Having traveled in the Middle East for over 25 years and represented the United Methodist Church in Jerusalem for three years, I am enamored with the art and design of that part of the world. My time off each year is to attend Maryland Shores Rug School, in April, seeking out my friend and mentor, Nancy Blood, as my teacher. I am usually searching for a project and asked Nancy if she had any thoughts. Knowing my penchant for Persian motifs, Nancy suggested “Istanbul”--several times. Then a few years ago, my roommate at Northern Teachers' Workshop, Julie Mayo, was disposing of some patterns for a friend--one of which was “Istanbul.” The minute I saw it, I felt it had to be!

Nancy did the magnificent “all-color” color plan which evolved from Maryland Shores in April through Teachers' Workshop in July. Since no motif is repeated, the challenge is to move the colors around in different parts of the design. Like many of our rugs, they begin to tell you where certain colors are needed as the design is hooked. Everything does not have to be color planned at one sitting. This is part of the artistry.

Nancy sent sixteen formulas for swatches and background and I began dyeing--which for me is as much fun as the hooking! Almost all the formulas are from MaryAnn Lincoln's dyebook, Primary Mixtures.

The most difficult challenge was hooking the birds’ feathers. Since there was not a lot of definition in the blue and red swatches, the feathers all melted together. My previous teacher of many years, Meredith LeBeau, Salem, Massachusetts, had taught me a technique which she called “buttonholing:” take one thread from a dark piece of wool and hook around the edge of each hooked feather, thereby giving it the illusion of an outline--without it becoming a definite line. The rug hooked quite quickly for me because each motif was different; I wanted to finish one and go on to another to see what it would look like. The rug was finished in seven months.

An interesting sidebar to my “Istanbul” story happened at the monthly Blue and Grey gathering in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which I attend when I am able. I was working on my rug, and Yvonne Miller, a long-time, well-known teacher who happened to be attending that day, asked me if I knew the story behind the pattern. Pearl had received a birthday greeting from a friend with a print of a plate showing a design based on traditional Turkish decorative art and Yvonne had one of the cards! She was kind enough to allow me to copy it. It is quite different from my rug; it has a white background and uses the traditional blues, turquoises and rusts of lsnik pottery.

I feel with Nancy's guidance, “Istanbul” has been my best piece of work to date. It received the “Best in Show” award at the juried Gallery Show of The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen; second People's Choice in Celebrations XIV, and will be on display at the Quilt and Textile Museum of the Heritage Center of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, from April through September of this year as part of their one year special show, “Rags to Rugs,” a retrospective of Lancaster County hooked rugs. It will then be retired to the art collection of my son, Bob, in Northampton, Massachusetts. Thanks to my children who gave me a website a year ago for Christmas, readers can view “Istanbul” and click on to enlarge and see close-up details of the rug: www.peggyhannum.com

Color Plan for “Istanbul”

Background = Nancy's Color Beauties Primary D “Lincoln” (adjusted) over 1 yard Dorr 44 (1
                          Canary + 3/4 Peacock + 3/4 Cherry each in 1 CBW + 1/2 cup vinegar)

Birds = Maryanne Lincoln Primary Mixtures: “Rich Red” over Dorr Red Grapefruit;
             “Buttercup” over Dorr Sunflower; “Confederate Blue” over Dorr 142 (all 8-value swatches)

Leaves = Maryanne Lincoln Primary Mixtures: “Foliage” over Dorr Celadon, Dorr 8218,
                Woolrich Sand 819 and Woolrich Polly's Grayed Aqua 708,
                 Dorr Red Grapefruit, Dorr Sunflower and Dorr 142 (all 8-value swatches)

Flowers = Maryanne Lincoln Primary Mixtures: “Rusty Tulip” over Dorr 456 (double
                   formula), Woolrich Scarlet (triple formula), Woolrich Amber 301 (all 8-value swatches)

Flowers = Maryanne Lincoln Primary Mixtures: “Red Grape” over Woolrich Lavender, 632,
                  Woolrich Scarlet 401, Dorr 144 (all 8-value swatches)

When it comes to hooking flowers, my best successes have been in taking the time and having the patience to attend to the details. This is a slower process than shading a leaf, for instance, but worth the effort. There are, for most of us, two kinds of hooking: the ‘don’t think about it much and get it done’ variety which works well for me when I’m too tired to think but still want to put in my hooking time, and the other kind which says: ‘All right, this is a bit of a challenge, so let’s relax and not hurry it.’ The latter, for me, is the most fun and satisfying but unfortunately not my most predominant mood!

Whether the flower is large or small makes no difference. The chrysanthemum pictured is from the center of Pearl McGown’s “Gainsborough” and measures 8 inches across and 6 inches deep. There are five of these chrysanthemums in the floral motif, so it was first of all, necessary to make each one slightly different in terms of color. The outer border of the rug is a gold scroll hooked in 8 value swatches of TOD 28-94. I had originally dyed this in 1981 when I worked on the piece. Last year I tried to duplicate the formula for one of my students and after several frustrating adjustments was finally able to replicate the color with the new Cushing dyes: 1/8+1/16 t. Canary, 1/16 + 1/32 t. Bright Green, and 1/16 + 1/32 t. Rust in 1 CBW in 8 jars over 8 pieces 13" by 15" of Dorr’s White wool, using the spooning: 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 14 and the rest. For a second yellow shade my teacher, Meredith LeBeau, provided her formula for a lovely pale yellow to light gold: ‘Meredith’s 22' over 8 pieces of 13 by 71/2 inches white wool, using Color Flow chart spooning for 2 colors. First Color: 1/32 t. Canary in 1/2 CBW. Second Color: 1/8 t. Old Gold in 1/2 CBW.

Using these two swatches, I was able under Meredith’s expert guidance, to achieve subtle variations in each flower by hooking one flower in the yellow swatch, one in the gold, and then cross swatching, using values 1-4 of one swatch with values 5-8 of the other. We worked on the top row of petals first, using the lighter values, 1-5, doing each one carefully attending to the shadows when one petal’s edge was under another. Then we did the second row of underneath petals in the darker values, 3-8. Since I was working full-time, it was relaxing not to hurry this and do a couple of petals each evening. In those days it took me a couple of years to finish a rug, I think three on “Gainsborough,” but looking back, the time spent on detail produced some of the loveliest results.

So much for the BIG flowers. This year I finally finished Pearl McGown’s “Unicorn in Captivity,” with a background of mille fleurs, each one approximately a half inch in diameter, with only a few larger, but none more than one inch. I began this about twenty years ago, also with Meredith, and at that time under Meredith’s expert guidance had finished the unicorn and part of the fence. I had done about three flowers and with just two or three values in each of these tiny motifs. When I decided last year that it was about time to finish this piece, I began to hook a few more flowers, but found I really became caught up in shading each little one, using sometimes all eight values as in the irises and the trumpet flowers and at least five values in the rest. I really found it relaxing to do perhaps only two little sprigs an evening.

The key to successfully creating tiny detail in both pieces was in using a #3 cut and packing the stitches in tightly, sometimes, especially with the mille fleurs, putting two stitches in one hole. Also, doing the background as you go is crucial. To do points and small details, you can ‘push stitches around’ by going into the same hole in the flower petal with the background color to achieve the fine detail you want.

All of this takes time, but the slower pace is a relaxing one as well. We all have more than one project going at a time. It is good to have that outline and fill one, but it is relaxing to have a slower, finely detailed piece also, a rug “for all seasons.”

Every now and again someone will ask me if I have sold any of my rugs. My somewhat shocked response has been: “No, and I haven’t sold any of my children either!” Recently, I have come down off my high horse a bit. Until I retired, it took me two or three years to finish a rug, and in one case seven. When you live with something that long, it is part of your family. Now I am hooking three or four rugs a year. I am a night person, and it is amazing to me how much one can accomplish between 8:00 and 11:30 at night.

I have come to the point that I am hooking rugs because I want to see what can be achieved with color and form, not because I am trying to create a spot of beauty on a particular space of floor or wall. In that respect, I have reached ‘critical mass,’ and the thought of giving some away to my family surfaced recently when I decided to draw and hook my grandson’s cat, “William’s Cat.” I held onto it for a year or so, putting it in various rug shows, but having run out of those, faced the fact that perhaps I really should part with “one of my children” and, long overdue, give the rug to William for Christmas. Having finally made that decision, a whole floodgate opened, and I began planning which other rugs to give to my sons and daughter. I certainly didn’t have the excuse that, “Oh well, my daughter-in-law would probably put it in the garage.” They all value my rugs as much as I do.

My only lingering regret was that once they were gone, they were gone. I had an album of photographs, but somehow that didn’t seem to have the permanence I wanted. Synergy does affect life, and things have a way of happening simultaneously. Last summer we were vacationing in Maine with our son and his family at the home of Bob’s friend from college whose avocation is painting and who displays his works in a gallery near his home in Santa Fe. David shared his portfolios with me which were quite impressive and professionally done. My thought was that it would be wonderful to have something lasting and of this quality to display my own art work, but I thought it would be out of my price range.

David’s sharing his portfolio and explaining how it was done was the answer to my need to have a lasting illustration of my rugs before some were dispersed.

The process is not difficult nor any more expensive than the cost of doing a large rug or attending a rug camp. The largest expense is incurred in the initial photography. The rugs need to be professionally photographed which might cost between twenty-five and thirty-five dollars apiece. I was fortunate to be close to Bill Bishop who does the photography for Rug Hooking Magazine so was able to take my pieces to his studio where they could be hung on a wall to be photographed. Perhaps, you are talented enough to do this part of the process yourself.

The next step, or perhaps even before you have the rugs photographed, is to go to a photocopying shop. I chose Sir Speedy as it was close to me, but any similar business will charge about the same. The personnel were very helpful even to the point of speaking with the photographer and asking him to put the photos on a disc which they then can put into their computer to print out.

After I had proofs of the photos, I laid them out and hand printed my copy where I wanted it on each page, keeping the text to a minimum. I included the name of the rug, the size and the designer in one blurb; in a second, hand dyed on which backing, the number of the cut and the year completed; in a third, listed any publication and awards; and lastly, if appropriate, briefly, the inspiration. My dedication page was inscribed to my two teachers, Meredith LeBeau and Nancy Blood who have been my friends and mentors during my twenty-seven years of rug hooking. My son, Bob, who has an art background, suggested not using the same layout on each page but positioning the pictures and texts differently. It was good advice.

One important factor was that Sir Speedy did a proof run before printing all ten copies. This was, as it turned out, critical as the photos all had a decided greenish tint, which was due to the particular copying machine they were using. They were not satisfied nor was I, so they assured me that they would produce a piece we would both be proud to have. The color in the second proof was excellent. Only after I felt it was satisfactory was it printed.

The Christmas gifts were much appreciated, and I now have a very professional permanent record of my art work. The best part, however, is that many of my students wanted to purchase copies as well, so that meant that even though I have not written the great American novel, I can say that I am in my second printing! And the even nicer addendum is that the more you print, the less expensive it becomes per page. Sir Speedy has the book in their computer and all they need to do is press the button to print out more at any time.

Consider a portfolio!

 Recently, I came across an article in the Sunday New York Times "Travel" section (May 31,1998), entitled "On a Unicorn Hunt in France." (It seemed "recent;" time is relative the older one gets, I find). The account tells the fascinating history of Aubusson, the little town in central France, from its 16^th and 17^th century heyday when both the nobility and royalty of France commissioned tapestries for their large castles along the Loire River to its near demise after World War I when tastes changed and the demand for religious and hunting scenes, produced and imitated for centuries, fell out of favor. Nevertheless, the St. Jean family has continued the tradition; once, Aubusson had employed some 300 workers; now about a dozen artisans repair priceless ancient pieces and accept commissions. One can tour the Tapestry Museum at the Manufacture St.-Jean where is displayed, among other pieces, the prized design of a carpet that graces the Red Room of the White House.

The article stirred my memory of Pearl's pattern, "The Unicorn," an adaptation of The Unicorn in Captivity, the seventh tapestry in the series, The Hunt of the Unicorn, housed at the Cloisters (Metropolitan Museum of Art), New York. Several years ago I began the piece-the "several" being, again, relative-attested by the $15.00 price tag. In those years, I was studying with, apprenticed to and sitting at the feet of, my excellent teacher, Meredith Le Beau; with her inspiration, we planned, and I began "The Unicorn."

I bought a poster at the Met on a subsequent visit to New York, but was unable to see the actual almost 6' tall tapestries as The Cloisters was closed for renovations at the time. I planned to return as soon as possible to see them which I hope to do "in the near future." With the help of the poster, we were able to copy as closely as possible the colors for the hooked piece. On the poster, there are several drops of "blood" on the unicorn's chest and body which I put into my piece as well, feeling that added more poignancy than just the wistfulness in the chained unicorn's expression-he had been mortally wounded in the hunt and afterwards resurrected.

That all was "a while ago." When I began to think about this article, I decided it might be judicious to be a bit knowledgeable about the subject, so I checked with the local library and found a wonderful resource: The Unicorn Tapestries by Margaret B. Freeman, Curator Emeritus of the Cloisters. I highly recommend the book, not only for the beautiful color plates, but also for the history and detailed description of each piece and adjunct interpretations. Much to my chagrin, Ms. Freeman, in describing the ripe pomegranates hanging from the tree, notes that some have burst so that "their seeds with their red juice have spilled onto the unicorn's milk white body." So much for my wounded unicorn-poignant and wistful. All was not lost, however... there are, according to Ms. Freeman's account, several interpretations: one being, the allegorical love hunt described by medieval poets in which the bridegroom is captured and at last secured by his adored lady-the "wistful" look. I presume: or it may be interpreted as the risen Christ in the midst

Twenty years ago, when I first started rug hooking, I purchased all of Pearl McGown's books. Since I was teaching full time and caring for a family, I spent my free evenings leafing through the books and dreaming about the rugs I would someday create, too tired to actually hook. However, I was fortunate enough to happen upon a one-of-a-kind hooking teacher, Meredith LeBeau, who taught weekly evening classes, and it was with Meredith that I embarked upon my all-time favorite, "Gainsborough," pictured in Pearl's book, You... Can Hook Rugs.

"Gainsborough" is still my favorite rug and is as bright as it was 16 years ago. I really love the black background. It makes an "entrance"--an elegant queen mother in my living room. Although I am now retired and the kids have gone, I still find I spend an inordinate amount of time leafing through books and magazines dreaming about the rugs 1 will someday hook. Perhaps this is my twist on Pearl's first and delightful book, The Dreams Beneath Design, my "designs dreams are made of."

Formulas used in "Gainsborough"

Scrolls: Meredith's variation on Family 28 TOD 94 which was too greenish 

1/4 + 1/8 Canary

1/32 + 1/64 Bright Green          all in 1 CBW   13x15 pieces of wool
1/16 + 1/32 Rust                        TOD gradations

Chain. Ferns. Foxgloves: Color Flow 73 - a grayed light blue to deep green
Color Flow measurements

Chrysanthemums: Meredith LeBeau 22
                                1^st color: 1/32 Canary in 1/2 CBW      CF measurements
                                2^nd color: 1/8 Old Gold in 1/2 CBW     13x71/2 pieces of wool
                               Also gold swatch from scrolls intermingled with M 22

Tulips: Ethel Bruce 180 - green to green
                               1/4 Bronze Green
                               3/32 Medium Brown           all in 1/2 CBW
                               2/32 Nugget Gold              13x15 pieces of wool
                              Measurements: 1/8 -1/4 -1/2 - 3/4 -1 t. -1 1/2 t. - 1 T - 2T

Center Rose and Buds: Ethel Bruce 278 - pale blue to grayed rose
                                1^st color: 1/16 Aqualon Blue in 1/2 CBW         CF measurements
                                2^nd color: 1/8 Orchid in 1/2 CBW                13x15 pieces of wool
                                3^rd color: 1/8 Crimson + 1/16 Medium Brown in 1/2 CBW

Roses: Family 31 TOD 102 - almost white to dark red

Leaves: Family 1 TOD 3
Meredith LeBeau 27
1/2 Bright Green
3/32 Canary               all in 1 CBW
3/32 Rust                   12 x 24 pieces of wool

Connie's Cauldron measurements for 6 values
Centers of Mums and Leaf Veins: Spot dye with M 27 (above), gold and red

"Humble Beginnings" is a delightful little "primitive" which can also lend itself to a more traditional treatment. Worked in a 4-cut, this has become a very good teaching piece as a first rug for beginning hookers, as well as a fast and satisfying one for some of the advanced hookers in my classes.

One side of the border is a good starting place for the new student to practice since the outlines of the "clouds" in the border are casserole-dyed, so there is no shading. The fill is random and the darker border is hooked in straight lines. A good place to establish nice, even loops!

The two very large flower motifs offer the new hooker a chance to learn some fine shading and fingering with an 8-value swatch; then they can carry this technique into the two smaller gold flowers. These offer a bit more of a challenge as some of the smaller petals overlap. For the accomplished veteran, it's relaxing and moves along quickly. The branch offers an opportunity to use a spot-dye, hooking directionally to achieve the rounded effect at the base of the stem.

The two large leaves and four smaller ones use a 6-value green swatch, moving out from the veins hooked with the casserole-dye used in the border. The variegated leaf veins, along with the red veins in the blue tulip, the blue centers in the gold Flowers and the gold middles of the red flowers, demonstrate the value of carrying the various colors into all segments of the piece, enabling the eye moves easily around the rug. The greens are carried out into the two narrow borders, using lighter greens in the center border and darker ones on the outer edge.

The edge is overcast with three strands of crewel yarn: two strands of one green and one strand of another to exactly blend with the values used in the two last border rows. The fine overcasting highlights the importance of taking the time and patience to finish off a piece well. "Humble Beginnings" evolves rather easily and quickly into a finely executed heirloom, a not so humble beginning!

Color Plan and Formulas

Light Inner Background — Dotti Ebi's Spot 44 over 1/2 yard Dorr 456 or medium rust wool
After the spot is cooked for an hour, put it in a pot and overdye with 1 Mahogany.
Cook with 1 Tablespoon salt and 1/3 cup vinegar. Simmer 20 minutes and cool
overnight. Need 1 1/2 yards,

Darker Outer Background — Same as above only double all the dyes including the
overdye. Need 1/2 yard.

Gold Flowers — Mary Ann Lincoln's Country Colors "Old Gold" 8 values (12" x 14" pieces)
                 using Nancy Blood's gradation: 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 14 teaspoons and Rest of cup.

Outlines for Clouds and Large Leaf Veins — Edna Fleming's Casserole 44 over white
wool. Do one piece at a time using 1 Tablespoon of each color on each piece.
Need 2 or 3 9" x 13" pieces.

Stem —Peggy's Spot 4 over 1/2 yard Dorr Butterscotch or wool that fits that description.
Using Dotti Ebi's Spot Method: 1/8 Bronze Green, 1/8 Old Gold, 1/8 Bronze, 1/16
Mahogany—each in 1 CBW plus 2 Tablespoons vinegar.

Red Flower — 8 values over white wool using same size and gradations as in gold
swatch. Jane Elliot's Color Flow 92; use triple dyes for 12" x 14" pieces. Need 2
swatches.

Blue Rower— 8 values over white wool, same as above and tripling dyes, Color Flow 76.
               Need one swatch.

Green Leaves — 6 values over white wool, same sizes as above. Connie's Cauldron 28;
               using Connie' measurements. Need 3 swatches.

As one looks at the designs of William Morris' fabrics and wallpapers, it becomes clear that they are a story of leaves and their interplay with vines and flowers.

I referred my rug camp teacher, Nancy Blood, to an original color plate of the "William Morris" pattern and design in William Morris Textiles, by Linda Parry, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1983. I said I would basically like to imitate the original colors as closely as possible. When I received the dye formulas and started "stirring and diddling"
in the dye jars, I could only think, "She has out-Morrised Morris!" Nancy had done it again. The leaves, of course, were what made the color plan outstanding.

What I have learned from this rug and the accompanying dyeing process is the art of using ONE dye formula over a carefully selected palette of different colored wools. In this case, Nancy suggested three shades of green wool and one tan. However, when the tan first came out of the dyepot, it looked like mud! Over the past several years, Nancy has said, many times, that it is the unusual that makes a rug extraordinary. Well, as she says, "Trust me!" It is the tan to green that creates the drama in this rug. As a matter of fact, I have this vision of doing a whole piece-tan to green!

All of the four shades of green can be dyed together, so the process is relatively easy.
     Formula for Leaves and Scrolls: over Dorr 46,142,144 and Woolrich Camel 857
     For 16 swatches, four each of the above colors:
     1 Reseda Green + 1 Olive Green - together in 1 CBW.
      812x12 pieces of each wool - 8 values
      Spooning: 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 5,9, 14, Remainder

At camp, Nancy suggested using the four greens interact for the scroll border-values 7 and 8 of all four joining at the edge of this border. The four swatches are very close at the darkest values, yet there is a fine nuance of difference which adds a subtle conclusion to the dramatic presentation of the leaves.

The color plan for "Ming," one of Pearl McGown's beautiful Chinese Orientals, evolved from two sources. Before going to Maryland Shores Rug School, I sent my teacher for the week, Nancy Blood, a snip from the fringe of my gold living room carpet and a picture of a Portuguese blue and yellow tile. What I wanted, basically, was a rich blue and gold Oriental on a light background.

Since 1 do my own dyeing, Nancy sent me not one but TWO color plans: one, the blue and gold which 1 had requested, and the other, blue, gold and green. I chose Nancy's suggestion, including the greens, as this seemed more interesting and started dyeing. Nancy's color plans have always been lovely, but the depth of these shades were exquisite. The blue, gold and greens are Joan Moshimer's Imari colors, dyed over colored wools, which gives them their richness, especially in the lighter values. What really makes the rug sparkle is the spot with the touch of red that outlines all of the motifs. Picking Nancy's brain on her choice of color for the spot, 1 said that I saw the blue and gold in the rug plan, but where did the red come from? Nancy gave me a "short lesson" in "The Primary Spot," i.e., using the primary colors: red, yellow and blue; she said, "Look at your dye formulas, and you'll find a red." Sure enough, it was there. 1 have used this lesson very successfully since in planning students' Orientals.

Nancy suggested eliminating the outer borders to open up the pattern which seemed to fly in the face of "the more borders the better” philosophy of Orientals. Nancy's eye for this was right on target, as using just the outer key as the border gives a lightness to the whole.

The motifs hooked quickly, but the key was the nemesis. I decided early on that I would either not anguish over even numbers of rows between the arms of the keys or finish this in another life! 1 found that as long as I was consistent with my three rows within the key, the amount of background surrounding it did not disturb the eye, and sanity prevailed!

Color Plan for "Ming"

Background — Stained Glass 13 (quarter formula) over Dorr White 163
Motifs — Imari Blue overWoolrich Light Blue 205
Imari Gold over Woolrich Lemon 385 (quarter the new Apricot)
Imari Jade Green over Woolrich Seafoam 788
Imari Chinese Green over Woolrich Seafoam 788
8 value swatches. Formulas are reprinted in Nancy's dyebook.
Spot — Over 1 yard Woolrich Seafoam 788
1/2 Gold
1/4 Blue          Each in its own 1 CBW + 1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 Egyptian Red

"William's Cat" is a whimsical picture story about my grandson William's pet, named "Fish." As nine year old William likes to tell it, "He is the only fish with fur!" Sadly, however, Fishy died in mid-hooking after a rather long and happy career pursuing mice.  I was concerned that William might not want me to continue, but he said that he would like to have a rug to remember his kitty by, and that he would hang it in his room. William talked to me about Fishy's attributes, and he pronounced him a good "mouser." So, the provenance of the back of the rug begins: In Memoriam to a Fine Mouser.

I began the rug with a photograph of Fish which I redrew onto linen backing. I wanted the background to be a night sky with a touch of dawn, probably Fishy's finest hour! I talked to Nancy Blood about how to dye a night sky. She suggested that I use a half-yard of pink wool and dip dye it using 1/8 Black and 1/8 Navy Blue in a large pot. I cut the whole piece putting the strips in order on 3" paper tape. After hooking 2 rows across the width of the sky, I could figure on 4 strips to complete one row across. So far, so good ...

However, when I had hooked half of the sky, 1 realized that I would need more, so I repeated the dyeing process with another quarter-yard, which, of course, did not come out exactly like the first piece. I cut the new piece, put it on tape and lined up the two tapes. The result was far better than if I had dyed it all at once as I had lovely streaks and variations in the lighter end of the sky. The story doesn't end here! I was running out again! I dyed a third piece and cut and lined these up beside the other two. Again, I had more variations. The lesson for me here was that the mistakes in dyeing are sometimes more fortunate than doing it precisely correct in the first place.

I was going to the Highlands weekend when 1 first started hooking the cat. Helen Johnson was my teacher, and with her expert help, I did most of the face that weekend. I had not done an animal before, so was very pleased with myself when I had finished what I thought was a very good eye the first evening, only to discover the next morning how difficult it was to do a second eye that matched!

Helen had suggested to me that I dye the cat by putting two small pans on the stove, prepare two dye cups: 1/4 Silver Gray in half CBW and 1/8 Light Brown in a half CBW; spoon each dye into its separate pan starting with 3 Tablespoons of dye plus vinegar. Then I took 3" x 9" pieces of wet white wool, dipped one end about 1/4 to 1/3 into the gray, pulled it out, turned it upside down and let the dye run a bit, dipped the other end into the brown and did the same. I did this numerous times to get various shades and gradations to match the fur colors. These pieces of dyed wool along with a few bits of black and white worked very well to recreate the exact color in my picture. The border picks up the rusty brown color in the fur: Dotti Ebi's Spot 47 over Dorr Butterscotch.

Folk Art often tells a personal story, and may be drawn by the artist. Most often, a primitive effect is achieved and wider cuts are used. I do not comfortably hook using a wide cut, so most of the rug is 3 and 4, which is to say that folk art does not necessarily have to fit into one mold. Since Fish is no longer with us, a few more happy mice around the border and on the moon, gives the feeling of what it might be like in Mouse Heaven.

Somewhere back in my hooking past, nearly 25 years now, I formulated the idea that "rug hooking" meant RUGS. Until recently, things that hung on walls, plumped on sofas or graced tables, received only my raised eyebrow and a bit of a sniff. After four years of instructors' training and teaching, my views have somewhat changed. I now have an abundance of unrug-like things adorning walls, sofas and sundry other bare spots!

However, when I decided 1 wanted to do a dragon, I reverted back to RUG, but there were no dragon rug patterns. I discovered a picture in the New York Times Sunday Magazine section, a full page ad for a beautiful golden dragon rug with a deep purplish background and lavender and mauve clouds. There was my dragon rug! I decided to order the wall hanging, "Manchu Dragon" on a larger piece of burlap and basically use the complicated scaly body of this small piece. By tracing the bottom half of the body and turning it down, I had a wonderful, full length dragon body already drawn thanks to Jane Flynn's detailed design. I redrew the head replete with a long and soon to be red, dragon-y tongue, redrew the clouds to enlarge them, and moved the flaming orb out to accommodate the space. At that point, I sent the New York Times picture to Nancy Blood with whom I was taking a workshop at Laurel Mountains. It now measures 32" x 43."

Nancy is a master of color planning who because of her willingness to share, teach and pass on her expertise, has taught me a wealth of understanding about dyeing and the use of exciting color combinations. Nancy has the gift of simplifying a dye plan by using one set of dyes over various shades of wool. The dragon is simply outline and fill with four shades of golden yellow using the same dye in a pan over different shades of wool. The same process created the clouds. Add to this the beautiful abrashed background and that was the dyeing procedure.

"Manchu Dragon" has become a family favorite and taken on the title of "Norbert" of Harry Potter fame. Both my husband and my 9-year-old grandson have laid claim to THE DRAGON who has definitely become "a guy thing."

Dragon: Formula: 1/8 Buttercup Yellow + 1/4 Peach + 1/16 Golden Brown in 3/4 CBW + 1/4 cup vinegar. Using 3 small pans and 3 shades of wool (Woolrich Natural 100 and Peach 500 and Dorr Corn 8719), start with 12" x 36" piece of Natural for lightest and 2 teaspoons of dye solution; then 12" x 18" of Corn and 2 teaspoons of solution for a medium; 12" x 18" of Peach and 5 teaspoons of dye solution for darker; and 12" x 18" of Peach and 4 Tablespoons of dye for a darkest value. I also had a light orange piece of wool that I dipped into a weaker dye bath to outline the scales.

Clouds: use 4 shades of wool: Woolrich Pink 416 and Mona Gray 906, Dorr 73 (Mauve) and Corn 8719.

Formula: 1/8 Sky Blue + 1/16 Bright Purple + 1/16 Golden Brown in 3/4 CBW + 1/4
cup vinegar. In 4 pans using 12" x 12" pieces of each wool, first put 1
teaspoon of dye over Pink, then 3 teaspoons in second pan over Mauve,
then 1 1/2 teaspoons over Corn and 1 teaspoon over Mona Gray.

You may vary the amount of dye in each pan for both dragon and clouds as 1 developed these amounts by using my newspaper picture and just working with amounts until I had what I wanted. Don't throw away left over dye as you may need to dye more pieces of wool to finish.

Having come home from my second year at Northern Teachers' Workshop with yet another "small" project, I put "Fruit," on the back shelf. First of all, I really don't care to do the small ones; after all, "A rug is a rug is a rug " to paraphrase Gertrude Stein. Secondly, 1 hadn't even started it as it was too little to Fit my frame at Workshop, and being a Friday morning project, I hadn't much time anyway. And lastly, I didn't have to have it finished for a whole year. "I'll think about it tomorrow," said Scarlett. These all sounded like valid excuses to me.

Several months later, tomorrow was fast approaching, but procrastination gives inspiration time to percolate. I had a lovely black wool pocketbook I had made many years ago during my twenty-year "apprenticeship" with Meredith LeBeau when I lived in Massachusetts.

I had used the bag so much that it would need relining! I could cut down "Fruit" to an 8" square and use it as another tile for my bag.  Now came the real challenge. In all of my years of hooking, the only fruit I had done were strawberries. Again, Meredith came to the rescue. I leafed through my notes from her classes, and there were all of her handouts on fruit, vegetables and flowers-dutifully annotated during her classes on shading. The apple had to be a Macintosh; being a New Englander, no other variety ever crossed our threshold-well, maybe a stray Cortland here and there. I went through all the swatchettes and the perfect green to red "Mac" was #16 from Anne Ashworth's Chroma Craft >dyebook. The strawberries were a snap. I'd done a whole rug full of them; that is to say, almost done. It is still languishing in the pile of "the great unfinished." I had used TOD 161,8 values, regular gradation. For strawberry seeds, Meredith had suggested one thread from a strip of yellow and one thread from a strip of black, hooked together, one loop with two ends up. However, on this small piece, I used just one loop with the ends loose on the back. Since it is not a rug, they will probably stay put; a dab of glue will also hold them. Since this was a project for Workshop, I decided to use two different shades of purple for the plums: one reddish purple, Color Flow 86; the other, blue-to-purple, Ethel Bruce's 106. For the leaves, three different Connie's Cauldron formulas; one a grey green, one light green, one a bluer green. The background is plain black to match the fabric of the purse. 

To finish off the tile, put So-Bo Glue on the back after the piece is hooked, two rows onto the hooking and two rows onto the burlap. Allow the glue to dry for twenty-four hours, Cut along the hooked edge. Using a black, indelible marking pen, run it along the cut edge to cover any burlap still showing. Sew velcro squares on the four corners to match the opposite pieces on the handbag, and voila, yet another replaceable tile for your pocketbook-a tile for all seasons!

Because most of the swatch formulas are commercially available through dyebooks, the only one given here is Ethel Bruce 106, a wonderful blue-to-purple:
     Color #1: in '/2 CBW - 1/16 Turquoise Blue (1 Tablespoon in each jar)
     Color #2: in 1 CBW - 1/4 Plum (regular gradation)

Crewel is wonderful! It is pure fantasy! Although most of us are far removed from kindergarten when it was all right for the sky to be green and the grass to be blue, there is something very whimsical about pink pomegranates, blue daisies, gray-green tulips and caterpillars striped to match. I began the "Queen" in April, 1998, at Maryland Shores Rug School with Nancy Blood. She had been hanging around my stash of "someday-I'll-do-it" patterns for quite a long while; actually, so long that the price was practically minuscule! I wanted a large rug for the master bedroom that would go nicely with the flowered drapes and spread. Equipped with a swatch of the fabric, Nancy did her magic. I have a rug that echoes the bedroom colors beautifully.

Dyeing, using Nancy's suggested formulas, was a learning process in that all of the greens, (four in fact), used the same dyes over different pastel wools as did the blues and grays. I started with the center; everything went smoothly and I was able to get a start on all the different motifs during the week-long camp with Nancy. However, by the time Northern Teachers' Workshop came along at the end of July, 1 had enough finished to cast an anxious eye toward the rope border. I brought it along to run by Nancy again. What 1 encountered, however, was a dorm room full of the "masters" and came away loaded with suggestions. Nancy advised a single line of the spot on the inside of the rope and a double line on the outside which gave the twists an excellent finished look. Annie Spring suggested a double line of the middle values of each color in the center motifs separating each turn of the rope-which was brilliant! It gave a subtle, jeweled effect to the edge and pulled it all together. Others mentioned a gold rope, or maybe a green one, to make it a bit different. I tried each idea, but inherent in the beauty of the hooking art, one can try this or that and then decide what is just right. Neither gold nor green really worked, so 1 dyed an 8-value brown to match the trunk and stem and used only values 2-7; the 1 and 8 were too sharp.

This rug was a delight to hook. Whenever I look over my frame with its present hooking project, 1 once again delight in the golden cups with their sea-green centers. All that is needed to complete the fantasy is a hummingbird and fairy wings. Maybe next time!

Nancy Blood's Suggested Formulas and Color Plan for "Queen Mary"

A - Grapes/Small Daisy Flowers: Maryanne Lincoln's Country Colors "Navy Blue"
                                2 swatches (3x12 per swatch) over blue and 2 over silver gray. Use gray swatches for these.
B - Pomegranates/Carnations: Maryanne Lincoln's Country Colors "Pink Blush"
                                4 swatches over white.
C - Pointed Daisies/Fantasy Grapes: See "Navy Blue" above.
                                Use blue swatches for these.
D - Maryanne Lincoln's Country Colors "Old Gold" over natural or ivory wool.
E - Maryanne Lincoln's Country Colors "Khaki Green"
                                 4 swatches, 2 over mint and 2 over silver gray.
F - See "Old Gold"
G - Worm: Pull in all the colors used in the rug.

Leaves: Maryanne Lincoln's Country Colors "Moss Green"
                                 2 swatches over mint, 2 over silver gray, 2 over pink, and 2 over blue.
                                 Intermingle colors throughout.

Spot: Over 1/2 yard mint
                                 1/8 Navy Blue
                                 1/8 Old Rose      See Nancy's "Tree Trunk" method mentioned earlier
                                 1/8 Old Gold

                    Use on inner and outer edges of rope, acorn heads, centers and turnovers of leaves and tendrils.

Rope: Maryanne Lincoln's Country Colors "Seasoned Basket"
                                  8 values, used only values 2-7.

Nancy's method of jar dyeing:
                                  8 jars with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in each; spoon: 1/2 - 1 - 2 -3 - 5 - 9 - 14 -
                                  Remainder of cup. Stir every 15 minutes; add vinegar at the half hour.

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