New Landscape rug

This is my newest rug I have begun. I got just a little bit of hooking done on it today...not much to show yet. I haven't titled it yet..it is supposed to represent where I live many many many years ago. It still looks somewhat the same. It has begun to get too hot outside to hook unless it is early morning hours. I like getting my daily walk in at that time. So I have removed my frame from it's stand and will just hook in my lap. This rug is the biggest I've ever attempted and the hooking frame stand just gets in the way and the ends are on the floor or ground so didn't want it to get dirty before I started. This is when I wish I had a larger frame.

Blocking your rug

Once you have hooked and bound your rug, then you need to block it. I use my wood floors to block mine. You need a really hard surface to block well.

Lay your rug face up on hard surface like wood floor. Wet a towel well. It doesn't need to be dripping but not just damp either. Lay the towel completely over your rug. I do this first so it will dampen the rug some. Heat up your iron to highest setting. Press up and down on the wet towel.

Do not iron back and forth. Just press, making sure all of the rug is pressed. I take a long time pressing mine and press over and over. After you have pressed some, remove the towel and press again without the towel to remove the dampness. Leave on the floor for a couple of hours. I do my blocking at night so it stays on the floor all night and will completely dry.

Now your rug is finished. You can stitch on plastic curtain rings on the back for hanging. Larger rugs take 3 rings.

Next I will give tips to help you in making a great rug.

Finishing your rug

To finish your rug.....
Binding....
1. Cut around the edge of your backing on the outside of where you zigzag stitched. Do not cut zigzag.
2. Fold edge to back of rug. If you are binding with tape, wool strips or ticking, then fold even to rug hooking part. Hand baste to back.

If whip stitching edge, then fold back partially leaving about a half inch showing.
3. Once the backing is basted to the back, fold back thin wool strip and lay right on edge on the back side of the rug. Hand stitch to edge nearest the rug portion. Just continue around the corners.


4. When completely stitched around near the hooking, fold under bottom edge and stitch to back of rug to finish. When you get to corners, lay one side completely to the right or left and fold other side over to miter corner.

5. If whip stitching edge, whip before stitching the binding completely down. Use yarn and yarn needle and whip around and around the portion of backing you left sticking up. I whip into the rug binding as well, to make it more secure.


Once complete your back with binding should look something similar to this:

Finished Cat Tales

I finished my Cat Tales rug. I always block mine on my floors since I have wood floors but this morning I had a terrible time keeping my little dog Gracie from laying on it. So had to spend an hour removing dog hairs. For some reason she loves my wool rugs.

Cat Tales Progress

This is the progress I've made so far on Cat Tales. I should have the hooking part finished tomorrow and then will bind it and block it.

New cat rug begun

You can't tell much about it but this is a rug I've just started called Cat Tales. I have hooked alot more but haven't had time to take more photos. In fact I only have the body of the black cat in the center to finish. I wasn't sure how the white cat was going to look as I wanted to give it texture. I hope to get a photo of the progress tomorrow.

Newest Rug

My newest rug...CHERRY CROW ROUND....It is an adaptation of a Magdalena Briner rug. I love her primitive style. This is hooked in 100% wool. I have used left over wool strips anywhere from #6 to #9 cut. It is using "as-is" wool, bought and recycled wool. I also have hooked in some hand dyed wool.

This rug and my Field Flower rug (Sunflowers) are on display and for sale in a local gallery.