Monday, June 07, 2010

THE REVEAL

I've been promising for a while that I was very close to a major accomplishment in my rug hooking life.  My oldest (and dearest) WIP has reached a milestone.  I have completed the interior portion of the Antique Blue Basket.  For any rug hooking readers I have out there - it is designed by Edyth O'Neill of Red Cape rugs - it was color planned by Joan Reckwerdt and it is hooked predominately in a 6cut.  I did not like the backround Joanie sent me - it was almost white so a friend of mine that I have since lost touch with suggested tea dyeing the backround - that became an adventure since her husband passed away while she had my wool and I could not get in touch with her for almost a year - I kept hooking on the motifs but all the while worried about my 3 yards of backround wool.  My local teacher and DF Katie tried to duplicate the tea dyed sample I had been given for approval but to no avail - she tried every tea brand on the market and could NOT get the same effect - she even tried commercial  dyes and it did NOT work.  Finally after almost a year - the woman who had the bulk of my backround wool got in touch with me and of course I was not upset because it is a very traumatic event to lose your spouse but I was glad to see my wool again.  I think you'll agree  - it is a wonderful effect on the backround.
Sorry that shot is blurry and off kilter - I'll blame it on Jody - he took the picture because the rug is so big I could not get up over since I am so short.  I'll show some close up shots so you can see how pretty the colors are.
One last shot showing the borders - I have done only a small bit of the border - someone said along the line I shouldn't wait till the end to do the borders but I had left the backround till the end and I knew if I did not focus on getting that backround done it would not get done.  Bear in mind that this rug has sat sometimes for over a year or more without being touched.  I have started and finished many rugs in between starting this rug in the early 2000's - I'm just glad the main motif is done.

Somehow the photos do not show how large this rug is - it is 3 feet X almost 5 feet including the border.  I'm so proud to have just gotten this part done and I love how it came out.

Friday I took off from work - seems I needed to have an upper GI series done - YUCK - that was not too fun but not horrible either.  Since I also had fallen in the shower the previous Friday - I thought Jody and I should visit our DF who is a chiropractor in SO GA - we always love the drive up there - we travel the Woodpecker Trail - wonder how many of you have heard of that?  It's just State and County roads up thru Georgia - I think you can go all the way to the mountains on the Woodpecker trail - that's what my grandmother used to call that route back when I was a child.  It's nice to see it recognized as such with signage on the highway.  We decided that we would go and eat dinner at an obscure place called Blueberry Hill - So you start off in Hoboken Ga - does it sound like a wide spot in the road - yep it is - I think they have one red light and one gas station. Heading out of town - you see a tiny sign on a dirt road


I had been to this place once before about 20 years ago but I was with our chiropractor friend and his wife (I used to show dogs with her for about 25 years) and it was dark and I thought they were taking me in the woods to dump my body - I NEVER again ventured to find this place on my own but Jody and I always try to make adventures when we can so obviously we found the right turn.  We drove about 2 miles on winding dirt roads passing by wonderful 100 year old farmsteads and barns



until finally we pulled up to a dead end and a long driveway - I don't remember seeing a sign at that point but we pulled in because there was a huge dirt and gravel empty spot that looked like maybe where people parked.  Here is the outside showing a huge wonderful fireplace


Up to the front door - what a neat rustic place



We got there at 5pm and we were the only ones there until after 6pm which was sorta odd for a Friday night - the place was huge inside - obviously they started out with a small wooden cabin type thing and just kept adding on.  We sat in the new part that had another awesome fire pit with a copper top on it.


It was too dark inside and none of the other photos I took turned out but you can see nice shots of the view out the huge windows that our table overlooked if you look on their website.  It was a nice relaxing meal and then about 6pm - they had a piano player come in - he did real honky tonk style piano and so we enjoyed listening to him.  When we were leaving Jody went  up to put a tip in his jar and discovered he was blind - how amazing to be so talented and be blind.

On Saturday DF Linda took me to lunch at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island.  OH WOW - how plush it was - I had only been there once before many years prior for high tea.  It was such a nice day having a relaxing luxurious lunch and then a visit to the local needlepoint shop - NO  I did not buy a new canvas but did buy a few skeins of the new Vineyard Silk Shimmer.  I saw one canvas that could have definitely come home with me but with my stacks of wonderful canvases on hand - I did not dare to spend $200 for another canvas.  We headed back to Linda's house and stitched and chatted for a couple of hours.

So that concludes my weekend adventures - hope you enjoyed the trip ! 

21 comments:

Kim said...

WOOOOHOOOOO Mel!!!!!! It's fabulous! You know this is one of my most favorite rugs to drool over in Edyth's book. I LOVE it!!!! Looks great!!! And good for you on the canvas willpower. I succumbed to a few canvases this past week...bad Kim..bad, bad Kim! But they were BOAF and on sale and ..and... and...yeah. They're lovely all rolled up with a ribbon...someday I'll buy fibers for them! ha! And someday I will start my own Antique Blue Basket rug! Can't wait to see yours all done!

beeinstitches said...

Oh! How wonderful! Congrats on getting all that b'ground done. Proud of you!!! On to the border - expect to see it in the show at rug camp in January 2011 - yes, 2011!!!
Thanks for sharing your little GA jaunt too. Now everybody will be swarming to find that road with Blueberry Hill at the end of it!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Oh my gosh, Mel! That rug is GORGEOUS!!!! I love the colors and the basket and oh, those flowers - it's all so pretty! Heck, even if you didn't finish the border, it'd be fabulous just the way it is. Truly, exquisite!

Sounds like you had fun heading up the Woodpecker Trail for dinner at Blueberry Hill and then lunch at the Ritz - how divine!!

I hope your week ahead is just as wonderful. Love, love, love the rug! I am going to have to learn to hook. Really!

Alice said...

What a beautiful rug! It certainly has a story attached to it! It sounds like you had a lovely trip too.

Cari said...

Oh Mel, Mel, Mel....your rug is stunning, fabulous, wonderful, beautiful....mind blowing!! Congratulations on your work!! I'm just sitting here shaking my head in AWE!! Thanks for sharing!! BIG HUGS!!

Jackie's Stitches said...

How gorgeous! I love it! The background is wonderful as is the rest of the rug. I'm so happy that you've reached such a wonderful milestone.

I've lived in the south all my life and have never heard of Woodpecker trail. Of course, I'm usually flying up the interstate! I've never been to the Ritz either. That is one I'd really like to do one day!

Laurie in Iowa said...

Your rug is gorgeous Mel.

Margaret said...

Oh wow!!!! How gorgeous is this! I just love it so much! I'll be rooting you on to finish this -- the border looks gorgeous too!

The trip up Blueberry Hill sounds like fun -- and the Ritz Carlton too!

Kim said...

The rug is beautiful. Doesn't it feel wonderful to make progress on a long term project. Keep at it.
Kim

krayolakris said...

Your rug is gorgeous! Love the colors & can see why you pursued getting that background color...stunning!! Thanks for sharing your GA trip also...it's like going back in time. How wonderful!

Jean in Georgia said...

The rug is outstanding -- just like all your other work! :) Glad you and Jody got to take a little trip and visit such a lovely place. You deserve it.

Nancy said...

Wow! This is gorgeous, both the design and the colors! Your hooked pieces are always such a treat for the eye. Isn't it funny how some projects just get pushed into the background? Can't wait to see this finished. It will be a masterpiece!

Katrina said...

Wow, I don't know where to start!!!! I love, love, love your rug, it's gorgeous.

And what a fun adventure, I really enjoy going to out of the way places.

Hope you are feeling well too :-).

Deb said...

Okay, now you really have me slapping myself upside the head that I haven't been hooking. That rug is absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Just stunning. I can see why you needed that background - it just sets off the center perfectly. I just love it!!

Marjo said...

Oh MY. That is absolutely gorgeous. I love the design, the colors you used and wow what else can I say. It is just beautiful. I love the old barns and wonderful restaurant. Must admit I would have felt more at home there than the Ritz. You have to show more of this luscious rug as you work on the border. Just wonderful.

Siobhán said...

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! That is an absolutely fabulous rug!!! You go girl!! It is amazing.

I am still chuckling over your thought that your friends were taking you into the Georgia wilderness to dump your body. ROFLOL I loved seeing your photos. I am such a suburbanite that the thought of dirt roads thrills and scares me--it must have been really neat to see some of the older places. Thanks for sharing!

The Scarlett House said...

Okay, Mel, I am sitting here drooling into my coffee. WOW, and more WOW! That rug is amazing to say the least. I so want to take a class. Loved your pics, too.

Karoline said...

Your rug is looking gorgeous, congratulations on reaching the milestone.

Sounds like you had a lovely weekend.

Loraine said...

Wow! Your rug is simply gorgeous. What a great accomplishment!
Love the tour of GA too. Thanks for sharing!

Susan said...

Melody, I read your post shortly after you wrote it but didn't get a chance to comment. I'm glad I got to come back for another look at that rug--it is AMAZING!!! I loved the blue on my first look, but this time, I caught the purple in one of the flowers and love that color, too.

Glad you had such a good dinner and lunch. Let us know what you've been up to the last couple of weeks!

Isabelle said...

Hi Mel, I just walked through your wooly world with many pleasure and I would like to congratulate you on so many pretty finishes.
How nice is your last rug with these colors so cheerful : you made a wonderful job on it :-))
I wish you a nice day ,
Isabelle