There seems to be a constant demand for finishing unfinished projects. Partly it comes from family members who just didn’t get around to finishing all their projects before they had their chat with Saint Peter. There are also those who started a project and either found they didn’t have the time required to finish, or the craft wasn’t for them. The same techniques and strategies we use to repair rugs are very useful for picking up where others left off.
I find it a fun challenge to get into the creative mind of another artist.
Jo, 22”x18.” Wool yarn on burlap
Jo, 22″x18″ Horse finished and blue border added, then the edge was bound and the rug was hemmed.
Cascabel, 120”x30.” Wool fabric strips on burlap.
In the picture above, I cropped out the burlap selvedge of the unfinished project. (Forgive the telescoping! This rug was long!)
I like to give names to the rugs I work on, more for my own memory than
anything else. It’s easier for me to remember them by name, rather than “that beige flowered rug,” but in this case, the name Cascabel was printed on the burlap pattern. What a great name for a rug!
This spectacular rug was begun by the mother of my client. Much of the center panel had been hooked, and about 2/3 of the scroll work had been done.
In order to keep the maximum of the original hooking, and to avoid a mis-matched color, I offered to move some of the light purple strips in the center, to create a medallion effect. I made a paper template to create the medallion shape. I used that to draw the boundary of the medallion onto the backing, then I hooked the outline and the darker purple outer background.
Then, using matching yarns, I finished hooking the scroll-work panels. Happily, the yarn I added to the scroll-work was indistinguishable from the original colors.
Cascabel, finished with yarn, the edge bound and hemmed.
As we look at these heirlooms of the past, we cannot help but wonder about the personalities of their creators. For here indeed, in color and design, is the expression of the individual.
Pearl McGown, The Dreams Beneath Design, 1949
Robin before, 24”x21.” Wool yarn on cotton. With this rug, she still had all her yarn, she just lacked the time to finish, so all I had to do was hook the rest of the background and bind the edge.
Robin after, 24″x21.” Hooked, bound, and hemmed. Easy peasy!
Next Chapter: Giving Your Rug a Facelift
Judy Taylor Books 