As is my habit, I put off returning to those fine cuts that were talked about yesterday, so that I could get a head start on a class project being taught in the studio in a few weeks. Since the “Big Momma” class starts soon, I did need to get some done ahead of time. And, the #10s and #9s being used allow one to make more noticeable progress than those #3s and #4s. It’s just too hot to be hooking something irritating. For perspective, the big flower in the photo is 10 inches wide. Even though this pattern is 6.5 feet long, a wide cut should help it to go fairly fast. The class will meet every 3-4 weeks, getting 3 classes in before Christmas, with the final one being in late January. While the expectation is not that everyone will have the project hooked by then, we will be able to work on each major section of the piece. This pattern is an adaptation I have made from a design by my friend, Marny Cardin. She drew the pattern, originally, for our friend Kate Smith, who showed a stunning 12.5 foot version at the Cambria show. A section of that rug was shown in the Cambria posts. I also wrote about making the paper pattern in a post under the “patterns” section. This weekend is still my “calm before the storm,” no hurricane pun intended. Things are very quiet at home and church until after Labor Day … so, I need to make as much progress as I can while I can. (I did look, once, at those fine cut projects.) Best Wishes to you for a great Labor Day Weekend and particular prayers of safety to our rug hooking friends along the gulf coast.
Archive for August, 2008
More Wide Cuts
A Busy Day
While yesterday’s work in the studio was not “photo” worthy, I did get quite a lot done on my day off. The day started by “setting” six yards of textured wool. (I simmer with citric acid instead of just washing.) Then, the final 6.5 foot “Big Momma” pattern was drawn for a class of 4 or 5 that is being taught in the studio this fall. Another pattern, which has been under construction for some time, was finished. Before quitting, I did dig out those 2 unfinished projects that I want to get done some time this fall.
The first one, and most difficult to do, is this little piece. It’s my dog, Bessie (Good Queen Bess is her official name), juxtaposed on the coronation body of Elizabeth I. This was started … 9 years ago! By showing it here, I may be shamed into getting it done.
Here she is without her robe and crown.
This is another small piece, “Babushka,” that has been languishing for lack of interest. In actuality, it’s nearly done, more so than this photo shows. Just a bit of snow needs to be done, except that I have misplaced the “snow” wool. It will be more trouble to dye the wool than it will be to hook it. Still, I want to get it done. When it was first started, it was supposed to be one of four, seasonal rug panels set in a Russian landscape. I will be happy to get one done now. In case the lady looks familiar, it has been photo shopped and used on the site in a spot of two. Unfortunately, the snow in the photo does not cool down the studio.
Using Up Wool
Tammy wrote in yesterday, a bit surprised to see that the big proddy rug is all proddy – no flat hooking. When I refer to something as being “traditional proddy,” I mean that the whole thing is prodded, creating an over-all shag like carpet.
In answer to some other questions she asked, I use a lot of my selvedges up in this sort of prodded rug, as well as thick blanket or coat weight wool that is not good for hooking. In other words, any wool that is too thick to hook goes into the proddy bin … or bins. Since I never have enough of any one thing to do big sections, I am always combing bits of this and that to make up “enough.” As is the case with the dark border – it’s composed of some blanket weight black watch plaid and all sorts of black, navy, dark green, deep red and even charcoal colored wools. (Some times, I also throw odds and ends of selvedges in unwanted colors into the dye pot and over dye them.) Once they are all cut up, the pieces are all mixed up and then prodded hit and miss fashion. This photo shows the wool ready for the dark sections as well as the red being used in the “line” that goes around the piece. That red pile has every red under the sun, including some orange pieces as well. When all cut up and prodded, the odd colors just “burnish” the line.
You will have to be content with this progress photo for a while because I will be moving on to other projects starting today – I have some patterns that have to be drawn and some wool that needs to be dyed. The proddy frame is there when I want a diversion. That project can be worked on for 5 mins. or 5 hours and can be put away for 5 months while the selvedge pile grows. Additionally, I have two unfinished projects, both fine cut, that I want to get done in fairly short order. So, those will probably be what I start hooking on in the next couple of days. You need to stay tuned for that as it is unusual for me to work on fine cuts. It will be quite a switch going from the #10 and #11 of the last project to #3s and #4s!
More Traditional Proddy
Yesterday’s post prompted a question as to why I had the legs for the proddy frame support cut so that the frame would sit flat, instead of at an angle. I wrote a rather long response to that question in the comment section of yesterday’s post, so will not repeat it here. In addition to what I wrote, I do prefer it flat, as long as the frame sits well below me and I can easily get to everything. Since we are talking proddy, I thought I would show a few photos I did not use in my book – all come from the Beamish Open Air Museum of Northern England. Beamish has a tremendous collection of fiber related objects, as well as both hooked and prodded rugs. They cooperated fully with my research for the book. Besides being a repository for this wonderful collection, they also demonstrate prodded rug hooking in one of the historic building clusters on the site. The book has several modern photos from Beamish, as well as some of their historic rug-related shots.
FYI – The Beamish artists also use their frames flat. This demonstrator is using half of a wooden clothes pin as her proddy tool. Notice the completed rug hung over the chair.
Seeing prodded rugs used in the ways they were historically used in Northern England for the past few hundred years is one of the benefits of going to Beamish. A prodded rug would have added an immense amount of extra warmth to a bed on a cold winter’s night.
The Beamish collection boasts hundreds of hand made proddy tools – I imagine every single one has a story to tell. Although the Bible says: “Though shalt not covet,” I must admit that I coveted every single tool they showed me. I particularly liked the ones on the right end that were fashioned from old keys.
These proddy tools are all made of bone or antler. One of the antique proddy tools I was able to buy in England was fashioned from an antler point. It’s a great tool that I like to use very much, after I get past the folded edge. In fact, I am working with a taxidermist to see if we can’t replicate a point for mass production – giving anyone who wants it an opportunity to use that sort of tool without harming any deer.
Hope you like this little taste of proddy – a whole serving will becoming your way in October!
Starting to Prod
Night before last, while I was finishing up the wide cut rug, my carpenter came by with the “altered” quilt stand legs I am using with my new, extra-wide proddy frame. Since that frame is made from an old quilt frame, I naturally wanted to re-tool the stands so everything could be kept together. Although it seemed at first, they were just too high, after actually getting into the re-do, it became apparent that some of the leg pieces were “on their last leg.” I suspect the whole frame is close to 100 years old and, as can be imagined, the leg supports had been nailed, re-nailed, split, glued, taped, etc. Long story short, my guy saved what he could, remade parts that were worn out and screwed everything back together. It may not look quite as pretty, but it works like a dream and is sturdy … and I am more interested in sturdy than I am in looks.
The hardest part of traditional proddy, is the initial prods through the edge, particularly the corners, where there are four layers of backing. While I have several proddy tools, a big gun is needed to get through all that thickness and I prefer to use Les Ritchie’s brass prod for that. I start by prodding a line at the very edge, about 3 threads in, turning the corner to secure the second side. Once done, a second line is prodded next to the first … then a 3rd, etc., until the edge is prodded through and secured. I go into a lot of detail about this in the new book. If you have a discerning eye, you may be able to tell that this pattern is on burlap. It was started several years ago, in a moment of insanity, after having been with Heather Ritchie at a mini-class in Cambria. I really do hate burlap and only use primitive linen any more for this sort of thing. However, there is just too much done in the middle to throw it all away, so will grit my teeth and do it. Once the edge is secured and prodding is being done on a single layer of burlap, it is … tolerable.
I laid on the floor to get this shot of the underneath side so that you can see how the prodded tails start making that thick, plush, layer. Only about 4,500,000 tails to go. Don’t worry, I won’t be reporting on it everyday until it’s done. This is one of those, “when you feel like it” projects.
Hooking Done
Monday night I was in a “strike while the iron is hot” sort of mood and got my current project hooked. Actually, even though I am back to work, it’s sort of a quiet time around church until after Labor Day and I am making the most of a free night. Although hooked, it’s not blocked yet – nor whipped, of course. I will probably tweak a bit too.
FYI – the scroll sections of this rug were hooked with a #10. Once done, one row of #10 background was also hooked around each scroll. While this photo is mostly about those 10 cuts, you can see, in the green section, how the 10′s work against the 11′s. It does bother me a bit to see a close up of the way those loops flop about … but I do like the overall effect the rug gives when your nose is not 12 inches away from it. It’s rather clunky in a nice sort of way. This photo also shows the use of the several different dip dyes I threw together to do this piece. I think it is more interesting to mix them up, rather than confine one dip dye to each section of the scroll – I like the scrappy look. There are also some lazy swatch dyes and plaids in the scrolls. And, yes, I do not give two hoots about hiding my ends. I can’t imagine why one would want to.
Except for the hit and miss greens and golds around the edge (also #10 leftovers) everything else is hooked with the #11 (3/4″). It’s hard to get a perspective on how wide that cut is. However, it is wide enough that it can’t lay very straight, giving that wiggly look. In this diamond center, I used all marbleized wool – 3 pieces from two different baths. The center out was the darker wool from a magenta, light blue and eggplant mix – the eggplant was in the center, followed by 2 rows of the dark side of the magenta, then one row of the lighter side of that same magenta. The final “light” row was a marbleized mix of magenta, light blue and … light green I think. I just used the magenta piece from that for that final row.
If you could see this rug in person, you would probably notice the dark green sometimes looks as though it has a yellowish cast to it and, at other places, as though it has a blueish/green cast to it. The scientific reason for that slight difference is that, when I was dyeing the wool for this rug, I was out of natural … so I over-dyed some light green off the bolt wool and some pale yellow off the bolt wool with the same dark green bath. All mixed together it looks much better than if it was just one plain color. Of course … that was all part of my master plan.
Working in the Studio
Since Tammy wrote in and asked for me to show the front side of the big prodded rug, here it is.
There will be a lamb nestled up to the lion and some more flowers … and maybe a few other things, but need to get into it more before I figure that all out. I often don’t completely draw a pattern when I sit down to prod or hook. The whole thing is meant to be sort of “cartoony.” I did nothing more on this project since yesterday, other than turn it over and shoot the photo.
The free time I had today (my last day of vacation) was spent working on the wide-cut piece. I had hoped to get the whole thing done today, but my arm gave out. Pulling #10′s and 11′s all day does take its toll. This has been a nice little project to work on at camp and vacation.
Big Proddy
It’s nice being home with a few more days of vacation. The extra time allows me to mess around doing rug hooking things that I want to do, but don’t have to do. Although I did spend some time cleaning up the 2nd floor of the studio and taking off a couple of patterns, the thing that interested me the most was getting a big proddy project “in” to a specially constructed, large proddy frame. I had whipped in some of it before going to Sauder, so was ready to finish things up.
I did a post about this project, which I started ages ago, but stopped because it was too big to work on “topside.” It has been rolled up in the corner for years while I decided the lengths I wanted to go to finish it. Although my woodworker got the frame made before I went on vacation, I did not have the time to put the pattern in until yesterday. The old quilt stands that I found at a garage sale and reported on a few weeks ago, will eventually support all four corners. However, they need to be cut down to table height, or else I will have to use a bar stool. For the time being, I am just laying the frame between two folding tables.
By putting it in this sort of frame, I can fold over the backing and prod through both layers, as shown by the first row of dark wool. While all the other bits of this rug were done on top of the frame, that sort of proddy does not lend itself to a pictorial design like this Lion and Lamb pattern. It is so much easier to “sort everything out” when prodding from the back – all the tails are pushed through to the other side. It’s not the kind of project that has to be finished any time soon. But, when the selvedge pile gets high, now that it is installed, I can work on it when the mood strikes. To put it away, all that needs to be done is either stand the frame on it’s side or take the stretchers out and roll it up. It’s the perfect proddy frame. Fortunately, my guy is willing to make them to sell, so that is why I can offer them on my website.
Book Update
Since I am cleaning and taking off patterns today, I don’t think I am going to show you all that mess. However, I will report that, while I was at Sauder, Ginny Stimmel gave me an advanced copy of my upcoming book: Prodded Hooking for a Three-Dimensional Effect.
Any time I write something for publication, I am always a bit apprehensive until I get it in my hands. When it has to do with rug hooking, I am not nearly as worried about the “words” I’ve written as I am the photos I have taken. You just never know how the color is going to come out until you see it. In previous posts in the archives I have shown a few things I hooked for illustrations – lilacs, citrus blossoms, prodded thistle, etc. I couldn’t be more pleased with the color of the photos and the way the art department “set up” the pages. While I make lots of suggestions concerning that sort of thing as I write a book, those kinds of decisions are ultimately decided by the editor and the layout people. They did a particularly fine job.
The book is 94 pages long. It covers traditional proddy, plus 2 different ways to do non-traditional proddy. There are lots of new prodded rugs as well as several historic ones. Chapter two, illustrated by this photo, explains how to prod several kinds of realistic, shaped flowers. I try to explain everything in sequential steps, backed up with photos. The 3rd chapter contains all the information needed to hook the free pattern insert – the Fall Table runner that is on the cover of the book and has been shown before on this site. The pattern is full sized, which should make it much easier for people to copy. A 4th chapter provides a gallery of several different examples of proddy and other 3-D hooked pieces.
The book also comes with an hour long instructional DVD covering chapters 1 and 2. That is an improvement over the “Rug Hooker’s Bible” since those half hour DVDs were sold separately.
While I used the Scottish Thistle as the “example” rug in the sections on installing and prodding a pattern in chapter 1, I was able to get it done in time to make it on the back cover.
The book should be ready to mail out in mid to late October. Any day now, we should have a way to pre-purchase signed copies from me via Pay Pal, or give the instructions for those who want to send in a check. I will keep you posted.
Back Home
I arrived home safe and sound late Thursday evening. We had a great visit in IL with family, really enjoyed Sauder Village and even got 2 days in Nashville, TN, lucking out with Vince Gill at the Grand Ole Opry. So, all in all, it was a very nice trip.Fortunately, I still have a few days of vacation left, so I am going to use the time to draw patterns and clean up the 2nd story part of my studio – no promises there about photos of what that room looks like when, or if, I get it done!
Since the last few days have been pretty calm, I was able to work some on my project and have got it this far. Again, although it looks like I am blazing through this rug, it is being hooked with cuts #10 (1/2″) and #11 (3/4″) – with cuts that wide you make a lot of progress fast. I have done no tweaking, just speed hooking.
I realized, when talking about the Needleworks frame, that I only showed it “set up.” As I packed yesterday, I also snapped this photo of it folded up and ready to go in my suitcase. It’s an amazing transformation. The photo shows both the base and the top – 2 pieces – folded for travel. Now, it’s back to work in my studio.