Gene’s Rug Hooking Blog

One of the nice things about the end of a workshop is being able to take a close look at what every one worked on.

I’ve spread out my report on the Wine Country Rug Hookers over two days as every project is worth seeing.  Additionally, I want you to be able to look things over just like these workshop participants are doing.

When done, this homage to the disappearing CA honeybee (the gray shadow) may just tempt bees to return to CA!  The artist brought this piece with all the hooking and felted applications all done so she could work on several prodded flowers.  The felted sections (center and upper left and lower right) are about 3 inches high, brimming with little balls of color and texture.

More VERY big prodded flowers for an anniversary gift.  The multicolored flower, just above the number 7 is actually made from a paisley polar fleece material.  It added a different dimension to the wool flowers.

Done as a traditional proddy, only working from the top side, these undulating sections of color will make a round chair seat when all done.

This is another interpretation of the free pattern in the proddy book.  I thought her dye job on the Indian corn turned out very nice … as did her flowers.

This artist made several large flowers on a burlap backing, then turned them into pins or single flowers to add to other things.  For those who do not remember the process:

1.  Prod the flower

2. Secure the petals – I tie them up into a bud like clump with either a piece of wool or a rubber band.

3.  While still on  the frame, but not over the gripper strips,  Squeeze out a bead or two of white craft glue, in concentric rings, completely around the base of the flower.

4.  Use the edge of a plastic credit card to squeegee glue over the backing.  It should spread out to a thin film, completely covering the backing.

5.  Let dry on the frame.

6.  Once dry, cut around the base of the flower.

7.  Hot glue a felt backing to the base.  (If you want to insert a broach pin, do so before attaching the felt.

I love the various color combinations that each individual artist chooses for their pieces.  While I have watched several people do this design, no two end up being the same.

This person was not able to show up until Saturday morning.  She did almost all of this 16″ chair seat  - what is shown in the photo – in 2 1/2 hours, using a #10 cut.  Having received a follow up email from her since leaving, I know that in another hour she had the whole thing hooked.   It’s now whipped and on her desk chair.

This is another version of the same simple design, also using a #10 cut.  Notice all the different plaids and tweeds being used for this project. However, it is the occasional bands of solid green and deep reds that both set off the plaids and unify the piece.

This original design by LP makes a great canvass for a mixed cluster of any flower the artist wants to prod.  It is a great shot to close out a great workshop with the Wine Country Rug Hookers.  I hope they had as much fun as I did.

Tomorrow’s post kicks off Cambria Pines Rug Camp 2010.  (By the way, our “Bird” artist (above) will teach a mini-class at CPRC 2010.)

Just before the end of my 2 day session with the Wine Country Rug Hookers, of Sonoma County, California, we had a Show and Tell so everyone could get a good look at what had been accomplished.  Taking projects off the frame and laying them out in a different place always provides a better perspective for inspection.  Although it will take two days to give this report, I think you will agree that everyone got a lot of good work done in the workshop.

This artist wanted to accomplish 2 things with the project she brought – prod realistic  flowers and make a 3-D bee on the honey comb which she added to my design.  The flowers were a mix of straightforward examples in my proddy book and other padula type flowers that she enjoyed playing with.

While she came thinking that we would probably need to do a Waldoboro (sculpted) bee, I suggested we take a different approach and try to make it out of prodded knots.  This was our first attempt … and it’s not located exactly where she wanted it, but it was a good trial run that can be taken out and relocated as the yellow end has not been cut yet.  Here is how it was made:  #10 cut (1/2″) strip of wool. One end was knotted, the tail being clipped off.  A loop was tied around that first knot so that a second knot could be tied over it, thereby increasing the girth of the knot.  Once tied, we used a Rub a Dub to put stripes on the body of the bee.  As we had no “wing” material on hand, I sacrificed  a zip lock carrying bag for my bent hooks, cutting a “wing section” out of the white section on the bag where contents can be “marked.”  I used the same double, rose petal leaf shap, only cutting a V into each petal as to make a double wing.  The tail went through the plastic wings and down into the rug, coming back up a “hole” over from where it went in. After coming up to the top side, a not was tied and slipped down to the rug, to make the head of the bee.  While we did not cut that tail off as it was practice, when put in the right spot, the tail would be cut and set with Fray Check.   The artist will do the final version, probably, with some thing other than plastic bag, but this is the general idea.

This artist prodded all of her flowers for this Christmas interpretation, at the workshop.  She will not hook any background – just finish the project to make it a wreath.

This project came hooked, so the artist and I could consult on just the prodded flowers for this project.  Besides the flowers, some knotted buds also went in to add another dimension.  Eventually, she will add a few more blossoms, here and there, so the flowers don’t just create a half moon, halo effect.  The wool was done with a mixture of her wool and my wool.  (As an FYI to one reader who will get a kick out of this … a bit of the wool she chose from my stash was “extra” wool that I originally dyed for a certain prodded interpretation of cherry blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial.)  On day 2, however, this artist worked on another project ….

… more prodded flowers, but much bigger.  Note the Bakelite button center for the one on the right.

Chris showed up as an expert on prodded flowers, using her knitted tea cozy with prodded top knot as proof.

She actually worked on 2 projects for the workshop.  The first was centered on doing the corn and prodded flowers for the fall runner in the proddy book.  This shot shows how far she got when the workshop was over.  It does not show the lovely Japanese ocean wave design she brought to discuss and prepare for a full proddy rug.  However, she has been busy since the workshop …

… as evidenced by a completed shot of her project.  It looks great!

Waldoboro centers (top left) look splashy, but they do take a lot of time, particularly when they are big ones like this.  All the other flower spots were colored planned at the workshop.

This artist is adapting an impressionistic drawing of a Polynesian dancer, using a host of non-traditional fabrics.  Silks, t-shirts, various nylons etc, make for an interesting look.  This photo does not capture the sheen of these fabrics.

The only prodding being done on this project is the 3-D berries in the basket.  Ordinarily, those would be put in last but, since our time was limited, we did want to do a few during the workshop.  She will have several versions to consult once the next issue of RHM comes out as about 12 or more will be shown in the Blog Hook In Article.

More from the Wine Country Rug Hookers tomorrow.