill and colour choices.  A simple design that tells a story and creates a smile all at once.   One wonders who the girl will give these symbols of love to, maybe it's Valentine's day and many men await her heart.    This pattern and its celebration of love was the perfect fit for Armenia as she loves everyone, especially a good looking man. She thinks Shane is the cat's meow and we love to joke with her at the hook-ins when she speaks of a some male in her family or community. We all ask in unison "was he good looking Armenia?" and she says, "Oh yes, he was handsome", in that devilish way of hers.

After all these years Armenia is still effervescent and bubbly. She loves life and treats every day as a gift to be enjoyed. I challenge anyone to spend time with her without having it rub off. Too bad the pharmaceutical companies could bottle what she has! To me Armenia is tops and it's just too bad the world couldn't take a page out of her book, it would be a friendlier and safer place to be......

Reaching for love in all the right places! Standing on a bed of Meadow spot it is a perfect compliment to the abrashed sky.

Three little birdies with mouths open waiting for momma bird to bring home the bacon!

A gorgeous spot called Silver Brown gives this wooden basket a sense of realism. The hearts on the tree and in the bushel basket were hooked with a spot dyed formula called Geranium.

A bundle of Heart Red dyed over Hound's Tooth, Herringbone, Glen Plaid and solid made up the hearts on the border. Geranium was used for the small hearts on the tree and in the bushel basket. The Meadow spot was perfect for the grass mixed with a bit of this and that leftovers. The sky was a new abrashed created just for her.

A close-up of some of the heart garland border. Textures and solids all over-dyed with Heart Red to add interest. From left to right, the first is a herringbone, the second is Glen Plaid and the third is a solid red.

This pattern is available on the website for purchase under Christine Little Signature Designs
The Size: 24 1/2" x 32" Burlap - $41.95 Linen - $56.63

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Grin and bare it all.....

4/6/2013

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Original design by Cheryl Rafuse called Edith On Wash Day....for her mom who loved doing laundry.

Bernice Thomson was in the shop yesterday to pick up some rug binding for her newly completed rug. I zig zagged around the edge and as I was cutting it out for her I thought I should share this bit of whimsey so I asked if she was camera shy? The answer being no, here it is.
This fun design is a gift for her daughter, Terry Lynn. Of course my first question was "Is this the way she visits the clothes line?" but, pardon the pun, it's just a bit of fun.

The rug is hooked in all new wool and had many little bits and pieces to give it a bit of sparkle and fun. The voluptuous bum is sculpted and I tried to capture that in the pictures below but I think maybe the one where Bernice is holding it up shows the roundness best. Too funny! The hat and feather add to the whimsy and the wonderful red rubber boots are fabulous. After the rug is bound she plans to add the little pins on each piece of clothing which were purchased at Michaels.

There is an outhouse on the right side that was initially meant to be a building but an outside pooper fit better with the fun theme. She added fleece for the clouds and there is a gold toned chain for KK's collar that was found at a flea market. She used thin gold threads to outline the wash basket and other objects for highlights. There is as rhinestone button that came from a shirt sewn on the purple pants, and curly mohair on the full body underwear to the left. The sun is sculpted with a vibrant yellow. What a lovely sunny day to hand wash!

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Kiss Me Quick by Madeleine Thibault Smith

3/27/2013

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What is it about a big green frog that makes you want to pucker up or at least give it some serious consideration? Are we all so desperately looking for that prince that we'd be willing to risk a wart on the mouth? Now I know that's a myth but really, how lonely does one have to be to plant one on a slimy amphibian? I may not have been desperate at five, but I actually kissed a few. We lived next to a pond and I spent a great deal of time catching frogs and living in fairy tale land. I did have a childhood wart though....hmmm....

Hey, I read the same stories you did, but being gullible I believed them. I was also a bit bummed when I read Jack In The Beanstalk, considering I swallowed the odd apple seed. Dad, being a bit of a leg puller didn't help the cause when he said tufts would grow out of my ears. I can't tell you how much time I spent obsessing in the mirror waiting for head foliage to appear. And don't get me started on Chicken Little, I found a odd looking piece of something in my hair once.

Oh, I should tell you, if by some chance you're willing to kiss a frog, be aware there can be a delay factor, it took thirty plus years before my prince materialized, but hey, I'm not about to look a gift frog in the mouth.

I've been going through emails and picture files to find items of interest to write about. This rug doesn't need much in the way of words to describe its bold presence, just enjoy this rug as a feast for the eye! From the rouge lips to the striking pink sky this rug is clearly a winner. I never received an update of how it showed at the fall fair but, if for some unbelievable reason it didn't win a ribbon, I'll bet it turned every head passing by. I believe this work of art warranted Judge's Choice or Best In Show. I've attached the email from Madeleine that I received with the picture. I'm sure she won't mind if I share it with you. This is a piece to be proud of! Pucker up ladies!

Hello from Cobourg Ontario! This is Madeleine Thibault Smith. I was in Mahone Bay for the first time last summer (2010) and loved my visit to your beautiful "shop of wonders"! I HAD to stop in because I had been working on "Kiss me Quick" which I bought in 2008 and had in waiting for the mood to move me....2009. It is the biggest project I've done so far...also of interest because I have amassed a collection of frogs of all sorts over the years. A hooked frog with such character was a good fit.
So here it is finished, ready to be entered in a local fall fair. It is a charming design that always makes people smile and it was fun (and a lot of work!!) to do. Some of the wool was purchased and some was dyed for my "vision" by a member of our hooking group. It looks totally different from the piece on your website and I hope you like my interpretation of this whimsical design. As is always the case with hooking, I have learned more about colour and texture...

The second picture shows my cat Slater approving of the comfort it provided for his afternoon nap when I left the rug on the guest bed one day.

My husband and I LOVED our exploration of the Maritimes and plan to return before too long. A visit to see you again in Mahone Bay is a must.

Best regards
Madeleine

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Catch of the Day hooked by Joan Sponagle

3/22/2013

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This pattern is 40" x 63"

This rug should have been called "Catch Your Eye". These fish definately won't be thrown back, they're keepers!

Seeing this charming version of Catch Of The Day made it worth coming to work on Monday. Definitely a great way to start the week! I’ve said it before, nothing compares to seeing my designs hooked…talented hands and so much passion working loops through something I created is definitely a rush. Together my customers and I are a team, a marriage of sorts. I bring the foundation and they supply the materials to create the union and we live happily every after until wear, rot or destructive pets rip us apart.

Joan Sponagle dropped by the shop for a show and tell and I asked if she would mind if I did a short story on her masterpiece. She was delighted to share the rug that she refers to as a rainbow of colour.    Now that she is retired she works two to three hours a day on her hooking and this project took about four months to complete. She said everyone that sees the rug wants it, but it's going to be hung on a wall in her home…no feet will be ever walk upon its glory!

The rug is all done with #6 strips. This pattern doesn’t have any small detail so it is perfect for the wider cut. She used all new wool with a blend of solid brights, three values,  spots and then plaids and herringbone for texture, which she said all came from my shop!   It’s like she shook a box of Smarties and the different colours exploded on each fish.

I see something different every time I look! The rusty orange fish with its zig zagged lines is amazing; the richness and the way she striped each colour is very clever. I personally can’t decide which fish I like the best but if I had a gun to my head it would be a toss-up between the one with the blue and yellow scales and the fish with the rich blue and red.....but then again that pink one on the end with the squares is pretty nice... oh, and that green striped one....and then look at that one will the long horizontal stripes......oh my!   How can you have favourites when they all catch your eye!

With the rug being such a blast of colour, whipping it in the standard black would have been boring so she opted to do a black and white effect by alternating between the two, which in turn fused the relationship with the center fish. She admitted this was tedious but she was happy how well it turned out although she’s not sure if she would do this again.

Joan said she saw Catch of the Day on display at the Art Under Foot gallery show that the Main Street Hookers held last spring. It was the one I hooked in much darker, antiqued colours and she knew immediately she would be hooking it but would be using a palette of brighter, happier colours. And so she did!

Joan holding up her catch after four months of fishing. Quite a haul! Is this not the happiest rug you've seen in a while?

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Maritime Squares...a memory of home!

3/10/2013

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Maritime Squares design by Susan Leslie, hooked by Adena Clark

Susan Leslie would be smiling today. Seeing one of her patterns, “Maritime Squares” hooked in such a delightful way.

Adena Clark hooked this piece for her daughter Monica who lives out west in Alberta. I really like the fact that she branched out from the typical nautical blues of Susan’s rendition to use a more colourful palette.

Traditional hit and miss is always a show stopper for me. I love the use of multiple colours, little hits of this and that as if spray painted with a well shaken can. Like a chameleon, I believe hit and miss rugs connect nicely with any room’s décor. For added interest she switched up the direction of the hit and miss squares, keeping a pattern of horizontal and then vertical. A whale tail, a mermaid on a rock, various sea birds, a ships’ wheel, lighthouse, compass rose and starfish combine for an interesting array of nautical images that would make anyone long for the Maritimes. Every time you look at this piece you discover something new.

She personalized the rug by taking out the sand dollar that was in the top right hand corner and substituted it with a field of lupines, her daughter’s favorite. This rug was actually picked out by her daughter as a vestige of home.

Adena used #6 cut with some yarn, old shirts, jackets and new wools. I'll bet she got to use up a lot of odds and ends. She relayed really enjoying making this rug for her youngest daughter. She only started this piece the middle of February so it hooked up quickly. I only just sent her a Black Tie Bundle last week and she said it was perfect for the seagull square.

This rug was initially designed by Susan for the Firehouse Hookers as a fundraiser. Her group all contributed to the hooking. This was a yearly activity to give back and support the fire hall where they hooked every Sunday afternoon. On a couple of occasions Mary and I drove to Black Point to hook with the group. Susan was also in charge of the Annual Rug & Quilt show held at the fire hall that I attened with my shop to sell rug hooking supplies. It was always a fun filled day surrounded by so many talented fiber artists.

If you wish to purchase this pattern click on Susan's page for the details:
http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/susan-leslie.html

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Linda Ruth's 'Beck' Completed!

2/14/2013

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......'Beck' floating contentedly on a sun soaked sea.
A perfect fit with the black and white tiles and golden
walls of my studio.......hmm....

Linda Ruth (left) and Lorraine Burch (right) holding 'Beck'

At our last hook-in, Linda Ruth presented us with a completed ‘Beck’, a work-in-progress previously featured in a January blog.   She has a keen eye for detail and executes nothing short of perfection in her rug hooking. This design was borrowed with permission, from a painting on a greeting card and its essence was captured in wool with a stunning likeness.

Linda Ruth is definitely the border queen, proving once again that more is more! Multiple borders serve to showcase the star of this rug, funneling the eye into the center where 'Beck' floats on a golden sea. Yellow, a non-traditional, yet highly artistic way to present water, makes you believe the sun is high in the sky.

This was Linda Ruth’s first attempt at hooked rope. Done very simply with three values, the shading is quite realistic. Linda maximized its effectiveness by duplicating the yellow hues of the water with the rope for a custom fit.  This nautical influence serves to enhance the overall feel of the ocean and its magnificent indigenous bird.   Seagulls are resourceful, inquisitive and intelligent and 'Beck' is so lifelike, one can almost expect to hear its harsh wailing and unique squawking call.

The charcoal grey behind the rope gives you a sense of weather worn boards, sun baked to a silver grey.   If you look closely, you will see the different plaids used in the outer periphery to create even more levels of interest, making this triple border the ultimate frame for ‘Beck’.  All in all, this piece is worthy of a gallery.

'Beck' floating contentedly on a sun soaked sea.

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Linda Ruth's 'Beck'

1/12/2013

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Stay tuned for upcoming stories about Linda Ruth Beck, of Chester, NS. Linda owns and operates 'Come By Chance', the best antique venue on the south shore.  She's one of our Main Street Hooker regulars and is continually wowing us with her clever, one of kind designs and approach to rug hooking.

Linda rarely works from a pattern. She starts with a large backing, finds the middle, throws down a bit of colour and creates a design as she goes. For us anal, in the box types, we can hardly  grasp the concept, so we bow and hold her in the highest regard.   In the upcoming months I'll feature some of the jaw dropping rugs she's created, so you to can marvel at her keen eye for design and colour execution. Oh, and I should mention she's fast. Dedicated to the craft, she hooks a few hours each day and knocks off her pieces in record breaking time. She says she loves hooking from side to side in straight rows as our ancestors did, so she usually gravitates toward geometric style designs.

In the meantime 'Beck' is her current project, which I believe has sold before it's even off her frame.   There will be another border, emulating barn boards with a rope motif that meets in a knot at the bottom and loops at the corners.    I'll post a picture of the completed rug.

Generally, Linda Ruth creates as she goes, where she stops no one knows!   Her secret?  Start with a big piece of backing so you don't limit yourself and when I say big, I mean room size big.   We love to joke about her Christmas Coaster rug from a few years back. She planned to make a few coasters as gifts, you know, little mats to put your drinks on. Well, she hooked a few and then decided to connect them and the next thing, she's at the hook-in doing a show and tell of a big ole hall runner! She's definitely full of surprises, leaving us wondering what she'll do next!

'Beck' seems a perfect name for this maritime seagull. He came to life through various recycled plaids, textures and light wools. Linda Ruth is an avid dyer and works in a cosy, well appointed studio in her century old home.  She uses pretty much all recycled wool and her stash seems unlimited, preparing her for any  undertaking.

Linda Ruth's home is filled with all her incredible rugs so she is now exploring commissions and setting up a section of her spacious antique shop to display and sell her handwork. She has been selling antique rugs for decades and now her incredible pieces will join their distant cousins, catching the eye of that lucky buyer that will appreciate her interpretation of this traditional artform.

With permission from the artist, Dolly Handcock of Chester, this card was the inspiration for Linda Ruth's rug.

Linda Ruth with 'Beck'

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Thanks Pam!

1/5/2013

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Today has been cold. The temperature is actually better than yesterday but I feel chilled to the bone and ungrateful for the minor degree reprieve. Even my faux fur can’t keep the cold out. I’m a wimp in winter and I feel ashamed moaning about -1 when others would take my place in a heartbeat, but I just wasn’t built for the cold.

Maybe it’s because I don’t look good in a hat. The back of my skull is as flat as a pancake so hats don't sit well up there. I envy people with those nicely rounded heads that can carry a hat.   Without a proper fit, the hat drops down in the back so it catches on the collar of my coat and then gets pushed forward up and over over my forehead.   It's a constant adjustment. If I could wear a hat maybe I’d feel toastier considering that most of the body’s heat loss is through the top of your head.

My flat head is the top reason I don't wear them, but then hat hair is another issue. Between looking like a big headed dork and then having my thin mane statically stuck to my cranium...well...I’d rather freeze. So the few times I’m forced to don a hat in -10 temperatures, once the chapeau goes on it can’t come off until I'm back home where the dogs don't care how I look. In the meantime, I have to wear it indoors for the rest of the day, cursing under my breath from the heat and lack of comfort.   Someday, I’ll find the perfect hat, one that fits a cube shaped head, but until then, my vanity will send me out into the cold, bare headed and whining. You're probably thinking I should get some real problems, but right now this is all I’ve got.

My neck and throat are happy campers though. Especially since I've been given a gorgeous ruffly, spiral scarf from Pam Haughn, one of our Main Street hookers. She’s a crafty one….dabbling in many fiber mediums and proficient in all. She sews and actually makes the gripper covers for the frames I sell in the shop. She knits of course and has been hooking pretty much since I started the Wednesday evening hook-ins. Everything she puts her hand to is smartly executed. She explained how the scarf was made but she lost me on the details. According to her it was simple, but I have to argue that point due to my ineptitude in the knitting department. But that makes me even more impressed so thanks Pam!

Pam loves to hook rugs for her family and her Sibling Retreat commemoration is pretty amazing.
She adapted a photograph of all her siblings, butt side showing, lined up on the beach, into the most incredible rug.  She said she didn’t want to hook the faces and it was a good decision because it gave the rug even more personality. The body shapes and stances are bang on. She used the rug picture to make last year’s Christmas card which I’m sure was a huge hit in the family. Pam has six sisters and one brother that annually converge on a Green Bay weekend cottage and have a blast of a time. Her face lights up when she relays stories of all the fun they have, the making of lasting memories, that will be taken out and dusted off at family gatherings when they laugh and say, “Remember when?”

"Beach Bums" was hooked from a family photo and is 24" x 36" in size. On burlap and mostly a #5 cut. The idea for the rug came from the Riverport Rug Show where someone had displayed a rug of their sisters. This inspired Pam to hook one herself. The siblings had been walking on Crescent Beach when the picture was taken. Pam is #5 from the left.

"See Turtles Tango" design by Susan Leslie. Hooked for her daughter. 43" x 20"

"Dawn's Early Morn" by Christine Little. 34" x 26 1/2" with #5 and #6 cuts. I adapted one of my rooster patterns into a farm scene per Pam's request. I named it and was told that Dawn was actually her first name. How appropriate!

"Jacobean Runner" design by Christine Little. 26" x 71 1/2"

"Persian Tree of Life" design by Jeanne Field. 31" x 39" on burlap, with #3, #4 & #5 cuts.

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Heather Gordon

12/31/2012

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Although the plan was to stay inside by the fire and hook on Sunday, I remembered it was Heather Gordon's annual open house, mentioned it to hubby and he said "Well, let's go!" Typically I would have groaned and opted to stay inside on such a miserable day but hubby shoveled out the car while I shed my jammies and we hit the road.

Heather has a beautiful house that inspires comfort. The original cape style was built in 1760 and then additions were put on either end, making for quite a large dwelling.  Heather is no stranger to renovating, making this her third project and by far the most extensive overhaul. She'd previously completed two full renovations in Mahone Bay; stepping stones to this current home outside of Lunenburg that spoke to her when she began searching for a new project. Actually, it was probably screaming at her…help, help! I saw the place before her carpenters started work and being very familiar with renovating myself, I could see the potential as she talked me through her vision, but really, most would have run crying from that broken-down state of affairs. You would never know today that this beautiful home had been so sadly neglected and in desperate need of repair.

Heather's is certainly brave to take on such extensive renovations, because I’m not talking about taking out a few carpets and changing out the cupboards. She had them gutted to the bone and then built back up so you would never guess they weren't always captivating. Her current home is very cozy with its inviting fireplace, in-floor heating and room after room of architectural character and personal touches.

Heather’s home is the perfect backdrop for her fiber art. She has an enviable, spacious studio on the second floor with  a large dye sink and cupboards lining the walls that hold an eye popping
stash of wool all colour coordinated and ready to be called to service.  She loves to work in her sunny studio and look out over the panoramic vista of the Lunenburg harbour entrance.

Heather began rug hooking in 1976 when she took a class with Ontario’s Jeanne Field, of whom she refers to as a “wonderful, wonderful rug hooking teacher”. Unfortunately, life got in the way so she packed it all up for another time and in 2002, she retired to Mahone Bay and settled into small town life. She didn’t know anyone in the area and rediscovering her love of rug hooking opened doors and developed friendships, providing a very rich social life and creative outlet.

Heather is currently the Director of the South Shore Region of the Nova Scotia Rug Guild, and is an accredited rug hooking teacher of the Newfoundland & Labrador Guild. She hooks with several local groups and is a regular at our Main Street Hooker’s Wednesday evening hook-ins.
Heather likes mixed media, working with all kinds of fibers and textures. She has a very keen eye
for colour, a natural talent that has served her well as a Colour Consultant and Paint Effects Specialist. Whether Heather is tackling a renovation or creating a new rug, she puts her entire soul into the process and the result truly speaks for itself.

Below are but a few examples of Heather's diverse body of work.

Jelly Bean Houses, from the St. John’s area was designed by Lillian Dwyer of Fogo Island off the North coast of Newfoundland. The houses are done with a #3 cut. Fancy stitches such as the Basket Weave, Chain Stitch and High-Low were used for the hills. The bushes in front of the houses are pixilated and the clouds are done in natural roving. The border was hooked in a herringbone to self-frame the rug and then it was stretched over an artist canvas. The rocks below the rug came from Newfoundland and were hand painted by a friend.

Heather standing beside, Ripples of Imagination, a multi-medium piece during our 'Art Under Foot' gallery showing in the spring. Behind her to the left are a few of her other pieces. An Oriental, a crewel and two whimsical pieces, also shown to the right and bottom in more detail. "Ripples of Imagination" came about as the result of a September 2011 special showing at Howe's Gallery, Brackley Beach, Prince Edward Island to honour Doris Eaton and her contribution to rug hooking. Each of the 15 contributing artists created an original piece to demonstrate the influence that Doris has had on our hooking. By constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries, Doris has shown me that anything goes if it creates the effect you desire. She has freed me to use my imagination and let the images flow through my fingers. Ripples of Imagination represents the inseparable elements of design - colour, texture and imagination.

"The Crows Fly To The Island At Night"

"Heather" When I had a chance to take a Jacobean Crewel workshop, I asked Christine to design a floor mat for me. The special dyed swatches that I had been saving for an Oriental project were perfect for this design so I raided my stash and set them against a dramatic back background.

“Newfoundland Selkie” (mermaid) was designed by Liz Young (Aunt Liz) from Sheaves Cove, Newfoundland. Celtic legend Selkie takes on the form of a beautiful woman that drags men into deep, dark waters and then turns into a seal. This appealed to Heather because of her Celtic background and she enjoyed combining Celtic legend with a Newfoundland connection. This piece is made up of mixed fibers consisting of velour, hand-spun yarn, hand-dyed and recycled wools. The finished piece was then mounted and framed.

So much fun! Proddy really brings this piece to life! A shimmering sun and a cat on the wrong side of the window are framed in a bouquet of proddy flowers. Called Nifty's Garden, Nifty was a real cat. She lived in a house with a spectacular garden but was never allowed to venture outside. I always thought that Nifty day-dreamed and imagined herself in the midst of the beautiful blooms with her bluebird companions sitting beside her on the window sill.

"An Old Salt's Dream". Designed by Susan Leslie. Susan was a great inspiration. I admired her talent, her spirit and her courage. Her designs always make me smile and I always planned to hook this pattern some day. After she passed away and I was moving from Mahone Bay to Lunenburg, the time was right. This rug is a tribute to Susan and incorporates some of her stash in the dark blues of the water in the harbour. (Susan had a rug hooker's will where she left instructions for all her wool to be divided and given to the gals in her hooking groups.

"Mini Sultanana" design by Christine Little. I have always wanted to hook a full size Oriental Mat. There were a few abandoned attempts over the years and then, last January, on a bright sunny, winter day, I got on a dyeing binge and came up with the perfect sapphire blue background. My colour palette was complete. Since rugs from the Sultanabad area are considered rather coarsely woven by Persian standards, I used #4 cut for the fields, with #3 cut for the detail in the motifs.