Rug Hooking with Cindi Gay

Floral Tangle Rug Hooking Pattern -How to hook tips

Cindi — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 12:55:30 +0000

Floral Tangle -LARGE and SMALL

Floral Tangle was a result of spending a few weeks exploring Zentangles. I found the process to be calming and really creative. There are no erasers, no measuring. You just doodle. To turn a doodle into a rug hooking pattern, it has to be greatly simplified, unless you plan on using a #3 cut. I’ll explain more about this process below.

This pattern is offered in two sizes:

SMALL: 29.5″ X 44.25″
LARGE: 36″ X 54″

Floral Tangle Rug - SMALL

A doodle inspired rug hooking pattern with lots of places for color. Comes in two sizes, this is the smaller one: 29.5" x 44.25"

Price: $68.00

Floral Tangle Rug - LARGE

A doodle inspired rug hooking pattern with lots of places for color. Comes in two sizes, this is the larger one: 36" x 54". It is sized for SUPER WIDE CUTS but can be hooked with any size.

Price: $85.00

Tips on how to rug hook this pattern

Wool requirements will be posted here when available.

Both sizes can be hooked in a #8 or smaller. The larger is ideal for the super wide cuts. Consider hooking the large pattern with a #8 or smaller and doing your own zentangle doodles inside the areas.

I colored value studies for light and dark backgrounds. This is not the only way to layout the colors for this rug, but it might help you get started. To color in these line drawings I used a Copic pen, my favorite new luxury. I prefer the C5 for the medium tone. I also used a black for the dark. You can use a Sharpie, but the brush tip is a joy to use and these pens do not bleed through as much as Sharpies do. A silver metallic Sharpie works well for medium also (and is a lot cheaper) but it does not scan for the internet as well – so you see, owning these pens became necessary.

I see the lines in the border on this rug hooking pattern as hit and miss, but you may see them differently. Hit and miss usually works out to appear as medium. The extra few rows around the outside edge will help to straighten the edge of your rug. When you have rows of hooking that hit the outside edge at different angles, they will pull and tug on the backing differently. The extra rows allow space for the tugging to relax, giving you a straighter edge on your hooked rug.

Inspiration doodle by Cindi Gay

The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas and is copyrighted. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com

This doodle was the inspiration for this pattern.

I a prefer Micron 08 pen and a drawing book with watercolor paper. It is usually thick enough to prevent bleed through. If you enjoy other crafts such as scrap booking you may already have this pen.

Most doodlers prefer the 03 pen which has a much smaller tip. My eyesight is terrible at close range so the 08 makes lines small enough for me.

Have you hooked this pattern?

I would love to see a photo. Please let me know if it is OK to share it on this website, if not I will keep it private. Be sure to include your full name and home town. If you have any questions or comments, contact me using the Contact Me link in the menu above.

I would love to get feedback on how much wool it took TOU to hook one of my patterns. I plan to have wool requirements for all patterns. To help me set priorities, please ask about wool requirements for any pattern you cannot find listed.

Rug Hooked Footstool – Finishing the Upholstery

Cindi — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:10:42 +0000

This post does not have all its images in place yet. I need to shoot the rest of the video before I can get these images. I will place the images (and videos) into the posts as soon as they are available.

Stapling the backing into place

Pull the hooked cover into place for the final time. It should be snug. Check the fit. The four corners usually need a little extra padding. I use a 2 foot dowel rod to push the stuffing into the corners. You can use whatever you have on hand or buy polyfill. This will take some time, be patient.

Turn the footstool over and pull the backing tight. One way is to have someone lean heavily on the footstool to press the foam down. Starting at the center on one side staple the backing in place. Place the staples a few inches apart until you have the entire backing stapled down. Neatly fold the backing at the corner. Think about wrapping a gift. Once it is in place, add additional staples to securely hold the backing. Trim the excess backing if necessary.

Cover the bottom

If you are going to attach a label – and I recommend that you do – sew it to the lining fabric now. This is the step I always forget in my rush to get the footstool done. You can use the sewing machine if you do it now. There are instructions on my website about how to print your own labels.

Cut your chosen fabric for the bottom about an inch bigger than the bottom of the footstool. Be sure to measure this. Be sure this fabric is something very thin. The dimensions will have changed now that the hooking is in place.

Fold under the center on each side and staple into place. Work your way from the center to the corners. The staples will show until we cover them. Keep them in a straight line so your gimp will cover them completely.

Once the stapling is complete, glue the gimp over the staples.

Attach the feet

Cut the lining with an “X” using a razor blade where the feet will be attached. You can feel through the fabric to locate the predrilled holes. These holes are necessary so that the cover will not get caught and twisted when the feet are screwed in place.

Screw on all four feet. Attach a rubber screw on tip if desired to the bottom of the footstool to protect your floor to prevent slipping or a plastic for felt pad tip to protect your floors. Which one you use will depend on your needs.
Attach feet.

Now go put your feet up and relax.

Make your own rug hooked footstool

I have several footstool patterns available. I am posting complete instructions (videos are still being edited) on how to build your own using simple 2x4s, plywood and foam. There is a complete cutting diagram for the wood and the foam. I also have instructions on how to finish your hooking so you can complete your rug hooked footstool.

Here are the list of instructions available so far:

These instructions are still a rough draft. If you have any questions be sure to ask. I will be adding the videos and updates as I can. Be sure to visit again before you dig into your project so you have the latest information. A PDF with all the instructions in one place will be available for download once I have everything written up and finalized. It is not ready yet.

Rug Hooked Footstool – Sew the side seams

Cindi — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:28:38 +0000

This method of sewing the seams is the easiest ever! I will always be grateful to Kim Nixon for showing me this technique years ago. It made me fearless about sewing seams for any three dimensional hooking such as footstools, purses or dolls.

To sew the first side seam, choose a corner and fold the backing to the back on each side. DO NOT try to fold it back hard and hide the backing. Bring the two sides together. The raw backing will be showing. See the image below. The gap is more than 1/4″ but less than 1/2″. Align the bottom edges and smooth the seam up to where it disappears into the footstool top.

Sewing up the footstool side seam

Use a simple whipping stitch and some strong thread. Keep your stitches far apart on the first pass. Once you know it fits well you will sew back over the seam again. It’ll be easier to rip out if you don’t sew it too tight the first time. You do not have to make perfect stitches but put in enough to hold the edges together. The color of the thread does not matter. It will not show at all when we are finished. When you get to the top where the hooking curves you will need to use your finger to push down the seam as you sew.

Once you reach the top, fit it to the stool. Everything still OK? If so, then sew once again back down the seam. This will reinforce it. When I reach the bottom, I add extra stitches in that area so that later when I am pulling and tugging to get the footstool on the frame, I don’t pop open a seam.

When you have ONE seam done, stop and read the rest of the instructions. Do NOT sew the other three seams yet.

Now fit the hooking to the footstool again. You will do this from now on after each pass on the seam. Is the fit still OK? Your footstool will have a better fit if you follow this sequence. If the fit is still right, move to the seam diagonally across from the first corner. Sew and test fit that seam just like you did the first one.

When that is done, refit the hooking to the stool. Recheck the fit. Remove the hooking and sew up the third seam. Repeat the process again, then sew up the final seam.

Hooking to fill the gap in the side seam

You will now have ugly bare corners. That’s OK, we are going to fix that. You are going to hook up one side while pushing both seam allowances to the other side. Do not try to hook through both layers because it’s difficult to do and doesn’t add anything to the process. You cannot do this on a rug hooking frame.

I pinch the footstool backing between my knees to hold it in place. Usually a single #8 hooked up each side works well. Increase the cut size if needed to fill the gap. If you hooked the footstool in smaller cuts, consider two rows up each side. The loops will be a bit crowded but remember that this is a corner and the loops should have a tight fit. If not, when the hooking is bent around the corner the loops will separate and show the backing. The padding we added to the footstool frame in the last step helps to round the corners and make this less of a problem.

While your hand is inside holding the strip, push the seam allowances out of the way and hook up the seam matching the colors on each side. For this stool, I started with the brown but I will hook red in the bottom border area.

When one side is complete, push the seam allowances to the other side and repeat. Repeat the process by hooking up all four sides.

Now it is time to attach the footstool to the frame you built.

Make your own rug hooked footstool

Here are the list of instructions available so far:

Rug Hooked Footstool – Prepare the pattern for finishing

Cindi — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:25:15 +0000

If you haven’t built the footstool yet, get it built and attach the foam BEFORE you cut the edge off your hooking. Test fit your hooking to your stool. There are so many variables that could throw the fit off. If you need to add a row or two, do it now before you cut off the excess. Check how the sides fit and check the length. Pinch and pull it tight. It should fit snug and seem almost too small. We will be adding two rows of hooking at each corner.

Once you confirm the fit, mark with pencil the cut off line on all edges. I use the same width that I use for rugs, 1 1/4 inch for the side seams. You can measure or use my simple cardboard tool. Use this measurement for the SEAM EDGE only. For the LOWER EDGE use 2″. You’ll need more here because you will have to pull and staple the backing to the bottom of the footstool.

Draw a line along the edge.

Review my post on drawing straight lines on your backing.

Zig zag in the area between the hooking and the line you just drew. Cut the backing on the line. Zig zag the edge. I zig zag after I cut because I find it easier to trap all the loose threads. Be patient. This is a deceptively long edge.

Square pocketful hooked by Gail Soileau

The hard part is now done. In the next step we will sew up the side seams.

Make your own rug hooked footstool

Here are the list of instructions available so far:

Rug Hooked Footstool – Adding the Foam

Cindi — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 11:01:05 +0000

You gathered the materials, ordered the feet, stained them and built to box. Now you need to add the foam. I used the green high density foam because I think my older footstools have gone a bit flat. I’m hoping the higher quality foam will hold up better.

Use spray glue to attach the foam to the wooden box. You need just enough to hold it in place. I used a 3M spay glue for foam because I had it on hand. Just read the labels and get the glue that will work for you.

Add the largest 1″ foam piece to the top. Attach with spray glue. You don’t need a large amount of glue on these pieces. The glue will hold them in place until your hooking can hold them in place permanently.

Next add the smallest one. Attach with spray glue.

Finally add the medium sized piece. Attach with spray glue.

Test fit the Soft and Crafty pieces in place.

Wrap the largest Soft and Crafty across the top and down the sides. Arrange the small pieces so they reach up to meet the largest piece. Make of note of how they are positioned

Remove the foam and replace them as before using the spray glue to hold them in place. Give extra attention to the seams to be sure the Soft and Crafty foam is secure.

Make your own rug hooked footstool

Here are the list of instructions available so far:

Rug Hooked Footstool – Build the Box

Cindi — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:14:45 +0000

Review the material list to cut the wood to size.

The construction does not need to be perfect. The box will be covered with foam and then covered with your rug hooking. If you stain the feet before you construct the box you can use the 2×4′s to support the feet as they dry. If you get stain on the wood it will be completely covered.

Note: The photos below are not glued or nailed. I will add the video showing the actual construction when it is edited to the bottom of this post.

Mark the placement of the holes for the feet. If you ordered the same feet that I did the easiest way to mark it is one 2×4 width away from the edge. Draw lines along two edges and where they intersect that is where you will drill the hole. I think it is easier to drill the holes NOW rather than wait until the construction is complete. This is an example of do as I say and not as I did. In the video, I did not mark them first.Be sure the holes are lined up. They are NOT in the center of the 2×4. Mark the edge that you measured from as “out”. This will help you later when you lay them out.

Lay out the 2×4′s so they form a square. Be sure to keep your label “out” on the outside of the square.
Hold them in place using the corrugated staples and some glue. This will be a bit wobbly but the plywood sides that are added in the next step will help it to stay in shape.

Add the first side. Start with the shorter sides. Use nails to attach it along the bottom edge.
Attach the second short side with nails along the bottom.
Attach the first longer side with nails along the bottom and add a few along the edge. You will want to be careful that the nails do not pierce the surface of the stool. Check to be sure the nails are in the right position before you pound them in all the way. It is much easier to remove the nail and start over if you catch the problem while you can still grab some of the nail.
Attach the final side along the bottom and sides.
Apply the top being careful that the nails do not pierce the outer sides. Before you attach the top you might want to include a note or treasure inside. Use your imagination. Whatever you put inside will probably be there for decades before it is discovered. You might want to attach it to the sides so it does not rattle when the footstool is moved.

Now you are ready to attach the foam.

Make your own rug hooked footstool

Here are the list of instructions available so far:

Rug Hooked Footstool – Some tips for staining the wooden feet

Cindi — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:12:15 +0000

I am posting this so the posts will be in order. The videos are not complete yet but here are the written instructions and some photos.

I stained my feet with Minwax Polyshades. It is a stain and Polyurethane in one step. I used several coats. The color I used is Bombay Mahogany Gloss #480, a rich dark color that does not detract from the hooking. I could not find an 8 oz. can this time, which is enough for several stools. The smallest I could find was quart. The first coat was the satin finish, the next several coats were from the new can with a gloss finish.

You can add a plastic or felt pad on the bottom to protect your floor. Look for these items in the section of the store where they have the stick on felt pads. The stick on will not stay in place, but there are some nice ones that nail or screw into place. I’ve found them with felt pads for wood floors, slick metal for carpeting and rubber tips in case your footstool keeps creeping away from you.

Make your own rug hooked footstool

Here are the list of instructions available so far:

Rug Hooking events in Northwest Ohio Spring 2012

Cindi — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:34:09 +0000

Village of Pemberville

Rug hooking events in Northwest Ohio:

March 2, 2012 Hook-in at my home. Call for address. 419-287-3884 between 9am and 7pm eastern. Pemberville, OH is south of Toledo, OH and east of Bowling Green, OH on route 105.
March 17,2012 Open rug hooking class at Stitch in 4024 Holland-Sylvania Rd. Toledo, OH. Please pre-register for this class.
March 24, 2012 Black Swamp Spinner’s Guild Market Day and Fiber Fair at Wood County Fairgrounds in Bowling Green, OH. The event is mostly spinners and yarn, but Kris Miller of Spruce Ridge Studios is one of the vendors.
March 30 Studio classes on Friday for the spring session begin at my home. Follow the link for more details. The calendar is on the Workshops-> Friday Classes link on my website.

Corrected download link for Cape May Rug Camp Registration 2012

Cindi — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:55:48 +0000

I spent the day in the dye pots and did not check my email. Thanks to a phone call from Gayle in Louisiana I found out about the error. Here is the corrected link. Cape May Rug Camp Brochure 2012

In case you missed the prior post, you can see the teacher list for Cape May, NJ 2012 here. This picture was taken by a student in another class, I don’t have her name in my records. She lives in Japan and sent it to me after class. I had a wonderful time talking to her. I hope she continued with rug hooking. I treasure this photo because I have so few of me teaching and because the day I received it I knew what the scroll on my room sized rug would look like. See the large corner support in the middle?

In case you are wondering, you have not missed any updates on the large rug. I was so busy in 2011 that I only hooked on it during the winter hook-in in February. Since then, I haven’t been able to spare the time. My schedule is much lighter in 2012. I hope to be able to spend more time at the rug hooking frame.

It’s time to register for rug camp in Cape May, NJ 2012

Cindi — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:05:06 +0000

Here is the registration form for the Rugs by the Sea rug camp in Cape May, NJ. The location is magical. It has to be special to get me to drive that far every year. There’s two weeks of camp, each week with a different line up of teachers. Much of the camp is conducted on the wonderful wrap around porch. Horse carriage tours clomp by from time to time adding to the timelessness of the location.

I have a great job! Shoes optional.

Week 1 September 9 – 14, 2012

Bev Conway
Cindi Gay
Kris Miller
Laura Pierce

Week 2 September 16 – 21, 2012

Bev Conway
Lucille Festa
Judy Quintman
Sharon Townsend

Cape May Rug Camp Brochure 2012 Download and print the registration. All the information you will need to make your decision is included there.

One year I taught the first week and stayed on as a student the second week. You can pack a lot of rug hooking into two weeks. . .

A how to hook a sky demo at Cape May, NJ