Thursday, January 29, 2015

New Finish and A Trip to the Antique Shop



This is my newly hooked rug, which was inspired by a design from The Simple Quiet.  LOVE the way it turned out, and now I need to decide how I want to bind it.  I would love to try a crocheted edge using wool strips.  I've seen a short tutorial, but it wasn't complete, so it would probably be more trial and error on my part!  We will see...

I also have made an afternoon to visit one of my favorite local antique shops and brought home a few treasures.  I apologize in advance for the picture quality...something wonky going on with my camera....maybe operator error!

 LOVED the small redware bowl.  The hand crafted hearts are very primitive with a black bead at the bottom of each heart.  They looked wonderful in a bowl or hanging!
 I HAD to buy this wonderful prim snowman.  He is so much more primitive in person than depicted by this picture.  LOVE him!
 This old looking "crazy" cat was very inexpensive and waaaaay cute.  I also HAD to buy it.  It is sitting on a small hooked rug in an antique child's wooden chair.  Looks great (except for the chair's layer of dust!)  The little cat came the way it looks old, primitive and dusty looking...the fabric is wonderful!
Four ladies from our rug hooking group took a trip to The Woolen Needle in Williamsburg, IA last Saturday.  What a great shop!  Lots and lots of fabulous wool and the most helpful staff ever.  They were so nice!  After leaving The Woolen Needle, we decided to go just a little out of our way and stopped at Wheaton Woolens, in Davenport.  Beth Ann's shop was very busy that day, but we bought more wonderful wool and I also purchased two new patterns!  I think I now officially have projects lined up for the next 10 years! :0)  If you have never visited Wheaten Woolens, it is well worth a drive to see. Beth Ann's rugs are the best...love her color choices.   I can't wait to go back!

Have a great weekend!
Hugs,
Linda

10 comments:

  1. Hi Linda - Cute rug - I like the way you hooked the background around the mouse - this rug looks very old to me because of the colors you used.I have crocheted the edge of ONE rug and I really like the way it turned out - I have several friends who finish this way on everything they hook. The trick is having yardage so you can cut REALLY long strips to use. Not sure which tutorial you saw, but this one on YouTube is helpful.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36gKiBFpm-4
    Your redware bowl is great with the chip in the edge - those hearts look like they might have been painted and sanded? Great technique.

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  2. Thank you so much, Gayle, for your kind comments and for the you tube link...I can't wait to watch it and to finish the crocheted binding! The redware bowl is really nice...LOVE the way it looks.

    The hearts in the bowl are actually sewn from really primitive looking fabric and stuffed. The black bead sewn to the point of each heart adds a nice touch!

    Thanks again, Gayle!
    Linda

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  3. Oh I love your finds. The hearts are darling.
    and visits to a rug shop just makes it all the better.
    Cathy

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  4. Linda,
    You did a great job on your cat and mouse rug. I hooked a very similar one which was a Heavens to Betsy pattern. Gayle is right, The longer the strips of wool, the better. Kris Miller has a great finishing book (not the one just published) that has excellent instruction (Kris states that a 60" length of wool will only crochet 4"!!!) You can also find good info on Karen Kahle's blog.
    Your snowman and cat are great finds and I love the sweet rug the cat is sitting on.
    That sounds like a fun trip you took. I would call it just perfect.
    Happy hooking :)
    Lauren

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  5. Thanks, Cathy and Lauren! I did try the crochet binding this afternoon, and wow, itdoes take a lot of wool! In the end, I have decided on a different finish because the crocheted edge just didn't seem right for this design.. I will check out Kris' book, for sure, especially since I didn't know what to do with all the "tails" left hanging on the back!

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  6. I love your lovely finds at the antique store. I was on Lauren's site and I found your blog. What lovely rugs you do! I love that rug you just finished. I have wanted to learn how to bind rugs like you described. I keep telling myself to just do it. I need to watch some tutorials too I guess.
    The last rug you did on your table is fantastic.

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  7. Hi Linda - wonderful finish of your rug. I love the subject matter as well.
    Fun finds at the antique shop!
    I have yet to BIND any of my rugs - but they sure are fun to hook! lol
    Blessings
    Karen

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  9. Hi,

    I was just wondering if you have a link to the rug pattern that inspired your rug? Its beautifully done.

    Thank you
    Meghan

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    1. Meghan, The pattern that prompted me to draw my own version wasa pattern download purchased from The Simple Quiet's Etsy store.

      www.etsy.com/shop/thesimplequietdesign

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