Encompassing Designs
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Kits
    • Patterns >
      • Christine Little >
        • Signature Designs
        • New Designs
        • Seasonal Designs
      • Deborah Sweet
      • Susan Leslie
      • Patricia Perry
      • William Morris
    • Supplies >
      • Backings
      • Frames
      • Hooks
      • Books
      • Extra
    • Wool >
      • Abrashed
      • Custom Dyeing
      • Dyed Bundles
      • Dyed Curly Mohair
      • Dyed Spots
      • Dyed Values
      • Dyed Yarn
      • Jacquard Dice Dyes
      • Natural & Colours
      • Plaids & Textures
      • Dye Books & Swatches
  • Ordering
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us

Welcome Rugs

9/8/2016

5 Comments

 
By Guest Blogger Heather Gordon
Picture

I recently returned from teaching at rug camp in Gros Morne for the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador (RHGNL).  The course was called Welcome To My Parlour and focussed on welcome mats with a twist –  introducing the participants to 3-dimensional effects and interesting fibres.  The 3 day (18 hour) course was inspired by a weekend workshop at Encompassing Designs last fall.

My welcome mat design was adapted from a small flat hooked table mat in the 2014 June/July/August issue of Rug Hooking magazine.  Since the free pattern is intended for personal use only, I could not share even my adapted version or sell the pattern so Christine and I put our heads together and she created 3 charming new designs for a welcome mat course.  We thought you would enjoy seeing how they were interpreted in Newfoundland.




Mermaid Welcome

As soon as the ink was dry on the linen, I hooked Mermaid Welcome with a combination of yarns and cut strips (both hand dyed and recycled).  The original pattern is oval but I extended it to create a rectangle because I couldn’t resist a luxurious yarn that matched perfectly with the spot dyed wool in the proddy scales on the mermaid.  When I finally get it finished, it will hang in a guest bathroom.


Picture
I had only one of each of Christine’s patterns with me and the Mermaid Welcome was snatched up by Anne Astey.  Here is a photo of Anne with her Mermaid Welcome.  This is her first time using specialty yarns, appliqué and proddy. Before I even got back to Nova Scotia, she had gone out and purchased a batch of new fibres and sent me an email that said “There is no stopping me now!”  Way to go, Anne.

Picture
Wooly Welcome

Judy Fudge from Green Bay South is the first person to hook Wooly Welcome.  She arrived at rug camp with a big bag of soft pastel woven wool and look at what she is creating!  We added roving and a variety of hand-woven and textured yarns.  You just want to reach out and pet the little sheep she hooked in roving and variegated wool yarns as he rests comfortably in the mixed fabric proddy grass.  Her appliquéd and stuffed heart centered flowers are beautiful.
Judy has a soft blue wool for the sky and fluffy roving for the clouds and will use lots of pretty spring greens, pinks and yellows, combining woven and spun fibres in the rest of her design.


Picture
Cozy Cottage Welcome

Two of the ladies were working on the Cozy Cottage Welcome.  It’s always fun to see different interpretations of a design and these will have a completely different look and feel when completed.
Mary Konkle, who lives in Ontario, has a summer home in Newfoundland.  She came prepared with a pattern that she had ordered in advance from Christine and brought several bags of bright fibres.  Her cheery little cottage will have a garden of appliquéd yellow-checkered flowers.  She chose to hook her 3-dimensional heart with a raised loop technique rather than sculpt it and she will shape the leaves on the vine with the raised loop technique as well.


Picture
Linda Peckford who spent most of her life on the Change Islands, now lives in Lewisporte where there is an active hooking group.  Hew biggest challenge was loosening up.  As a fine-cut hooker, it was difficult to hook higher and further apart than ever before but look at her results.  The cottage roof and siding have great contrast and a little metallic sparkle.  Her heart is a modified penny-mat motif, like we did in our Valentine heart pin cushion workshop last February here at Encompassing Designs. The heart is stuffed, adding dimension and the blanket stitch and daisy are done in – yes, you got it right..... real gold thread, donated by another class member.

Picture
Picture

Workshop COMING SOON!!!!               

SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT

 
 
We are working on a selection of rooster patterns for this workshop – all using a bright colour palette.  Watch for details!


Picture
5 Comments
Una
9/8/2016 02:07:26 pm

Beautiful work ladies!

Reply
Adena
9/8/2016 02:07:55 pm

OMG, I love them all. Great job.

Reply
Cindy
9/8/2016 04:52:08 pm

I love all your patterns and the work is awesome

Reply
Carol Bulmer
9/9/2016 10:09:37 am

These mats are all beautiful! Thank you for posting them😊

Reply
Judy Fudge
9/10/2016 05:20:35 pm

So nice to read your account of rug school, Heather. Those few days were intense as well as relaxing (I know, contradictory) as I really got my focus back for hooking. I'm not yet finished my sheep mat, but I'm having fun deciding what to do each step of the way, and I'm already thinking of my next project. Thanks for a great course!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

    Picture
    Picture
    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
    Picture
    Gift Certificates are available for that special rug hooker in your life!  Any denomination, no expiry date! 

    Picture

    Categories
    (Click on the categories for past blogs)

    All
    Announcements
    Beginner Class
    Christmas
    Colour Planning
    Contests
    Copyright
    Coupon
    Customer Rugs
    Cutter Servicing
    Dyeing
    Equipment
    Featured Hooker
    Giveaway Draw
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Blogger
    Health & Fitness
    Home & Heart
    Hooked Rugs
    Hooking Groups
    Hook In Talk
    Initially Yours
    Jibber Jabber
    Just A Bit Of Fun!
    Life's Experiences
    Life's Experiences
    New Design
    New Ideas
    Pattern Of The Week
    Patterns Hooked
    Pets
    Rants
    Recipes
    Rememberingfbe7326ff7
    Rug Schools
    Show & Tell
    Show-tell
    The Rant
    Tips Technique
    Tips Techniquef0cd117ab4
    Visitors
    Workshops

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture





















    Picture
    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 
Saturdays 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are as well.  

Toll Free: 1-855-624-0370
Local: 1-902-624-0370​
encompassingdesigns@gmail.com

498 Main Street
P.O. Box 437
Mahone Bay, N.S.
Canada B0J 2E0

​Follow us and keep up to date
on our specials, new products
​and events!
Picture
Picture
Picture


Home
Shop
Ordering
Blog
Our Story
Workshops

Contact Us




​​​© Copyright 2023 Encompassing Designs. Website by SKYSAIL