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.
