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Challenges and surprises in hooking (heehee)

Every Christmas, the (rug) hookers I hang out with have a themed gift exchange. As we are about to break group for the summer, we have discussion (that would be the polite term!) about what to do this year. This past year we submitted a word that resonated to each of us, then there was a blind draw to  pick a word, and hook your interpretation of it. What was the most difficult was that you didn’t know WHO it was for, so you couldn’t tailor it to their likes. The results were very inspiring, hilarious, and FUN. The previous year’s theme had been portraits, and the general consensus was that choice was definitely NOT fun, although it was at times inspiring and hilarious!

The word I pulled from the  hat (to make) this past year was “picture”. Well, that was so wide open, it was  daunting, especially since I didn’t know whether the person was thinking landscape, portrait, it could be anything! So, it took an awful long time to percolate through, and I was inspired by a gift my sister had given me to try punch needle, but try as I might I couldn’t find anyone or any good book of instruction for punch needle technique! Tick, tick, tick went the time towards the Christmas party. YIKES! So, drawing from what I knew, I decided to hook a small PICTURE, and, it being Christmas, did my interpretation of Partridge in a Pear Tree. Christmas 2012 046

  Using traditional wool hooking in a small #3 cut,

and adding a little relief using Proddy,

the piece finished about 4×6

 

Christmas 2012 054                                                                                                                                                                                              All that was needed now was to give Mr. Cat some whiskers using embroidery thread and frame it up.

Here’s the finished piece

Our rug hooking group has a "theme" gift every Christmas party.

   Our rug hooking group has a “theme” gift every Christmas party.

Oh, and if you’re wondering what my “word” was, it was ‘texture 

and here’s the amazing work that I received as a gift, hooked and sewn by Ivy Nordquist.                Christmas 2012 060

 

 

 

 

And yes, true to form, I WAS finishing the piece right up to the last minute!