TA- DA!

It's done!

I un-hooked everything I didn't like and re-hooked it. I think changing the leaves made a huge difference. I also love the 1 inch green border around the outside edge. Sandy taught me how to sew on the rug tape by hand.  It was much easier then I was anticipating. 

I  am super happy with it and glad to have it finished.

 
I couldn't wait to show the girls at our chapter meeting my completed rug. Even though they have been hooking longer then I have been alive and they are on a completely different level then I am, they all ohhhed and awwed and made me feel like it was the greatest thing ever.  You have to love it when other people appreciate your work (I don't even care if they were faking it). 

I wanted to have a photo taken with Sandy. Sandy was the lady we met in the park a year ago that introduced my girls and me to rug hooking.  She also has all of us local hookers over to her house every Thursday night. She has been amazingly wonderful to me helping me with everything and answering all my never ending questions. 

Here is a detail of the front

And the back. According to Sandy the white areas that is showing are called vacations. She said that mine look great and show I am not a packer. Good hookers are not packers.
I have already started my next project... but it's a gift so I can't post about it yet. 

So close

Technically I was done with my rug, but I am unhooking the leaves and re-hooking them with a darker green outline. I think it will look so much better with the leaves outlined.

Now that I almost done I am worried about finishing the edges. When I asked the ladies last Thursday night they said that round rugs are the hardest to finish because you don't want the edges to be wavy. The lady that taught our color class finished her rugs like a binding on a quilt. I could do it that way, but I really want to learn the traditional way 1st. These women are such amazing hookers, I am trying to soak up what I can and learn from their experience before we move away.

I am already playing with designs in my head for my next rug.

Hmm, what to do, what to do?

A little break from the bee hive

My good friend Stephanie just had a baby and I wanted to make something for her. She (and her husband) are great quilters so I did not want to do a quilt.  Honestly since I have started hooking, I have not quilted anything so it was not hard to decide to hook something for her new little girl.

I used a fairly simple pattern but then dyed the wool super bright almost crayon like colors.  It was really fun to hook something so bright. 

I loved the idea I heard from the color class I attended. She said that you should hook a small portion of each part of the rug before you continue to check the colors together.  Such a great idea- it's much easier to unhook one line then a whole section!

After I was done hooking it, I blocked it by putting a moist towel over the top of it and ironing it with high steam. Then I let it lay flat overnight to fully dry.

Once it was dry, I found a groovy trim to sew around the pillow. I thought this was the kind of thing that a kid would like to touch and play with.  

I LOVE polka dots, so of course the back of the pillow was a no-brainer.

I asked Lucy if she thought Jocelyn would like it and she said "No... I like it, will you make one for me?" I am really happy with the way it turned out and happy to give it to such a beautiful little baby.