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The ABC's of rug hooking

6/27/2014

So I have an idea. I would like to do a poster for the shop. It will be called Encompassing Designs Presents "The ABC's of Rug Hooking". It will feature the alphabet consisting of 26 letters and two of the Companion pieces, one to start and then one to end the grouping to make it even. That will make 28 hooked mats, four across the top and seven down for a nicely balanced poster. I won't hook any two the same so the poster will be very diverse in colour selections and could be used as a reference for colour planning.

I'll have the poster designed and as each Initial is hooked I'll add it until all the spots are filled. I'll share the progress as it evolves. I have almost five completed, at one a week I should be done by November. The patterns are 16" x 16" and only take two to three evenings to hook so I might finish sooner, but shooting for one a week isn't unreasonable. Anyway, I'll see how it goes and I'm not apposed to a little help! Am I crazy to take this on??????

Maybe I'll not put a time frame on the project, I'll just make it a bit of fun. Unless everyone hates the idea and then I'll just pretend it never happened. Like a bad perm.

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One person's scrap is another person's rose!

12/8/2012

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I was fiddling around with wool salvages the other evening while Mary sewed sparkling beads on her Christmas stocking. Being a bit of a crow, I got hooked on beads while experimenting with scissor bling. I started making and selling jewellery in the shop. I was fairly successful but it took time away from rug hooking. I was buying more beads than I could keep up with and the pressure to make jewellery began to overwhelm me. Once that happened it became a chore and the interest waned. I still enjoy dabbling with bling but at a leisurely pace. Some of the beads I purchased are extraordinary. Most of them are one of a kind and made by the artist who sold them to me....SRA, Self Representing Artists. I bought beads from all over the world and my favorites, the ones from Germany, are exquisite.

So I packed up all the equipment, beads and findings and put it away for future inspiration. Although I like to think of myself as Super Woman, I can't serve more than one master at a time and be efficient in all. My cape got a little worn for wear as there was too much crafting and not enough time for living. I went a little crazy and now have thousands of dollars worth of handmade beads lining closet shelves and stuffed into boxes waiting for their chance to shine! Poor little beads, I loved you so, but had to let you go! Another time, maybe even another life, as hooking has to be my main squeeze for now!

Charlene showed me how to make these darling little roses out of the salvage edges of wool. You just start with a tight jelly roll for the center and then as you go around and around, every now and then turn the wool strip upside down to create the rolled over edge for the petals. No two will look alike and they really do represent a rose. You sew the back as you go, then apply the leaves, cover the back with a piece of wool and sew or glue on a brooch pin bought in any craft shop.

I left the finished roses on the sales counter and several people commented how cute they were so I gave them away. They would make a cute little gift or put them on a present in place of a bow and if you put two or more together as a cluster, they make a larger brooch!

If anyone is interested in a doing a little 1/2 hour workshop to make a few of these, let me now and I'll arrange it.

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Blog #12 - Something new to view!

10/19/2012

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Canvases are 6" square. Scraps of Heart Red and Antique Gold for the pear and apple and Green Envy Herringbone for the leaves.

So, I’ve completed two of these little canvases, using the coloured burlap I’ll be selling.
Coloured linen is also on its way. Something new to play with and I'm sure both have bright futures.

There is something so delicious about not having to hook backgrounds. I started with fruit designs, although I was asked at my hook-in, “What does fruit have to do with rug hooking?” But
it’s the fact that the fruit are hooked that makes them relevant. Anyway they were simple to draw and test the theory to see if the idea would fly, call them prototypes. I think they turned out rather cute, hooked up in less than an hour but I will admit I was less enamored with stretching the burlap around the frame and stapling it tight. Finicky to make the edge folds look flat and neat. A few little bulges here and there but impossible to eliminate entirely. I need to glue some craft paper on the backs and attach a hanging device to call them finished.

Next I plan to do some black and white sheep on a red burlap background with all kinds of mystery fibers and whatever comes to mind. I think it would be better to use than Verel for projects where you don't want to hook a background. I find Verel, or divider cloth, too small holed and polyester turns me off.   I also find it tough to touch as it reacts like pantyhose with rough hands and besides I personally like all things natural . You can sew up pillows just as nicely with burlap or linen for a unique designer look. I’ll publish the coloured backings on my site as soon as they arrive with some more creative ideas!

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The ABC's of rug hooking

One person's scrap is another person's rose!

Blog #12 - Something new to view!

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The ABC's of rug hooking

One person's scrap is another person's rose!

Blog #12 - Something new to view!

Archives

Categories(Click on the categories for past blogs)

Categories
(Click on the categories for past blogs)