Working Up To A Proper Rug

This rug will go in the front of our new (old) Shulim Krimper couch. Hence the odd shape. It will sit with the back of the rug slightly underneath, but you'll see the whole thing.
It's based on Uzbekistan traditional embroidery design. Now I just have to ponder my colour scheme. I'll do that while I'm making the Cat Seat Cover.

P.S. Any of the patterns I publish on my blog are free to be used, but not for commercial purposes. Otherwise, go sick.

P.P.S. The One True thinks I should round off the points and make it more feathery... sigh... I'll do another tracing. He may be right.

Ideas For Hooky Rag Rug

I drew this at work, on a scrap of paper... then did a larger version, which (as is often the case) didn't have the same vibe. So I've blown up the original and will have a go at working it (as in the bottom picture) as a stool seat cover. It'll be a good learning piece and I'm sure I'll learn heaps, since I know nothing at all at present.

Iggy's Slippers

Shula gave me a copy of this old pattern, and I've made loads since. They take no time at all and you can have heaps of fun. Heaps! One of my bosses at work is a sweetie and he and his wife have a new little baby boy, so I had another excuse to get the felt out. A good train project. So cute and boopy! And very quick.

My New Monogrammed Sheet Set

The photo's make it look shinier and a brighter blue. Pretty though! It's pretty anyway. The flash has picked up on the satin weave of the damask. The other piece I embroidered will go into a doona cover. The pillow cases are made using tablecloths from my Granny's pub, which she sold in the 70's.

The piggy doll my Mum made and Abigail and Bronwyn is my own design.

Look how happy the kids are!
I am going to feather stitch around the scallops though. Just have to buy more perle.

It's not actually this blue. Nor are the pillow cases so shiny. It's the flash. The damask feels lovely and old fashioned and warm and heavy and Proper.

My Latest Obsession

I have just joined the Victorian Rug Makers group and am about to go completely ga ga on rugs. With my Wagga's and my many other crafty supplies, I have enough stuff to clothe the entire floor with rugs of many colours. It's good. All part of the grand plan, to have my own version of William Morris's Red House. I'll tell you more later, the One True is feeling left out!

A tiny, finely worked (possibly) Doll's House rug. Worked with quite fine wool on hessian. From the Murray Walker collection (bought at auction)

My 'Korean Wrapping Cloth' style ship sails lamp on a rag rug sea. Rug also from the Murray Walker collection.
(Murray Walker collected Australiana. My One True and I purchased a box of textiles -amongst other things) from his downsizing auction. These rugs had been produced in the traditional methods for his book, Old Colonial Crafts, published in the 70's.)

My one and (so far) only attempt at rug hooking (well... kind of). From a vintage picture. I have embroidered the mouth. Now that I look at it again, I do like it a lot. What put me off at the time (20+ years ago) was the fineness of the woollen yarn. It would be good in woollen fabric strips instead. Hmmm...

Back and front of another from Walker's collection. It has been worked with a needle, I think? There is one section that is looped, as if the rest has been worked thus, then cut? The yarn is very fine, probably abour a 3 ply. Pretty though.

I purchased four of these rugs almost 30 years ago (above back and front pictures), at St. Andrews market, for $20 each. Sadly, I divorced and had to relinquish two! They have been made using all sorts of cloths... Crimpelene, t-shirting, anything! They are not soft and lovely to stand on, but are extremely warm and sensible. So Very Sensible.
There were quite a few more I could have bought, but funds were limited. An old lady had made them some years previously and her husband was selling off junk. He seemed surprised that I valued them and I suppose saw them as utilitarian objects, which they were and are.

Monogrammed Damask Sheets

I bought some heavy damask, for sheets, years ago and then decided that, of course, they needed to be monogrammed. Which effected an immediate 3-4 year procrastination...
This is the trial piece, or ended up thus. It's done on a tablecloth from my Granny's old pub and has a slightly different shine. I'll make a matching-ish pieced doona cover with a heap of tablecloths.
I just took the top sheet off the line and the fitted one is still on my sewing machine, so... later.



The design is based upon Irish crochet motifs. It feels Irish. The lettering is mine. RM2 has turned into our motif... my One True has the same initials you see.

And Another Cushion

Once you get started on the cushions....



The fabrics are exquisite. I've used ALL of the ducky blue French silk scraps, and the medium silver/gold fabric (it's in the Rabbit Fur Bee Cushion). I love using things up.
It's, overall, perhaps a bit dark, a bit orange? However, it looks lovely on the new chairs so it's OK. The silks feel beautiful too, and it's filled with soft and lovely Kapok.