E.S. Frost Sheep Finish

Except for binding, I have finished the E.S. Frost sheep with birds and flowers (antique adaption available through Saundra at Woodland Junction - click on her blog link over in the right column).  I need to bind the rug and block it a bit more, but the main hooking is finished.

 Kathy Clark, Briarwood Folk Art.

I am very pleased with this stately sheep.  He is quite the new gent in my house, and he may be replacing my Big Dog Hollow rug over the fireplace, which is some big shoes to fill.  Or should I say big paws to fill.

For fun, I worked up the sheep in Photoshop to give him a chance to potentially unseat Big Dog.  The wall is actually a deeper rust color than it shows in photos.  It comes out sort of orange due to camera flash.

Hmmm, I think the sheep may win me over.  I like the light color of the sheep with the fireplace. Someday I hope to distress the fireplace a bit, to give the carving on it some depth.  But the sheep is good in this location, yes?

I got so enamored with hooking the Frost sheep I had to do another little one from scraps; see the same colors as the big sheep rug?  Why not use up the scraps?  So this little guy hopped onto and off of my frame this week as a small project.  He is about 13 x 12" and oh so sweet.

Small lamb among the do-wickies (strange shapes in the rug).  Kathy Clark, Briarwood Folk Art.

I'm in the throes of getting ready to head to rug camp.  I changed my mind (what a surprise) and have adjusted the pattern I'm taking.  I'm still going with the peacocks but the border design is different and one where I can practice a continuing love affair with hit and miss hooking.  This colorized version is  a mock-up for fleshing out the pattern; I cannot achieve the true colors I'm planning to use with my Photoshop skills.

Peacocks in the Meadow, Kathy Clark, Briarwood Folk Art

We leave on Saturday 3/8 so I will be off the air for over a week but will return with good pictures from rug camp!  Happy hooking to one and all.

Drawing vs. Hooking

I have too many rugs I should be actively hooking, but instead I've been drawing out pattern ideas.  This recent drawing flurry is based on going to Yellow Rose Rug Camp in Salado TX in a few weeks and I want to have my class project ready to go.

I've been in love with this peacock for a long time, influenced by an antique rug.  I began designing some patterns around the peacock about two years ago, but other projects got in the way of this bird making it onto my frame.

Focusing on a camp project has led to this design:

Kathy Clark, Briarwood Folk Art Peacocks and Tulip Tree influenced by an antique rug.

This rug is a precursor to a larger scale rug with the peacocks.  I have a special wall in my living room for a larger rug where I want to put the peacocks among a floral menagerie.  That design will be about 40" x 32" but that's only a guesstimate on the eventual size.  I've got to get this smaller peacock rug finished first.

The E.S. Frost sheep is coming along, but the triangles are not calling my name for long bouts of hooking.  This is the tedious part, but it will be worth it in the end.  I hope to have this rug ready to take to Yellow Rose for the rug show.  I do love this rug; it's a keeper.

E.S. Frost Sheep and Birds antique rug adaption - pattern available through Saundra at Woodland Junction.

Happy hooking to one and all!