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Archive for March, 2010

Waldoboro

31 Mar

Yesterday, I sent a package to Waldoboro, Maine.  That really caught my attention.  It’s not that I am surprised anyone would live there, it is just that the town is so closely identified with rug hooking history that I equate it as one of our fiber art “holy” places.

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Because so many early Waldoboro rug hookers tended to “sculpt” or “hove” the design elements of their rugs, this 3-D technique eventually began to be referred to as Waldoboro Style.  It is a simple, yet time-consuming process that I have outlined in both The Rug Hooker’s Bible and Prodded Hooking for a Three Dimensional Effect.

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One fills in an element by starting on the outside, hooking that row with normal sized loops, skipping no holes.  (This shot shows both an in-process and finished flower center.) Once hooked, scissors are inserted in the loop, at a right angle to the backing, so that the loop can be cut.  The next row is hooked and cut in the same way, only this time; the loops are a stair step higher than the previous row.  In this way, the entire shape is filled, with no holes being skipped.   A “haircut” takes off the rough edges, leaving a 3-D representation of whatever is being hooked.

Addressing a post to a Waldoboro address made me go dig out an unfinished  Waldoboro project.

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This was started a few years ago when I went to spend a week hooking with Jacqueline Hanson.  I had enjoyed watched her working on the prototype at the Santa Rosa ATHA Biennial and thought it would be a good kit of hers to order for that class.   (Maybe I need to go back and take another class so I will get it finished!)

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All I have really done so far on the project is work on the various sections intended for sculpting.  I really like the way the finished version of this process looks … I just don’t like doing Waldoboro day after day.  Perhaps doing one grape a day would be a reasonable approach to easing back into this project.

 
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Posted in Waldoboro

 

Enrichment

30 Mar

Since I have to participate in an enrichment event for about 500 grade school children right after I get back from Australia, I have been trying to get everything settled now for that event.   Our church does this periodically for grades schools in our immediate area.  As we know that kids who have outside interests are less likely to be involved in gangs and other disruptive influences, we put together about 35 booths with “hands on” things to do in the area of the arts, science, food and athletics.  I usually coordinate 3 or 4 booths that pertain to fiber arts.

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The last time we did this for one of the area schools I let the kids start this rug, then went back once a week for 10 weeks allowing them to continue working on the project.  When done, it was sold at an auction to raise funds to help “at risk” women in the immediate area.  I suppose that I’ll have another prodded project framed up for that day, as well as a couple of stands, of course, for rug hooking.

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Over the weekend, thinking it might provide yet another fiber art’s experience, I started playing around with an Oxford Punch Needle.

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While I don’t think I will give up my hook for a punch needle, it has distinct possibilities for an enrichment booth.  I was probably making it a little harder than it needed to be as I was using 2 strands of left over whipping wool, instead of thicker rug wool.  Nevertheless, it was a good experiment for me … although my dismount is still a little rough.  While I have not decided whether or not I will use this as one of the booths, it is something I have wanted to try for a long time and think it has possibilities … although I will get fatter yarn the next time I use it.

Parakeet Update

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Mom left Box #3 long enough for me to get a good shot, proving that all 5 are doing just fine.

 
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Posted in Enrichment Fair

 

Beginning a Project

29 Mar

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There is something about fresh-cut rug wool that is appealing to me.  While I like piles of beautiful hand dyed wool, all folded and in its place, the cut wool is one step closer to being a rug and, as such, casts a vision about what it is going to become.  This pile, cut last night, is heading out as a first project. While I can’t go with it, I will send along some suggestions.

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Taking a risk that I might offending the artist, I did start the pillow, as I would advise her to do if sitting in my class.  Since straight lines are easier to hook than curving ones,

I always have beginners start on something straight.  In this instance, it would be a double row of fill on each edge of this little border.  Whether the navy or cherry side, the first ditch would be the row just inside the drawn line of the border.  Hooking in that ditch, I would advise them to do the entire side, then hook a second row, 2 threads over from the first row – more straight hooking to help them get their grove.  By hooking a double row/set this way, it sets the border, as well as gives them a good amount of straight rows to hook.  After doing that, they can proceed with the wavy line, etc.

If you are shocked that I started on the side, instead of in the middle, please know that I do that since there is nothing straight in the middle to hook.  Besides, if one starts hooking on this right angle border, then progresses to the central motif in the middle, finishing up with the log cabins -  it accomplishes the same thing as starting in the middle and working out.  In this way, I am advising the student to start on one section and then progress “out.”  Both methods will evenly “push” the pattern to its proper shape.

They Grow up So Fast

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Here are two birds from box #1 – the other one did not want to dress up for the photo.  I suspect the yellow one will be out of the box by this time next week.

 
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Posted in Beginning a Project

 

Another Rug Is Whipped Into Shape

26 Mar

Sharon Clarke just sent me a shot of her Double Cross rug.

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Hi Gene – Just wanted to drop you a few pictures of my Double Cross rug now that it is finished.

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I enclosed a snap shot of the back so you can see that I whipped it the way you suggested in your video. I have whip stitched a few other rugs I have made but much prefer doing the way you do.  I love saving a step on finishing.  You can see that I also like to document my rugs in the back. However, it’s the first time I’ve used this type of label.  Thanks for being there for us who can’t connect with other hooks in our areas.    Sharon

Sharon – I really like the way your rug turned out.  Even though you only used one color family and white, you got a tremendous amount of interesting “texture” in this piece.  Additionally, I am glad you tried and liked the whipping technique – anything that  saves time too is a friend of mine!  You’ll have to tell us what Peruvian Highland Wool is … it sounds so exotic!  Thanks for a great report.  Gene

 
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Posted in Double Cross

 

Wool

25 Mar

The official line is I have to dye wool because my students need it.

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However, I think, maybe, I am getting to the place where I just like to look at wool and am dyeing it because I like the process as well as the look.  But then, why can’t big piles of wool (this is just one in my studio) be an artistic statement in their own right?   Luckily for me, I still need more, so logically, see no need to even think about stopping!

 
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Posted in wool

 

Looking To Learn

24 Mar

Blame it on Spring

Don’t know about you, but I have not been in the mood to do much hooking.  It may be the balmy CA weather … or the fact that I am already packing my bags to go to Australia in April.  For whatever reason it is hard to sit down and hook.  That said, it doesn’t mean I am not thinking about hooking … or not taking advantage of the hooking lessons nature is providing me on a daily basis.  All I seem to want to do right now is study nature as it springs to life.  Of course, this gives me an opportunity to file some design and color lessons away for a day when I am ready to start hooking.

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While we always have something blooming in our yard, even in the dead of winter, the garden is just now starting to come back to real life.  The calla lily patch is one of my very favorite spots in our garden, probably because I never saw these flowers as a child –  only pictures and bad artificial versions.  (I did like Lily Munster.)   When they start appearing,  I am always struck by their classic  beauty, as well as inspired to produce some sort of rug design based on these fluid lines.

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From a purely “rug hooking” perspective, just look at the design elements in the neck and throat of this flower.  I am seeing 2 values of dip dyes in alternating cuts, like 8 and 4 … a wonderful “turn over” on the first upper lip … and just look at that blue shadow on the upper “curl” and inner throat.  Without the photo, I probably wouldn’t have thought to be so bold in my color choices.  However, I almost don’t think one can be too bold when hooking an homage to nature.

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Here are some very different blooms and they are anything but subtle.  (By the way, the photo is pretty true to color.)   I show it for all those people out there who think my pink wool has too much chroma!  Can’t make up my mind on exactly how to dye this one … it could either be a pancake dyed special wool or a piece of dip dye with very different ends … maybe I could do both hooking some and prodding the others?

So, you see, even when I am not hooking, I can at least think about it, look and  learn … as I sit in the garden, drinking tea … and watching my birds … just look at those birds –  that’s what I call an occasion for  bold dip dyes … and another post.

 
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Posted in Inspiration

 

Rug Restoration

23 Mar

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A few weeks ago, I showed this photo of a damaged, vintage rug hooked in the 1950s by Mary Chesbrough.  After being in a storage unit for years (that’s when it was damaged) Mary’s grandson rediscovered it.  Wishing to restore the beautiful rug to its former glory he contacted me for suggestions.  I can give expert advice on this topic:  Call Arline!

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Arline has been a good friend for a number of years.  Although we really only see each other in person once a year at Cambria Pines Rug Camp, we talk almost daily on the Internet at one site or another.  Perhaps better known to Internet browsers as V. Sharmay (she leads a charmed life) she does answer to Arline.   Knowing that Arline is an expert at rug restoration (I own a beautiful old rug she salvaged) I knew she would do a perfect job.  Just so we don’t have any confusion, everything in this post is about Arline’s work on the rug, not mine.

To Begin

Arline started on this project by giving the piece a gentle diffused vacuuming with a soft brush attachment then cleaned spot cleaned it.  This returned the colors on the topside of the rug to a vibrancy almost as great as that on the under side.

Securing The Rug

Obviously, the right edge of the rug had been lost during storage.   To compensate for the loss and to provide a framework to take the weight off of the original backing,  Arline attached the rug to a new piece of burlap that was bigger than the dimensions of the rug.

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Using appropriate colors of Persian wool yarn, she carefully stitched through the rug and the new backing to bind the two together.

Hooking

Fortunately, if something was going to be damaged, the simple outside border was the very best choice!  Still, Arline had to match the wool in order to replace that which was lost.  As luck would have it, she realized that the color was actually the McLain Cox, Formula #73.  I had to re-dye it so it would be dark enough.  But, eventually, it turned out just great.

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It is a wonderful restoration.  Great job Arline!

 
5 Comments

Posted in Antique Rugs, Repairing rugs

 

Inspiration Where I Can Find It

22 Mar

I realize this is a blog about rug hooking, however, inspiration is an important part of rug hooking and I happen to find some of that in the colors and attitudes of my parakeets.

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Since my last report, I think it would be fair to say that the trio in Box #1 is showing their true colors.  As I like variety, it is good to see that the biggest bird appears to have wing feathers of a soft butter color.  The other two look as though their wings will have a lot of white.  Since dad has white and black wings with a blue body, that is my guess for them.

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The quintuplets in Box #5 are, of course, at all different stages as they were hatched every other day over a 10 day period.  For the ones who have wing colors showing … they also look a lot like their dad, at least in their yellow wings.

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I had just about given up on Box #3 thinking that those 10 eggs wee probably duds.  However, early Sunday afternoon, I checked and found one hatched chick. (right)  Going back a couple of hours later, I was most surprised to find a second chick just emerged from its egg (left).  In fact, if you looking closely, the bottom part of the chick is actually still in the egg.  It seems I got the photo just after it popped its top.  In fact, he was so worn out from the effort, I thought he was dead.  However, as I kept vigil over his body, it appeared that he was just resting after his taxing afternoon.

No doubt, sometime in the future, one of these birds will show up again in something hooked.

Tomorrow: A Report from Arline on her Vintage Rug Restoration  Project

 
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Posted in Parakeets

 

Rugs to Show

19 Mar

Here are a few rugs for show and tell -

I’ll start with another finished Double Cross project which came in yesterday from Mina H.  She managed to come up with another unique take on this classic pattern.

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She also included a note:

Good morning Gene,

I am enjoy your site and am learning a lot.  Attached is a picture of my version of the Double Cross pattern.  I was inspired by the rugs at the end of the video and just played around with graph paper and colored pencils.  It measures 11×11 inches so is very small.

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I am also sending a picture of another small mat only because I used the Rug Hookers Bible’s water chapter to hook realistic water.  This pattern is by Edyth O’Neil and was in the November/December 2004 issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.  Mina H.

Mina – It’s always a pleasure to see what campers and readers are doing with the information provided here and in the various other printed projects I’ve worked on. Sometimes I forget about things that are in the Rug Hooker’s Bible until someone shows me a project taken from its pages.    Thanks for taking the time to send in the photos.  You did a great job.  GRS

This seems to be a day for show and tell as I also receive a small version of Big Momma, hooked by Carl B.

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Carl used scraps to make this exciting version of the pattern.

This next photo isn’t exactly a rug but it does document the first step in making  a rug.

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While I don’t always start with a well conceived plan, when I do pick out wool, it helps to lay it all out so that the interplay of color can be assessed.  This pile will go to Australia. Perhaps I can show it some day soon as a finished rug?

 
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Posted in Australia, Double Cross

 

It is Worth a Thousand Words

18 Mar

A picture IS worth a thousand words.  Thanks to Sharon Johnston’s efforts, here is a good photo of the technique she used to miter the whipped part of the edge on her pillow.

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For our benefit, she used 2 colors of wool (on the left hand corner) so her stitches would really stand out.  Besides the staggered/stitch corner, Sharon folds her backing differently than I do – her fold is 4 backing threads wide, mine is just two.  In order to get the differentiation at the corner, the extra width provided, by the 4 threads, is needed.  To achieve this mitered look with the whipping, at the corner, she inserts her needle at hole on a diagonal line, thereby whipping with shorter stitches until coming to the point.   The “other” side is whipped in the same way, reusing each of the holes for whipping until back at the regular edge ditch.

While this process incorporates a fold that is wider than what I normally desire for a rug, I can see how it would add a very nice decorative look to a pillow.

Blood Drive for Jane Olson

I have appreciated hearing from those who are participating in the International Blood Drive for Jane Olson.  So far, we have commitments from people in several US states and Canada.  To join this drive, all one has to do is go to the blood collection site of your choice, between now and the end of May, and attempt to donate blood in honor of Jane Olson.  Then, just drop me a note so I can add you to the list.

 
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Posted in Corners, Whipping Edge

 
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