Rug Hooking

I have another hobby that I don't get to very often. I even blogged about these two projects back in 2012.  You can read more about it here.  

I am on a mission to get UFO's done this year, even those that are not quilt related.  I pulled these out, and I am ready to get them bound, so they can be put in the finished column and possibly put them to use.  

This hobby is called Rug Hooking.  You can google it or look it up on Pinterest, but it is a fascinating hobby.  Basically, you cut up wool in even small 1/4" strips and hook them into a base.  The result is just beautiful.  The finished products can be from primitive to very intricate perfection.  

The top two pictures are the first one I did in a class where I was taught how to do the craft.

I folded the backing to get it ready for the binding it needs to finish it for use.

And this is the next one I did and it is ready for binding.

I choose to use rug binding (can be bought by the yard, I purchased a whole spool) to finish my quilts.  I have this one started, and I am about half way done.  

An up close look at the binding after it is sewn on around the edges.  It gives the hooked rug a nice finished look.  Then you just slip stitch the binding down around the inside of the rug.  

I usually only do my hand work while traveling to and from our trade shows.  We don't have one until the first weekend of December.  I will be able to finish this one and then work on the other one. 

I can then add all my Rug Hooking UFO's to the finished column, and then start on a new hooking project.  

Warmest...

Wren

Binding Marathon

I have been on a binding marathon again, I had four quilts back from the long arm quilter the first of October.  AND, I just got back five more from the long arm quilter about a week ago.  

This quilt is the last of the four from last month.  I need a nice day (maybe next April?) to take pictures again of all the quilts (UFO's) that I have gotten completely done.  I will be working on the next five quilts over the holidays.  

This is a sneak peek close up of this quilt.  It is a a Thimbleberry club back in 2005.  

More about this quilt and the others coming soon.

Warmest...

Binding Time

As you all know, I have been finishing up my UFO's and sending them off to be quilted.  I managed to get about 11 of the bound and photographed, that you have been able to see in the past several posts.  But, I am now about 8 quilts behind that have come back from the quilter.  these 4 quilts have the binding sewn on them and are ready for hand stitching.

These four quilts need binding made and sewn on them.

I am hoping to get the binding on these sometime next week.

But, they will remain in one large pile, because I want to have some hand sewing to do when I get surgery on my knee.  I am scheduled for surgery on December 2nd, and I know I'll have to sit quite a bit if not solely, so I want to have them ready for finishing.

Then again, December is a long way off, and I may find some time to get them done before then, as I want to get theses UfO's done and a few more that are being sent to the quilter next week.  So if I get these done and the newer ones,  I will have to find some embroidery work or a crochet project.

Oh well, it will all work out in the end.

Warmest...

New notion help

So, after it's all said and done, I thought I would share a most amazing new notion that helps in bag making.  They are called Wonder Clips by Clover!  And wonder clips they are...

If anyone has ever sewn any type of bags, you know there many layers of thickness that regular straight pins are difficult to use.  Most of the time, I have gone through a whole box of pins, either having them bend out of shape, or breaking under the machine.  So to the rescue, here comes wonder clips!

They have the strength to hold the fabric in place, just like straight pins do, they don't leave pin marks, you never forget to remove them and break a sewing machine needle (only because the needle and foot can't sew over them, tee hee hee), and they don't poke your fingers.

They come in packages of 10, 20, or 50.  I started out with 10, and realized I liked them so much, I picked up a package of 50.  They even come in a nice container box to keep them in!  

Here is a close up of the little wonder.

To be totally honest, I bought the original 10 clips to use when binding my quilts, and the box was open one day, and I grabbed one to use while making a bag, and the rest is history.....

NOTE:  Clover now has jumbo wonder clips (green).  Go figure, I might have to give them a test run, too.