Leaps and Bounds

I hooked a rug! It's a Calla Lily. I designed it and had the backing all prepared, and the pattern transferred for the first Tuesday of the month, thinking I'd buy a little wool and If I got a chance I'd have it dyed and ready to use at the next meeting two Tuesdays later. But I should have known I'd get all wrapped up in it. I dyed a yard of wool in all different pastels like, the day after I bought it, and then proceeded to hook the whole thing! It was so much fun I just couldn't put it down, so now I have no idea what I will have to work on this coming Tuesday. I think I'll just have to bring my tapestry frame and work on that.

I'm halfway through my second tapestry. I got all done the first one and was all excited to take it off the loom, but then I remembered that there was a whole chunk of warp on the backside. So I designed another cartoon based on a rose, and off I wove.

This first shot is of both the Calla Lily rug and the Rose tapestry. I have most of the difficult detail woven on it, so the rest should go relatively quickly.




I'm just in love with the process of rug hooking. It works up faster than tapestry, and I can have fun with salvaged fabrics. But most of my heart still remains with tapestry. I hope to have a series of these 8' x 11" ones completed by midwinter. Maybe I'll hook a few rugs in the series too!

And voila! My very first rug. It's about 12" x 15". I think it is destined to become a cushion top. I did hook this one too tightly. The loops were too densely packed against the linen backing and it makes the rug curl. I guess I'll know for next time. Loosen up!




Here is the finished first tapestry:




And I tried a few close ups as I am finally using my wonderful new camera. Thanks Dad!




You can't really tell (I think because of the flash) but there's a bunch of sparkle in with the pastels:




I really wanted to be patient with my rose and weave it up with a greater attention to detail. My former tapestries were very flat, with little in the way of intricacy. So I'm pushing myself more and more with each new project to slow down and add striations, shadows, more veins etc.



Sadly this photo doesn't give you all the information. Wherever I switch to turquoise against the pale pink petals it's raised, and you can see strands of pink between. It's quite delicate and lovely.



Okay! I'll try to get back again once more in June. I still have to post images of my paintings, and hopefully I'll be done the Rose by then as well. Maybe I'll have the loom threaded up for my Pitcher plant by then!

Hearts off the charts everyone!
JQ