Help on completing a hooked rug
I've had a request from Robyn, who is one of our readers, asking for your collective help on completing a hooked rug. If you can help, please email me at webletters@countrybumpkin.com.au so I can forward them to Robyn.
Over 50 years ago my husband's uncle used to make rugs. I haven't seen it at this stage but presume it was a hooked rug. Apparently the yarn was in hanks and had to be cut into short pieces (not like today where the yarn is pre-cut). I have no idea at this stage how big the rug is or how much of it has been completed.
When he passed away my mother-in-law decided she would finish the rug, but unfortunately she commenced work at the opposite end of the rug. Once she realised her mistake and discovered there would be a gap where the opposing ends would meet, the rug was abandoned.
Now, 50 years later, my daughter and I feel it should be completed but how do we go about it? Do we have to undo all the work from one end or is there another way we can rectifyit?
Your help and ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Robyn
Reader profile: Christine Linton
 "My world is textile arts and crafts; my passion is for texture and colour, fabric, needle and thread, yarn, needles and hook. I have been sewing, knitting, embroidering and so on since my mother taught me when I was a child. When I was a teenager I used to make most of my own clothes, as I could have the latest fashions (oh yes, the sixties!) at a price I could afford, but also because I loved the whole process of sewing. I can remember Mum teaching me, along with my sisters, how to embroider some cushion covers with crinoline ladies printed on them, and I wanted to use all six strands of embroidery cotton to save time. Nowadays I am happy to use a single strand, because I know the results will be better and worth the extra time.
 When my children were small, I made lots of their clothes as well as my own, till they found other children wore commercial stuff, and that was that! I became interested in patchwork and quilting when I was working at a Community House, and have made quilts for all my grandchildren, adapting commercial patterns, as well as making a couple for home. One is a queen-size hexagon quilt that I sewed and quilted by hand - two year's worth! At this time I was part of a patchwork group, the Wesley Quilters, a wonderful group who gave me lots of pieces for my quilt.
 When I discovered Helen Stevens' embroidery books, I introduced myself to silk embroidery, having previously only used cotton. I love the look of silk embroidery. I have also started fabric painting, starting with sky backgrounds for mixed media pictures, then recently painting my owl so that I could embroider over it, and some galahs for a mixed media wall hanging (I love this - it's on my bedroom wall now).
I always adapted commercial patterns for anything I made because I always wanted something slightly different from what was offered. In the end most of my patterns were my own, and that was when I started to consider sharing them through my own website. I also wanted to include lots of extra information because I know that is what I like myself, so on my patterns I always include a Blue Box with info relating to the subject of the pattern. On my web pages I use Green Boxes with info relating to the subject of the page. I am updating monthly, with some new info in the Green Box of the page where I have a new pattern.
My main focus is Australian flowers, birds, butterflies and eventually animals, as I am so keen on the wildlife, flora and fauna of my adopted country. I grew up in England but came to Australia in 1972.
Once my family was growing up, I worked in child care for 17 years, then started a home sewing business a few years ago. I found this wasn't viable unless I wanted to spend most of my time turning up hems, so I abandoned that and went to work as a cleaner in aged care, cleaning for the elderly who were living at home. I found so many interesting people in their later years, (all of my clients in fact were interesting people) and many of the women shared their sewing interests  with me. Now I have returned to TAFE to update my computer skills, planning to return to office work. I have been working on constructing my website for several months, but never having done such a thing before, I used a how-to book called 'The really, really, really easy step-by-step guide to building your own website' - you can see the appeal to a beginner! This book, by Gavin Hoole and Cheryl Smith, along with their recommended free downloadable programs were very easy to follow and use. Once I had reached the stage of feeling READY TO GO, my computer-savvy son, Brian, uploaded my website, and now I can easily edit, delete and add photos, text or pages as needed."
If you'd like to know more visit www.christinelinton.com.au or http://craftconversations.blogspot.com/
If you'd like to feature in our new reader profiles section, please send pictures and information to webletters@countrybumpkin.com.au
back to top |
We received some wonderful pictures from our readers as entries into our blanket competition and I'll share them with you next week. I'm sure you will be inspired.
30% OFF Anchor and DMC Threads
