Monday, February 22, 2010

MONDAY MONDAY

Wasn't that a great song?  I started to title this post Manic Monday but my day has been a good one so far so I don't dare say that !

I am feeling a bit tired today after having a GREAT weekend at the rug hooking retreat at the Olde Green Cupboard.  Got a lot done on the rug I pulled out of hibernation.  I have not worked on this runner since I started it two years ago.  Always seems to be something more important for me to focus on.  I do love this rug and I did meet my goal in my class to finish all 6 of the faces - I thought that was the most challenging part for me and after 2 years - I still like the faces - I was not wild about the colors initially but I do love Diane Stoffel my teacher on this project.  She has done several other rugs for me that I just adore like my mermaid.  I am not a blue/purple person and there seems to be loads of blue type tones in this rug.  So I had all sorts of apprehensions about whether I would like the finished rug well enough to use it and in my old house - I just didn't have any place in mind to use it so I was unmotivated to work on it.  So it was relegated to the bottom of the wool cupboard along with my other hibernating WIP's.  However when I was searching for something to take to this retreat - I ran across it and thought hummmm - that is pretty dang cool and I have the perfect spot for it high up on the wall in my wool room.  So without further ado - here is the "Harkening of Angels" - the canvas is by Bea Brock - a texas designer - she just calls it "Angel Sampler Runner" but I like my name better.  It is done in all new wool - mostly spot dyes mostly in a 4 and 5 cut with some 3 cut for fine detail.  I wanted an angry night sky look for the backround and I think Diane nailed that perfectly - don't know if you can see any of that but I did start putting it in the upper left corner. 
My fear is that the brown twigs and vine stem is not going to show up well against that backround - I might have to pull that out and put in a lighter shade of brown or go with a different type of green.  I feel most of what is already hooked will show up against the backround.  I know we have some budding rug hookers out there in blog land and this is just another good reason to start putting in some backround as soon as it is possible instead of waiting till you have most of your motif (s) finished - at that point a change in your backround plans might be necessary instead of just altering some of your motif colors.

This rug is extremely busy - that is another thing that I wasn't quite sure if I was crazy about.  I love the angels - here is a shot of the center guy.  His one foot is WAY too long so that needs to be fixed and I ripped out part of his one hand because it looked more like a paw LOL - you have to take a lot of creative license when doing commerical hooked rug patterns I feel and most of the designers realize this and are happy for you to make it your own.
Here is the right side of the rug - I started filling in the motifs this past weekend on the left side so it is far more filled in than the right -

Here is another close up of the left side - so half of the angel motifs are finished now and if I make this my "take to guild" carry around project - I can start filling in the backround on that left side - sometimes it's nice to just take only pre-cut backround wool to work on at a guild meeting instead of having a huge color plan to work on.
If the colors look garish to you - I think it's probably because they are !  I think that very dark backround is going to tone down some of those crazy bright colors like on #6 angel.

DF Susan came to this retreat - she is an awesome rug hooker and also a teacher.  She was almost finished with this rug by Karen Kahle - using a special technique called marblized wool.  Some of this wool was Susan's creation - mainly the backround and the greens I think she said.  Now I am dying to take a workshop from Karen Kahle - not that I am interested in dyeing but I do love this backround technique - Susan said it was somewhat a pain to execute but the results are stunning.  Susan loves primitives and she hooks mainly with an 8cut.  Those flowers were all the marblized wool.  TOO COOL!
Another friend Dottie was hooking these awesome cardinals.  They re in a 3cut I believe on a colored wool ground which is intended to be left unhooked.

Last is a photo of new hooker Vicki's "Harvest Good Things" rug by Lori Brechlin - Not Forgotten Farms and the color plan is by Dianne Kelly.  She was in her class this year at Off the Ocean and sat next to my DM.  Vicki is doing great on her rug and I love the warm rich colors on this one.
I should not have said last because there is one more photo to show you - it's bunny time at the Olde Green Cupboard - they are wrapped in spring splendor right now - bunnies, chickies, duckies, lambs galore - This neat gal came into the shop on Saturday to bring Gloria some primitive loverlies that she makes in her little prim store in St Mary's GA - it's called Feathered Nest - WOW - what awesome creations and great prices for the quality.  Here is a photo of my Harriett Bunny on her tuffet and mom's black bunny girl who is unnamed - I should have turned her face towards the camera.  Someone said she reminded them of Uncle Reamis so maybe we'll call her Auntie Reamis.

I don't have any knitting progress to show and stitching progress is even worse.  I will say that hanging around the OGC so much has caused me to fall into quilting purgatory.  I'll save that news flash for a future post but it's SO NOT GOOD!

18 comments:

Nancy said...

Glad you had a fun weekend! Your hooking projects always amaze me - they are always so beautiful! I love this latest one busy and all! Such skills you have!

Deb said...

Mel, I'm sitting here with my mouth hanging open catching flies for goodness sakes. I just love your rug - love, love it! I am so happy to see that you brought it out of the depths of your stash cupboard and are working on it. I am so amazed by everything in your post. That cardinal piece too is something else - so delicate looking. I suppose I always thought of rug hooking being more of the larger cuts of wool. How beautiful all of those pictures are! But I'm just drooling over your rug Mel.

And Quilting purgatory?? I can't wait to see what delights from the depths of purgatory have caught your attention!!!

Margie said...

I love that rug! I love how the colors are popping. And what is really cool I almost understood everything you said. :-) I just need to look up marblized wool. It sounds devine. Would I ever like to take a look in your WIOP cupboard. ;-)

beeinstitches said...

Mel, Glad you had a great time and I love your ANGEL rug. Am sure that the b'ground will tone the brights down and maybe just a line of lighter brown around the Brown Angel will help, so you don't have to rip it all out.
You could easily do the marbelized wool technique, and not get into "Dyeing", since it doesn't even use any dye!!! Of course, LOVE KK's stuff, and Susan's rug. WE won't count how many canvases of KK's designs that I have yet to be hooked!!!
Looks like great progress was made this weekend! AND The Feathered Nest pieces are WONDERFUL. I have one myself - a Black Cat Head! Love it!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Quilting purgatory?! I think there is going to be some good news there!

I love your Angels! I think the dark background will make you more comfortable with all the bright colors. The marbleized wool is really interesting! I love the effect it gives. Thank you for all the pictures of the other WIPs. I meant to stop by and see them for myself but it just slipped my mind.

Margaret said...

OMG!! I just love that angel rug!!! I collect angels so it's right up my alley! :D All the rugs are beautiful -- I love seeing what everyone is working on. Thank you thank you for sharing with us!! I really have to try rug hooking.....

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

I am always so thrilled to see what you're working on, Mel! I love the Harkening Angels rug - bright colors and all! It has so much detail and will be an absolute feast for the eyes when you're done. Love it! Thanks for sharing everything all the others were working on as well - quite a treat!

Kim said...

Mel that rug is going to be awesome! I lOVE it!! Garish colors and all!

Laurie in Iowa said...

I am so glad that you retrieved the angel rug from the bottom of the WIP pile... it's wonderful. I enjoyed seeing the snaps of the other Hooker's rugs too... that cardinal is really awesome.

Cari said...

OMG Mel - I am in AWE over your rug. It is stunning!! I love the quirkiness of the angels. Beautiful piece. And,check out my blog...I put all sorts of info on my vest that I'm knitting!! But, just like you, there is so much to do. My sisters are coming to visit and I need to do some quick knitted socks for them!! Love your blog. Hugs and have a great week!!

Siobhán said...

Melody, jiminy crickets. WOW!!! I love love love your angel rug! I know it's not your usual colors, but just think of how many angels appear in samplers that you love. I think they will complement each other. I love it--what great faces. The house rug with the flowers that your friend is doing--my mouth went dry gawking at that. The cardinal rug--fabulous! I love the bunnies, too. I love primitive looking buns. :)

I am pea green with envy over Deb's upcoming class with Kris from Spruce Ridge; she said that you helped connect her. I have been drooling over her blog--what amazing pieces she has.

Thanks for sharing the eye candy!

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

OH I love wool and I would love to hook, I've done a small one, but I just can't work one more thing into an already over crowded hobby list :)
All the rugs are gorgeous!

Rugs and Pugs said...

Mel ~
Your angel rug is stunning. I love how you hooked the blue angel!
The Karen Kahle rug is magnificant, too. Heck, they all are!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Jeanne said...

Wow Mel it looks fantastic! I am pretty clueless when it comes to rughooking. I took a class at a quilting event several years ago - just a simple primitive-style house. It is still unfinished! I need to get it out and finish it but not sure if I even still know what to do. I always wanted to make some of those hooked rugs from the Need'l Love books and BBD....oh so much to do and so little time -you know that story! If we didn't have to go to these darn jobs we could get a lot more done LOL!

Katrina said...

As always, I love looking at your pictures. The rugs are just so pretty.

The Scarlett House said...

If you keep tempting us with all of this rug eye candy, I might just show up on your doorstep. I would so love to learn to hook. The angel rug is amazing. I cannot wait to see it finished, so keep hooking sister!

Karoline said...

Glad you had a great weekend, the rugs look lovely

Michelle said...

I'm with Tanya, I'm going to show up on your doorstep and request you teach me! Love the angel rug - it's so fascinating and fabulous.