Rug Hooking with Cindi Gay: Hooked Purse Progress

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Hooked Purse Progress

I spent last week at Southern McGown Teachers' Workshop. Rubbing elbows with all those teachers really gets the creative juices flowing.

My sewing machine broke so I tried to sew the lining together by hand. I took the supplies with me to workshop and would have been able to use the purse if the lining was a better design. I have the purse together and love the shape.

The handles were attached by sewing them on with a leather tool that my husband had in his tool collection. A quick lesson later and the handles were professionally attached. Now if I can just get the lining right. I will try again and show you the final product when it is done.

The top edge is finished with a crocheted edge. Just prepare the edge in the same way you prepare for a whipped edge. Then crochet with a #7 or #8 cut strip. I sell pieces of natural wool that are 15 yards long and the equivalent of 1 yard. I dye and cut this into strips to crochet the edge so I have one complete piece and not a lot of ends.

Thank you to all of you who have sent me emails or made comments here. It helps to remind me to get a new post up and keeps me focused. Yesterday I decided to do what I preach. Five strips minimum a day will complete a rug. It felt good to get hooking on the big rug again.

Right now the dye pots are out and I am getting ready for the workshop season, but I still plan to squeeze in at least five strips a day.

2 comments:

Brenis said...: Just "go-jus"!! :D I have been aching to hook a purse, and having to live vicariously through others until things calm down a bit here! Thank you for posting a pic of your finished purse! I love how professional the handles and finishing look! And yep, 5-10 strips a day can finish a rug in no time! Gotta love it! Perhaps that's how I should start a purse?!? LOL; March 21, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Wendie Scott Davis said...: This purse is fantastic - and I love how the influence of the big rug is so evident here. It's really amazing how one project connects to the next, isn't it. Either in fabric, design element or something. I think it's our creativity 'paying it forward'. I would love to have a pattern for this bag, so will watch for it.
Wendie (the rugged moose); March 27, 2008 at 10:36 AM

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Current Project

My current project is a room-sized rug, probably ending at about 7' x 9'. The final size has not been determined yet. I am currently hooking the center of the rug and will be adding at least 3 borders. The rug was inspired by oriental rugs with a center design surrounded with several borders. The motifs are casual and simple, more primitive than most orientals. The colors are ones that I love and can live with easily. The cuts I am using are #4 for the Queen Anne's lace up to a #8.5. The backing I am using is 200" wide rug warp. Yes, I am hooking wide cut on rug warp. This is the "old" rug warp and is even more tightly woven than the rug warp currently available from the Dorr Mill Store. Dorr's rug warp is my favorite backing. With the right hook and proper technique you can hook it quite comfortably. I have two cats and I find that they are either very well behaved (not likely) or the rug warp makes the difference because I have never lost a loop to one of them. Now this does not include the in-process work. The littlest one loves to grab a dangling strand and run off.