Goode day my deare friends. Tis snowing here in Vermont this morning. Our Spring weather has been one of ups and downs to be sure!!! Yesterday, I sat on the front porch hooking, barefoot & wearing just pants and a light sweater, and this morning, bundled up in hat, coat and scarf, I still shivered as Oliver & I took our morning walk! I do believe I will have to keep the fire going all day & perhaps bake a little something to keep the coziness going :)….I'm feeling something gingerbread related may be in order.
Speaking of gingerbread, I just realized that my first FINISHED hooked project reminds me of gingerbread. I'm not quire sure why, but it does nonetheless. :). I'm quite pleased with myself in having finished my first project....oh I have several in progress, hooking projects but this is my first OFFICIAL FINISH!!
My loops are 10 different heights and I'm not really pleased with my color choices but I did what I set out to do, which was to feel comfortable with knowing how to hook. I'm hoping keeping a steady loop height is something that comes with practice... (YES??? NO???))
The stool it is sitting on was made by my niece and her husband (Shopgirl Design Studio). I LOVE IT. It is angled slightly and is perfect, for resting your feet upon, when hooking and/or punching.
NOW..ON TO MY NEXT PROJECT......
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| COLORS ARE...from bottom left to right... deep blue grey/black, dark orange and black, dark greenish brown, light greenish tan light orange. |
This is a design I drew almost a year ago, when I was in Belfast, Maine, and first met my dear friend Connie of Seven Gables Designs AND got started on this rug hooking journey. As you can see I had previously hooked the turkey and the pumpkin stem. Yesterday, I took the loops out, as I feel I can do a better job now than I had done originally...well, lets hope anyway.
NOW...the NEXT thing and, what I seem to be struggling with the most....
CHOOSING COLORS!!
I feel like I am usually quite good at color planning. As far as my punch needle embroidery designs go, I love them, but for some reason...I can't seem to settle on what colors I should use when rug hooking!!! I don't trust myself, especially after having chosen WRONG with my foot stool!!!
I MEAN..IT'S AN AUTUMN DESIGN..THIS SHOULDN'T BE THAT DIFFICULT...…
Why am I making this so hard???
URN....grey/black?
PUMPKIN.....orange...white...green???????
PUMPKIN STEM...… greenish tan??
TURKEY....UGH..... red neck...brown/black body... ?
BACKGROUND....???????? black?... OATMEAL????
I was original thinking a dark green background (because I LOVE green) but I dont' think that is going to work...…. Though now that I am starring at this photo....How lovely would the dark grey look next to that green!!!
UGH....I JUST DON'T KNOW...…
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By the way...this is the first design that I've created specifically for rug hooking!! I usually design for punch needle FIRST and offer the template for rug hooking :~).
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Okay..i'm off to finish tidying the house then it's a shower and pattern printing for me. Hopefully, as I walk past all these colors, laid out on the dining room table, the proper color palette will come to me.
Until next time ~ wishing you JoY, Doreen
your hooking is perfect ~ it should look handmade and heartfelt...and it does! and like all of your work and designs, is just beautiful ~ I have been hooking for over 30 years and can't keep my loops anywhere near even ~ I embrace 'my' look now! Lori
ReplyDeleteAWE ~ Thank you Lori, that just made my day :).
DeleteHugs, Doreen
My thoughts on choosing your wool colors is to choose from your punch needle threads, as you are more comfortable with your color choices, and then match those to the wool fabrics
ReplyDeleteHello Kim ~ THANK YOU SO MUCH...that is a WONDERFUL idea..I will do just that!!! :)
DeleteI love it, Doreen! Hook On!
ReplyDeleteGood morning Sandi :) Thank you so much.
DeleteYour foot stool is great ! I love the loops to be different heights , makes it look nice & prim ! I struggle choosing colors too ….but just go for it & if you don't like it ….pull it out !!! I browse my pinterest rug hooking pins for color ideas, but that can make me even more confused !!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much :). You are so right, Pinterest can be a bit overwhelming but it does give you great ideas :)
ReplyDeleteYour first completed hooked piece looks great. Hey, my loops aren't perfect either and figure a good steaming will make everything settle down nice and evenly. FYI, think a lot of us (me) has difficulty choosing colors; perhaps that is why I love antique adaptations so much ~ the woman before me did all the hard color planning and they mellowed with age.
ReplyDeleteHello Saundra. Thank you so very much :) That is very true, they do give great inspiration. :)
DeleteWishing you a lovely day, doreen
Love your colors nothing wrong with gingerbread yumm.
ReplyDeletesuch lovely colors.
cathy
Doreen, don't 2nd guess yourself... you have a natural innate gift and we all just need to get more ZEN about our approach to our art! We need a little more "breathe in and breathe out" and then dive in approach to our creations! We have too many distractions everywhere and compare ourselves constantly to what "others are doing" on all these other sites.
ReplyDeleteA great little tip with hooked rugs is to lay out your wool and rug pattern on the floor, stand over it in good lighting; move the colors around, walk away for a bit and have another look. If you go "ahhhh" then that's it, if anything "screams at you"...then remove and replace. You've got this!♥ ~Diane :)