Finished a rug

Got an order for his rug Sunday night and just finished it today. Rug is 11x20 inches and one of my favorite patterns that I designed. The date on the rug represents the year my grandmother was born, the one I am named after. She was very talented, an artist, milliner, and had studied to be a concert pianist.
I am saving for a new saddle so this will help. I have decided that the dressage saddle has to go. I like the saddle but Gilly's back has changed and now sitting in the saddle is putting my legs in a different position and it hurts! I want an all purpose English saddle, my legs won't be so straight down and long stirrups. With the all purpose, my stirrups can be a little shorter and my legs a little more forward. Better for jumping too!!!
Jane

Work in Progress

Since it's been so hot and still hotter today, I thought I would get back to work on this rug. I know it's made of wool but inside in the AC it doesn't matter. I bought a DVD awhile back called "Appaloosa" that I heard was really good so I think I will take the rest of the afternoon and watch it while I work.

For some reason I have been a slow pokey on this rug, it's not a commissioned rug but I am hoping that the owner of the horse will decide she wants it after it's finished and she sees how good her horse looks as Folk Art! Hess is one gorgeous girl that's for sure!

This is the photo that I took years ago of Hess and the one that I used for the rug. Where she is standing is in the old arena; now the CoverAll arena is there. Boy, I hope they have lots of fans running there today, because with the temps in the mid 90's I'll bet it's hot in there!

Speaking of hot, I looked out about an hour ago and Pokey was laying out in his dust bath spot!!! Wow, I don't know how he can stand the heat but then donkey's come from hot arid regions so I guess he thought is was OK to be sunning himself. Even worse with the temps so high the township came and chip and sealed the road out front. First they came by with the black stick oily stuff then came along with the stone but it's so hot the tar stuff is running off into the grass. I am keeping the dogs inside and leashing them when they need to go out. Lucy so far has been staying out of it but I am sure she will run across it at some point. I don't keep her tied because it's so hot she couldn't stay in her dog house, she would boil! She spends her time down at the barn, under it in the cool dirt. If it were me I think I could find somewhere else to stay cool, under that barn are all kinds of creepy things! Spiders, mice, snakes and who knows what else may be lurking under there!!!! I am sure not going to find out!!!

Another picture of Hess that I antiqued.

 Well, that's all for now............stay cool!!!!

Good ride, cat bite, birthday, hooked rug....

I have been absent because this PMR stuff (yes, I have the Polymyalgia Rheumatica too) is kicking my ass!!! With all the rain we have had is aggravating it also and every time the meds are changed, we are stepping back every 2 weeks.
I did get in a couple of rides, (sorry no riding pictures). Rode on May 10th and Gilly and I had a good ride; just the easy stuff. We worked on leg yields, turns on the forehand, haunches; I felt really good that day and he did well, we also just rode, back the hollow to the fence line, up and down the road.
I rode again on Sunday and it wasn't a good ride, I didn't feel very good, couldn't seem to stay balanced and Gilly felt it too, so he was having a hard time doing what I ask of him. I don't blame him though, he seems to pick up on my feelings when I have off days.

This past Monday, May 17th, was my 59th birthday....I can't believe that next year I will be....oh, my, I don't even want to say it.....60!!!!! How can that be??? Wasn't I just 39 last year??? Well, apparently NOT!
Anyway, this horse plate was a gift from my neighbor and horsey friend Kim. She had been a little second hand store and had seen some boxer plates, she has a really nice boxer, Sohpie. She found two plates with boxers on them and then found this horse plate. She said she just had to get it cause it looked like Gilly! The star is the same but no blaze but still it does resemble Gil. What a nice gift!!!

(picture of evil cat above)
Thursday morning I was sitting here on the couch looking at my computer. Kitty was bumping her head on my hand as it was hanging over the arm of the couch. I was petting her and all of a sudden the little devil bit the heck out of my hand!!! BAD KITTY!!! She always has been a biter, definitely NOT a nice kitty. Her only good point is that she is a very good mouser.
Well, I just wiped the blood off the top of my hand and (this is bad) didn't even wash my hand or put anything on it. Thought it didn't look very bad, got ready and went to town to do shopping and such. Well, Friday morning it was pretty swollen and very red so I went to a quick care place. Had to get a tetanus shot and a huge amount of antibiotics to take for a week. Still have two more days to take it then it will be all gone.
Went back to my regular doctor on Wednesday for a follow up and he said it looked good. It is still very sore and has a knot the size of a dime that is hard. When she bit down it felt like she hit the bone. Cat is fast using up her 9 lives!!! :-(

This is the Hess rug that I have been working on. I am pretty slow, hands have been bothering me too. I am not in any hurry to get it done and this is the first time I have seen the rug off the frame in awhile. Not sure if I like the colors in some of the leaves and may have to redo some of it. But I will wait until I have it finished, then study the colors. It always seems to help to have a picture of it to look at and study instead of the rug itself, not sure just why that is?
I do need to get this one finished and on to something else. Still want to do a little dog mat for a giveaway! :-D
I will try to keep my posting more current so Lisa won't have to get after me! LOL

Grey Horse rug finished

Here is the grey horse rug finished! Yay! I got it steamed and pressed last night; today got the binding on as I sit and watched "National Velvet" with Elizabeth Taylor!! What a great old movie, then I started watching "International Velvet" but didn't get all the way through it, tomorrow.

Someone asked me if this rug was for sale, yes it is. The rug measures 17x17 inches and is $350.00. Yes these rugs are pricey and I thought that I would post on here just what goes into making a rug like this. I send this along with a purchased rug.

Creating a Folk Art Hooked Rug

When my grandmother made rugs she tore old clothes into strips then used scissors to cut them into smaller pieces to be hooked into a burlap foundation such as feed sacks. She then drew a design of a house, beloved pet or something that was of importance to her, on the foundation. These rugs were to be used on the floor and not considered works of art. Today, the rugs that have survived are considered works of primitive art and are much loved and sought after by people like myself who are continuing the tradition of rug hooking.

My rugs are inspirations come from many places, things from my past, things I see everyday, family stories and of course the beautiful old time worn rugs of the past. The idea is sketched on paper and worked until it is just right. The pattern is then traced over with a black felt tipped pen; next nylon netting is used to cover the design and then traced with the black pen again. The netting now has the permanent pattern and will be laid over the backing; linen. The pattern is again traced through the netting onto the backing.

Before hooking the rug, the wool must be prepared for hooking. The wool is washed in a warm water in the washing machine; then dried in the dryer, then stored until time to dye it. The wool is wet before dying with a small solution of liquid soap to help it take up the dye. After soaking for several hours or over night the wool is ready to be dyed. The powdered dye, one color or several, is mixed together in a cup of boiling water, stirred until the crystals are dissolved. This is then added to a pot of very hot water and must be mixed well. To get the mottled primitive look, the wool is wrung out slightly and added, crumpled and scrunched to the dye pot;about one yard of wool. After “cooking” the wool for 30 minutes, 1/3 cup of vinegar is added to set the color. Wool is cooked another 30 minutes until all the dye is absorbed. The pot is then cooled; wool is taken out and rinsed well. The wool is put back into the washer and rinsed and spun out then back into the dryer. When it comes out this time it is the beautiful old antique/muted looking wool ready to be used in a hooked rug.

Wool is now selected from all the colors to be hooked into the desired pattern. After the selection is made the wool is torn into 4” wide strips to be run through the wool stripper. This machine cuts two strips of ¼” wide pieces. Although sometimes I prefer to tear the wool into ½” strips then cut (with scissors) into ¼” strips; this gives the rug a more antique look because the strips are a little more uneven.

The backing is stretched over a hooking frame and the process of hooking begins. Loops are pulled up through the backing from underneath with a wood handled hook. I use a #3 steel crocket hook set in a wood turned handle. The loops are pulled up through every second or third hole until the design is full. The loops are about ¼” or higher; all cut ends are pulled up to the front of the rug where they are snipped off even with the pulled loops. There are no loose ends of wool on the back of the rug. It takes many long hours to hook a rug depending on the design. The more detailed the design the longer the hooking time.
When finished hooking the rug is now ready for steaming; a cotton cloth is dampened with water then laid over the rug. Using a steam iron on wool setting steam rug all over, rewetting cloth as needed. Rug is steamed on front and back, then blocked and set to dry overnight. After drying overnight the excess backing is trimmed off the press under; then stitched down. Cotton rug binding is stitched close to the wool loops, the corners mitered and the inner edge of the binding is stitched down. The rug is then signed, dated and numbered.

To clean your hooked rug; vacuum regularly if rug is on floor; DO NOT use a rotary carpet sweeper, this could pull out the loops! Use a small drapery head attachment to sweep rug gently. Rugs that are hung or displayed on a table need only light sweeping from time to time to remove dust. DO NOT expose rug to direct sunlight! This will cause the rug to fade! To store rug, roll loosely with the loops outside; never store in plastic, this will cause the rug to mold. If something is spilled on the rug, blot up immediately with a white cloth. To clean, mix 1 teaspoon of Woolite, 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 1 quart of warm water. Dampen a white cloth and blot stain, let dry. I’ve also heard that rubbing alcohol can be used to clean a pet stain by blotting on and letting dry. Always test on a small corner. I’ve never tried either of these methods of cleaning, this is just a suggestion. You could contact a dry cleaner that knows how to clean wool rugs.

I hope this will help you to understand how these rugs are made. There is a part of me in each rug I hook. This is my passion; designing and hooking 19th century style rugs. I hope you enjoy the rug you have purchased and it will bring you many years of pleasure. With good care, this rug can be passed down for generations to enjoy.

I've been busy "hooking"....

Where have I been lately? Hooking....(a rug!) Thought I meant something else didn't ya??? LOL
The one above is a rug I hooked for Lisa Dee of Vista Caballo ranch of her quarter horse Miss Hamoki Banks. At her web site you can see the picture of Miss Banks that I used; she is standing in a field of tall grass. This small rug is 9x13 inches hooked on linen backing.

This is the rug I am working on now. It's 17x17 inches, no ones horse in particular, just came out of my head. Not sure of the rest of the colors that will be in the rug, will post as I move along on it. Sometimes these rugs just pick their own colors and I just hook them.

A close up of the head, but click on the photos to see them larger. I try to hook the lines of wool in the direction of the hair, muscles and bone structure of the horse. I have done some horse portrait rugs for people and will have my web site up soon. Will post when it's up so you can go take a peek.

Back to hooking and watching old westerns, YAY, lots of horses to see there! How great is this, to get to work and watch movies too??? Wonderful!