Matilda the Witch: Day 5

Except for binding, Matilda is finished.  I am very pleased with the mat.  It will be a perfect portrait for my mantel this Halloween!

13" by 16", #6.  Designed, dyed and hooked by April D. DeConick

8-value packs of mossy and grey greens

Fincastle Brown 141

Lady Willow 128

Fingorn Forest 149

Spanish Moss 140

8-value packs of strong purples and oranges

Black Orchid 146

Highland Lilac 133

Red Oak 144

DISCLAIMER    I saw a photo of a witch on the web a year ago, and felt drawn to adapt her to a hooked mat.  The photo circulates without attribution on the web, currently in 88 places when I do a goggle image search. Over the last year, I have made every reasonable effort to trace and contact the copyright holder of the original photo in a diligent search.  If an omission is brought to my notice, I will be pleased to correct the situation.

Matilda the Witch: Day 4

Went to Austin this weekend and on top of that we all have some kind of stomach and intestinal virus that won't go away.  So haven't worked too much on this mat.  One more day's progress to report though.  Hooked in the forehead and then worked a bit on the neck.

The next two weeks look like they are going to be crazy around here.  I have so much to get done before we head up north for our family vacation in Illinois and Michigan.  In that time, I have a number of things at work I have to get accomplished since school starts up a couple of days after we get home.  I have to get my rugs ready and packed for Sauder, and I am back in the dye pots getting materials ready for my Old World Santa class that I am going to be teaching when I go to Michigan.  I have three or four more days of dyeing, and also need to get a few patterns drawn for some of the people signed up for the workshop.  Yeah for my new serger which will make the pattern making a lot easier.  I also have converted to use fiberglass screening instead of red dot to transfer my patterns.  Wow what a time saver that is! 

Matilda the Witch: Day 3

I worked on the shadows and hair in the lower right corner after I finished her cheeks.  Then I went on to the right part of the hood.

I had to work out the values in the shadows where her hair emerges under the hood near her chin.  This took some reverse hooking, but I think it works at least for now.  I may go back when Matilda is done and make some adjustments. 

I also am not sure that the hood will remain as is.  I am trying to show the light hitting the folds with the Red Oak color, and the shadows in the hood with the purples.

What amazes me about VIP rug hooking is how real the face looks when it is shrunk into a photo or when you stand far away from it and gaze.  The eye of the onlooker is mixing the colors.  It is the opposite of fine shading where the artist makes the color blend on the canvas or foundation.

Matilda the Witch: Day 2

Really made progress, fleshing out her face.  She had to have purple lips. 

I feel her coming alive beneath my hook.

Matilda the Witch: Day 1

I've started a new project.  A spooky one for Halloween.  Spent one afternoon designing and transfering the witch face onto my linen foundation.  Then I picked out my colors and started hooking.  This is how far I got by the time I went to bed.  I am proceeding with further application and development of my VIP rug hooking technique.  I use a number of closely related colors, as well as a few complimentary colors, all in 8 values.  I hook by value, and don't worry about the color, except that I am clustering them.  I hook directionally, but by pebbling rather than straight line hooking.

8-value packs of mossy and grey greens

Fincastle Brown 141

Lady Willow 128

Fingorn Forest 149

Spanish Moss 140

8-value packs of strong purples and oranges

Black Orchid 146

Highland Lilac 133

Red Oak 144