INDEX
Nina's notebook
Hooking Goals
Holidays
Thanksgiving
Orange
Summer's End
Rugs for New Babies
Wedding Rugs
Water Themes
Irish Themes for Hooked Rugs
Rugs with Hearts
New Year's Resolutions for Hookers
Christmas Rugs 2010
Small Framed Hooked pieces
Rug Hooking for Fund Raising
Getting Inspiration
About "Nina's Notebook"
From Joyce’s Dye Pot
Dyeing with Natural Sources
Spot Dying with Primary Colors
Casserole Dyeing
Over-dyeing
Salt & Jet Dry in Dyeing
"Marbleizing" Wool
"Marrying and Stewing" Wool
Tips from "Heloise"
Primitive Rugs
Skirt Linings
Shamwow for Blocking
General Tips and Hints
Dyeing with the Color in the Wool
Dyeing with Onion Skins
Portrait Rugs
Making Time for Hooking
Color Planning
Color Balance
Holiday Hooking Projects
Foundations
Hooking Environments
Texture in Hooking
Sharing Ideas
Organizing Rugs
Joining Rugs
Changes in Rug Hooking
Signing Your Rug
Hooking during the Holidays
Care of Hooked Rugs
Hooking Information & Technique
“From Nina’s Notebook” February 2012 — Birthday Rugs This week I saw two rugs which had the name of the child written in very bold letters across the center of the mat. On one rug, the border had a derivation of the name in several languages as well as a Latin phrase which used the name. On the other rug, the name was in a bold color with a neutral background and a large star. Simple, but striking and both mats would be appropriate for a child or an adult. A mat which I hooked for a friend's birthday shows an autumn tree with brightly colored leaves in oranges, golds and reds to remind her that even though we are in our "autumn years" we can still be bright and colorful. A 70th birthday mat I saw being hooked, has a large heart with 70 in the center with bright leaves and flowers around it, as well as the name of the recipient. It is a small mat, one which can easily be hung in a special spot. February with its snowy, blustery days is the perfect time for hooking. So gather up your strips, backing, frames and hooks and hook that mat that has been rattling around in your head waiting for the time when you can spend a few hours being the artist that you are! Content for class "dashed" Goes Her
January 2012 — Hooking Goals
Happy Hooking! Nina Seaman Content for class "dashed" Goes Here
December 2011 — Hooking for the Holidays December and the holidays bring back many memories of days gone by as well as visions of holidays to come. Each one of us has special memories which can be hooked into a mat. Just a few ideas to get you started —
So sort through your memory bank, tune into your inner artist and create a memorable piece of hooked art for the holidays! dashed November 2011 — Thoughts on Thanksgiving Think of all the people, events, and places that you are thankful for and then choose one for a special thanks mat. Each time you see the mat it will remind you that there are many things for which to be thankful. For me, I am especially thankful for the members of HCRAG and their devotion to the art of rug hooking. dashed October 2011 — Orange One of my favorite mats is an old Lunenburg county hit or miss mat. It has a solid edge or frame and then hit or miss of various shades for the center — very simple, but very effective. Using all 12 shades of orange would make a bright mat for the kitchen or hallway. October is also the time for leaves to turn various shades of orange and red, a mat of leaves of various shapes and sizes would be most attractive. And what about baskets of padulas in shades of orange? Or even baskets of oranges or pears, or simply squares with pears or oranges against complimentary backgrounds. One of my Nova Scotia hooking groups has issued a challenge to create a piece 16"x16" titled "I see the world in shades of...." What if the color was orange? Happy Hooking! Nina Seaman dashed September 2011 — The End of Summer Greetings from Nova Scotia! When I was teaching, September was the cruelest month. It meant trading shorts and tee shirts for skirts and panty hose. Being retired, September now means that I can stay in Nova Scotia, my summer home, for one more month. It means sitting on my deck and enjoying warm days and cool nights. I begin to watch for the first signs of fall with turning leaves and the coloring of the rose hips. One of the hooking groups to which I belong is planning an exhibit at our island museum next year. In addition to individual pieces we are also planning an exhibit of pieces, size 16 x16 on the theme "I see the world in shades of…….". Each hooker is free to choose the color of their choice and create a piece using many shades of that particular color. Right now I am leaning toward the shade of green. Perhaps a small house of celery green with dark green roof set in a field with many shades of green with dark trees in the background. Then there is blue with sea and sky. A blue boat sailing on the sea... What color would you choose, and what is the scene that you would create?Happy Hooking! Nina dashed June 2011—Rugs for New Babies— A friend recently announced the happy news that her daughter is expecting a baby in September. This news set me to thinking about birth rugs. For each of my four grandchildren I created a rug with their full name and birth date. For my first grandchild, her mother actually designed the rug using the motifs from the nursery rhyme, “...and the dish ran away with the spoon”. The full name of the baby and the birth date were incorporated in the border. The second grandchild had the theme of Noah's ark. If you are anticipating a new member of the family, talk to the parents and see what themes or ideas they have for the child's room. This will give you the clues you need to create that very special rug. Also pay attention to the colors that are used in the mat. I stay away from the cliché colors of blue and pink and create a color palette that will catch the eye of the baby as well as the parents. I have also created small wall hangings with the child's name and birth date. You can incorporate designs that reflect that child's heritage, such as a shamrock if they are Irish or perhaps a family pet, anything that is particular to the child. There is a special joy that comes with hooking a birth rug for that new member of the family and it is a treasure that the child will have throughout their life. Happy Hooking! Nina dashed May 2011—Wedding Rugs—All eyes are on London and the royal wedding...what will the dress look like, what will the Queen be wearing and what about all those English hats? This leads me to thoughts of wedding rugs. Do you know of someone who is getting married this year; what nicer gift than a hooked rug made especially for the couple. If the wedding is in a special place, a beach front or forest retreat, work that into the design. A mat which I did for a 50th anniversary featured odd shaped blocks with mementos from their life such as their VW bus which they had for many years and their sail boat which they used every summer. German fraktur prints which were made for weddings often used brightly colored birds to represent the couple. The birds could be shown with several different types of flowers in the border or background. Borders on wedding rugs can be used for the names of the couple plus the date of the wedding. So think about that special wedding or anniversary and design a rug to commemorate the occasion. Happy Hooking! back to top dashed April 2011 — Water Themes — April showers, they bring May flowers says the song. Those wonderful light, gossamer showers of April bring to mind water....and how do you hook water? Many of my mats have ocean water in them, along with fishing boats and sailboats. I like to do my ocean water with yarn. I have found some dyed yarns which have a variety of blues in them, from a bright cobalt blue to a turquoise. When hooked it seems as if the water is moving. In the background of the water, where the ocean meets the sky I put a darker blue yarn. Sometimes I will hook some white/off white crinkled yarn to show the edges of waves or where the sea breaks on the rocky shore. I have also done a waterfall using strands of the crinkled yarn to show the cascading water as well as lots of foam at the bottom. For rivers, I like three or four shades of blue with the lighter shades at center and darker at the farthest bank. Streams can be done in lighter shades of blue and gray to show how shallow the water is. Because water is always moving, hook in curving rather than straight lines. The rocky shores can be hooked in various black, white and gray tweeds in blocky shapes. A bit of foam coming over the edge adds the illusion of crashing waves. dashed March 2011—Irish Themes — Will March come in like a lion and leave like a lamb or will it be in like a lamb and out like a lion? Flowers, early spring, blustery winds, four leaf clovers, St. Patrick, snakes....these are a few of the images that come to my mind when I think of March. Any of these ideas would make a great mat! What about a tavern sign with St. Patrick and shamrocks inviting you in for a "Pint"? When I think of Ireland, I see a hill with sheep grazing, gently led by a shepherd in a tweed coat smoking a pipe, and followed by a border collie. Staying with Ireland, perhaps a small cottage with thatched roof surrounded by blooming flowers could be a subject for hooking. Along with St. Patrick, I also think of St. Columba who was sent from Ireland to Scotland in a small leather boat to bring Christianity to the Celts. And speaking of Celts, next Guild meeting Jana Laidlaw will introduce us to Celtic designs. There are several books out which have Celtic designs suitable for reproducing and copying on to mats. And then of course, there are those lions and lambs! There are many designs for lions, from realistic to folk art waiting to be hooked. The lambs have plenty of patterns too! So while you are waiting for the blustery winds of March to die down, think about a March mat to hook while watching March madness.... another subject for a mat! Happy Hooking! dashed February 2011— Hearts — Happy Valentine's Day! February is the month of love and gives us rug hookers lots of good ideas for new mats, large or small. Last year the Guild had an exchange of heart mats and each one was delightful as well as unique. One of my favorite old primitive patterns is the hearts and hands designs. It shows a human hand and a heart shape and can be hooked in a variety of ways. Several years ago we spent a Valentine's weekend with dear friends and decided that we would make a mat to commemorate the occasion. I asked each person to trace their right hand. Then they were to draw a heart. Together we created a pattern that showed the four hands joined together with a circle to symbolize the bond of friendship we had. In the four corners we had the hearts, which were various sizes and configurations. I asked each person to choose from the batch of wool I had put together the color or type of wool that they would like to have hooked to represent their heart. I used flesh colors for the hand and reds of various shades and patterns for the hearts. One person chose a gold and black plaid which resembled his college colors for his heart and I used some of that material for the ring on the hand of his wife. The background was antique black, an army khaki blanket which had been over-dyed with black and brown. It turned out to be a favorite mat of all four of us. Now we trade the mat back and forth...each one of us having it for a period of time. It is a real celebration of a friendship that has lasted many, many years. Happy Hooking! Nina Seaman dashed January 2011—New Year's Resolutions for Hookers — Happy New Year! January is the month of beginnings as well as resolutions to begin those things which we have put off until "after the holidays." What new projects have you planned for the New Year?
On with the New Year and the new mats that will be created. Happy Hooking! Nina Seaman dashed December 2010 — Christmas Rugs — Happy Holidays to all! The matriarch of our family is Aunt Virginia, now age 98 and still going strong. Her favorite season is Christmas; anything Santa captures her attention from the hip hop Santa figure to the classic Coca Cola image, she loves it all. Aunt Virginia is a braider of rugs and a shell and stain glass lamp maker. Each Christmas we are gifted with one of her creations. When I began to hook, one of my first mats was a Santa for Aunt Virginia. She was delighted....and so began a family tradition. Each year I search for a new presentation for Santa. This year I decided to go back to the original and have hooked Saint Nicholas in his Bishop's hat holding his crozier. In the background is the sea and a sailing ship because he is also the patron saint of sailors. This mat will join the other Santas in the collection of Aunt Virginia. Hooking mats for the Christmas season - or any other season- is a way of creating a tradition for your family. What joy it brings to the hooker and to the recipient of the mat! Happy Hooking...whatever the season! Nina Seaman dashed November 2010 — Small Framed Hooked pieces: This fall I am off to visit friends in California...what to take as a house gift? Since I am flying, a large gift, or taking my hooking along to create something special on the spot is out of the question. Last spring Michael's was selling small, wooden picture frames, suitable for a 4 x 6 picture for $1 each. I picked up about 10 of them thinking that they would make perfect frames for a small hooked piece, and indeed they have been! dashed September 2010 — Rug Hooking for Fund Raising — It has been a grand summer for rug hooking in my part of Nova Scotia. This summer there were two shows, one at the La Have Islands Marine Museum which featured rugs from the Square Zebras, a group of 12 women dedicated to making rug hooking an art form as well as a craft. The second one at the Rossignol Center in Liverpool, Nova Scotia featured more traditional hooking. Both were well received and attended. dashed June 2010 — Getting Inspiration — One of the questions I am sometimes asked is where do you get your inspirations for rugs? When it is time to think about a new mat, I am sure we have all faced that question. Perhaps we have lots of ideas in our heads, but which one gets the nod to become a mat. One thing I have found useful is to keep a journal of ideas. My journal is a large notebook in which I glue pictures, record my thoughts, paste in articles from magazines, doodle on the pages, whatever might be helpful in planning a new piece. I have also found that blogs about hooking can be helpful. One of the Nova Scotia teachers who has been a great mentor to me is Deanne Fitzpatrick. She has a website www.hookingrugs.com which has a gallery of her work as well as a blog. This morning I went out of my house and heard the birds tweeting and singing, and the smell of fresh earth and grass was in the air. The change of seasons brings back many memories and images which can be translated into a design for a mat. Last but certainly not least are family memories. My grandmother, Nanny as we called her, was an important person in my life. One of my fondest recollections of her is in the kitchen, baking bread. And so I hooked her kneading bread at her kitchen table and labeled it, “Give us this day.” dashed May 2010— About "Nina's Notebook"— When asked to take over Joyce Comb's column on dyeing, I hesitated. Dyeing is still a mysterious process to me, although Joyce has helped to make it less so. We agreed to call the column “From Nina's Notebook”. dashed From Joyce’s Dye Pot Natural Dyes: Using natural dyes produced from flowers, herbs, nut husks and other plants is fun and consistent with the early origins of rug hooking. Onion skins and flowers are just two natural sources for dyes. Collect onion skins or day lilies. Soak them in water until the color leaches out. Remove the solids and use the dye as you would use acid dyes. There are several books in the HCRAG Library for those who want to learn more about natural wool dyeing. dashed April 2010—Spot dyeing with just primary colors is great fun and the results are often surprising. Keep in mind that when working with the primary colors, yellow is at least twice as weak as red or blue. Working the dye into the wool in some manner is imperative for getting the dye to properly settle into the fibers. You can do this with a spoon, or a potato masher, or by hand. The dye sits atop the wool if this is not done, and may result in the core of the wool not being properly dyed. dashed March 2010 — Casserole Dyeing — This month I want to share a favorite and easy dyeing technique known as casserole dyeing. Wet wool is placed in a flat pan with at least 3 inch high sides. Dye formulas are spotted over the wool. White vinegar should be added to the dye formula. Cook for 45 minutes on the stove or in a 300 degree oven for one hour. Cover with aluminum foil. Watch the steam, it burns! dashed February 2010 — Overdyeing— Overdye to make your wool more interesting. If you dye bright wool with its complementary color, it will calm the color down and make the wool more interesting to use in your rug. Primary colors (red, blue and yellow) are absorbed into wool at different rates. The order of absorption is red first, blue second and yellow third. For example: when a dye formula using red, blue and yellow is added to the dye bath, and several pieces of wool are dipped in the dye pot one at a time, the wool that is dipped last may differ greatly from the wool dipped first. Much of the red and blue dye may have already been absorbed leaving a stronger yellow dye for the last piece. dashed December 2009—Salt & Jet Dry in Dyeing—The amount of water in the dye pot does not affect the color just the evenness of the dyeing. Some people add 1 tablespoon of non-iodized salt. It may help the dye to absorb better. If you want a mottled effect do not add salt. Some dyers recommend a drop of Jet Dry or another wetting agent in their dye pot to make the dye absorb better. In the past two months, we discussed easy wool dyeing techniques. After removing the wool from the dye pot, it is important to always cool it slowly to prevent felting. Slowly run warm water, then tepid, then cool. Or just turn off the burner and let the wool cool in the pan. dashed November 2009—"Marbleizing" Wool— Last month, we discussed two easy wool dyeing techniques — “marrying” and “stewing”. This month we will explore “marbleizing” wool. All three techniques are easy and require no investment in dyes or equipment. Thanks to Karen Kahle from Primitive Spirit (www.primitivespiritrugs.com), marbeleizing has become a routine for many rug hookers to enhance the colors of their wool. This is good for creating different colors of wools in the same background or in the same rug.
The results will surprise you and you will never be able to recreate the color! Some colors to marbleize:
da October 2009 — "Marrying and Stewing" Woo l— One of the easiest ways to play with the color in your rugs without any investment in dyes and equipment is “marrying”, “stewing” and “marbleizing” wool. This month we will explore marrying and stewing wool. To Marry Wool: Select several pieces of the same color wool. For this example we will use red. We often have several reds, but they do not match or look good together. You can marry them and bring the shades closer together. You can also use this method to tone down a color. One example: if you have a piece of bright blue that is too bright, put it with a piece of orange (complementary color). The two will marry to create two pieces of different colored but complementary wools that will be less bright but useable for the same project.
To Stew Wool: The same approach as above is used, but you will have many different colors in the same pot. It blends all the colors and makes the wool compatible. |
Tips from "Heloise" Febuary 2012 — Cleaning Hooked Rugs A perennial question for rug hookers is “How do you clean hooked rugs?” Within the rug hooking community there are
Content for class "dashed" Goes Her
January 2012 — Primitive Rugs
Thank you Iris! November 2011 — Skirt Linings for dyeing
The wool will have an interesting mottled look. Sometimes the dyed wool will be a different color than the lining. In any event, using skirt linings is an inexpensive way to get beautiful dyed wool. dashed October 2011 — Shamwow for Blocking dashed September 2011 — General Tips and Hints Burlap has fallen out of favor as the preferred backing for hooked rugs since it becomes brittle with age and develops dry rot. Today most rug hookers prefer to hook on linen or monk’s cloth because it is so much more durable. Earlier this summer Heloise visited with Jeannine Happe (Two Old Crows) and Karen Worthington (The Blue Tulip) who were set up at the Lancaster Historical House and Craft Show. Karen shared that she recently discovered that the linen backing on one of her rugs disintegrated. The water bowl for her dog sat on the rug and apparently became damp from water splashed as her dog used the bowl. Over time the dampness caused the linen to fail. The lesson to be learned is that linen may not develop dry rot, but will rot from continued exposure to dampness. General Guidelines for Hooking — One of the exercises in Iris Simpson’s camp workshop was to review a list of hooking guidelines that she has collected and to add additional tips to the list. The results of the exercise follow below.
REMEMBER – These are only hints and tips, not rules! Do you have any tips or guidelines to add? June 2011— Seeing the rugs hooked by those attending our recent hook-in was one of the highlights of the day. Among the masterpieces on display was a Pearl McGown floral pattern (“Quickie”) hooked by Barbara Brown who traveled from Factoryville in upstate Pennsylvania to be with us. The shading achieved with beautifully dyed wool was one of the features that made her rug stand out. Barbara works exclusively with recycled wool which she dyes without using commercial dyes. Heloise had an opportunity to speak with Barbara who gladly shared two wool dyeing techniques she uses.Dyeing with the Color in the Wool
We thank Barbra for sharing her expertise with us. May 2011—Portrait Rugs — At our last meeting Therese Shick’s Show & Tell piece was a portrait rug of her niece. This was Therese’s first portrait rug, but it appeared to have been hooked by someone who had done many previous portraits. In a conversation with Heloise, Therese shared a technique she used while working on the rug. She volunteered that she “blundered” her way through the face with help from Jeannine Happe and was happy with how the face came out. The shirt was another matter; it proved more difficult. About half way though hooking the shirt, Therese felt that it looked like a mass of color, not a shirt. She remembered a technique whereby a grid is drawn on the image used for the pattern and again on the backing. After the grids were drawn, Therese looked at each grid and hooked what was in the grid ignoring what she thought the shirt should look like. She did not look at the shirt while hooking, just the grids. It was a challenge not to have preconceived ideas of what the shirt should look like. The approach worked with the end result being a portrait rug that looked like it had been completed by someone who had hooked many portrait rugs. dashed April 2011 — Making Time for Hooking — Spring is arriving and we want to be outdoors in the garden, walking around the yard making decisions about new plantings or just sitting and enjoying the beginnings of warmer weather. But we also want to keep up with our hooking and all the projects. So, we need to find a balance and save time for hooking. Often, I am asked, "How long does it take to make a rug?" The only answer I can give is that attitude toward a rug will determine the amount of time it takes to complete it. So, the best guarantee of finishing a rug quickly is to have a strong, personal feeling about the design and the colors. Rugs are personal and that is why it is so difficult to part with our creations unless a rug is being made for someone else in the first place. So, save time everyday if you can to hook! dashed March 2011—Color Planning — March is a green month for St Patrick's Day. Colors in a rug affect those in the room in which it is placed. If you are not sure where you are putting your rug it is best to select neutral colors. If a location has been decided upon, it is important to select the right colors for the desired area. It is not necessary to match color in a room to make a rug that harmonizes. It is more effective to have a rug with different value of the main color in a room, a dark green rug in a room with light green walls, for instance. Or you can use a color in a rug that is similar in hue to the predominant color in the room. dashed February 2011— Color Balance — RED is the color for February as we celebrate Valentine's Day. Colors create a mood. Colors affect our feelings, they can stimulate us or sooth us. Colors seem to have a life of their own, as some stand out and demand attention while others are retiring and quiet. (just like personalities) Using color in our rugs effectively means choosing colors that go well together and selecting the right hues for contrast. Well balanced color is important in a rug. For good balance, you equalize the amount of one color with the intensity of another. dashed January 2011— Happy New Year from Heloise! — Now we are into the year 2011 and inspired from an email I received I have a way to remember how to write the year. As we get older it seems harder to remember the change of year when writing checks especially. So...with humor...the 1's are noodles or worms relating to hooking and the 20 we are very used to by now so 20 and 2 worms. Bet you won't 4get that! dashed December 2010—Holiday Hooking Projects — The holiday season is here! What a good time to hook a favorite remembrance of the season. It may be a Santa, a reindeer, some elves, holly, cookies or a Christmas tree. Designs of snow and snowmen , winter wonderlands, and woodland animals can be used longer then the traditional Santa themes. Small rugs, backings for jackets, ornaments, stockings, and hot mats can be hooked quickly. Heloise enjoys hooking round coaster size decorations and backs the finished item with glue and then cuts right up to the edge and attaches felt on the back. Adding a short worm for a handle makes the item into an ornament or looped under just use as a coaster. Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday - Enjoy the Season! dashed November 2010, Foundation — the word brings up many thoughts...but get your mind back on hooking. One definition from the dictionary for FOUNDATION “is a body or stock or ground material on which anything is built up”. Many hookers have used burlap (some still do), linen, monk's cloth, wool, and rug warp. The main concerns for backing materials are loose weave, strength and non-elasticity. dashed October 2010 — Hooking Environments — After a long summer and many vacation days- Heloise wants to remind everyone that getting back to hooking will be relaxing and productive. There is something soothing about pulling loops through the backing and creating a picture with wool or many other fibers. You can watch TV, listen to music, think through the day, settle a tough problem in your mind, or have a conversation while working (either with a human being or an animal). Some people enjoy working in solitude and others enjoy working with friends- exchanging ideas, advice and praise. Many hookers receive benefits from both. The most important thing to remember is hooking is FUN! dashed June 2010—Texture in Hooking — This time of year with all the flowers blooming we think of color. Color and design are so important when beginning a rug. Texture is also very important. A rug hooked with all the same weave and weight lacks the quality of texture and may be boring (Unless that is the look you want). Texture can be accomplished by using plaids, tweeds, checks, fuzzy materials, and loosely woven materials. When using different weights and weaves- the width of the strip used in hooking will have to be varied to be evenly hooked. This variation gives texture, which bring interest and diversity to your rug. dashed May 2010—Sharing Ideas — Heloise is visiting a very good friend and realizes just how important it is to talk things over with an understanding friend. For example: We have mutual friends in Scotland who are going to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August. We wanted to send a little something but couldn't figure out just what would be appropriate. So in discussion we came up with the following ideas. The rug hooker will create a small mat with a thistle and a 50 on it and the quilter is designing a table runner in lovely floral fabric. So, what seemed like a problem turned out to be a sharing of ideas and excitement over creating the gifts. Moral- use your hooking guild friends as a sounding board. — Good bye from Seattle dashed April 2010—Organizing Rugs — Photos of our created rugs are a great idea not only for remembering what we have hooked but also for insurance purposes. When organizing the pictures remember to put the size of the rug, date, and any additional comments. It is fun to add the place you hooked the piece if traveling, vacationing or the event that triggered the rug. Such as the addition of a baby in the family, an anniversary or a job oriented rug. The designers name and pattern name should be indicated. It is important to do this for all the large pieces that sit around the house-displayed or stored, any donated piece or a piece that has been given as a gift. dashed March 2010 — Joining Rugs: Here is an opportunity to use your ingenuity and have fun putting together several small rugs to form a larger one. For example, Heloise has 4 stair raisers that are not being used and if put together they would make a cute small rug, or used as a border on a square rug. To combine completed rugs, join them by whipping the binding together. If the bindings are of different colors find a coordinating color. Plan the rug carefully, making sure that the squares are of matching size- or if used as borders - of correct size to fit perfectly in the final assembling. dashed February 2010—Changes in Rug Hooking: February is the month of LOVE! Years ago making a hooked rug was a labor of love despite its discomfort. Great Grandmother had to use flour sacks, rags or burlap and a hook fashioned by hand which was rather rough, and a crude frame. The materials were recycled clothing perhaps those damaged by the sparks from the open fireplace. Her designs were probably those of nature- trees, flowers, animals, etc. Those living near the sea might have had ships and seafaring motifs. Today hooked rug making is a little easier with our materials, fancy hooks, good linens and delicious wools. Our frames are designed for comfort and flexibility. These modern conveniences have not changed the old time charm of our craft but they do help us sit longer and help us create with ease. We LOVE our craft, our creations and appreciate all our talents. dashed December 2009—Signing Your Rug — Who Dun It?! Remember when a good book or movie kept you in suspense and it was difficult to figure out who “dun it”? Well, we as rug hookers do not want that to happen to our creations in the future. We need to put some identification on our hooked artwork — whether it is our initials, name or cute logo and the date. It is important to have the date spelled out....as 2010 rather then '10. If Heloise was doing a rug, she might make a huge H in a contrasting color or blend it in a little or even turn the H sideways. It depends on the background or border or where you are putting the ID. Also, we learned that the binding can be embroidered with all sorts of information for the future. Sewing machines can do miracles today. No matter how you ID your rug, just remember to do it. dashed November 2009—Holiday Hooking — With all the busy days ahead- it is important to still find time to hook. I know I relax and find some quiet time to contemplate and reflect on my day when I hook in the evening. Even if it is just for a half hour or so- I feel better when I shake off the stress of the season- Hooking is so enjoyable that I just have to smile and relax! Sometimes, I reflect on a problem and I realize I have solved it. Answers seem to come when we least expect them. So if I hook I can solve how many cookie batches to bake this year, how will I find time to write Christmas and holiday cards, where will the hours be found to decorate both inside and outdoors, and most of all when will I see the grandkids, friends and family over the holidays. So with this in mind- just hook away- the rest will all get accomplished! dashed October 2009—Care of Hooked Rugs — As the seasons change sometimes it is enjoyable to redecorate and perhaps some rugs might need storing in a safe place. If so- shake the rug free of any loose dirt before storing. Avoid a vacuum cleaner or carpet sweeper- just shake!! When in doubt, think how a homemaker of a hundred years ago might have cleaned a rug. Old methods are still best. It is really best to air the rug for a few hours outdoors on a lovely day. Be sure not to fold the rug but to roll it instead, backing side in, worked side out. Rolling with the pile out places less stress on the pile by not squeezing it together. Rugs may be stored in the back of a closet, under a bed, in a cabinet, or on a shelf. Put some material between the rug and the shelf. Rugs can be draped over a curtain rod or dowel and hung in a closet-for a short period of time. Do not use clothespins or pins, as the weight against the pins will pull the backing. |
professionals who restore (i.e., bringing back to a former condition which include cleaning, repairing and sometimes reconstruction) rugs. Several years ago HCRAG camp instructor, Jayne Hester, stunned her students when she mentioned that she routinely puts her rugs in the washing machine.
Heloise “reporter”, Annie Edwards, learned of a conservation / restoration firm that also washes hooked rugs. Ann Wright who was a guest at one of our meetings brought several Canadian antique rugs that she had restored by a firm whose client list includes the White House. She shared with Annie a “secret” — the firm washes hooked rugs in a shampoo for horses called Orvis Paste Shampoo because it retains the oils in the wool. Have others heard of washing hooked rugs? Let Heloise know.
