My First Rug Hooking Project – Complete!!!!

FINALLY!!!!   About 3 years after I bought the kit….and nearly a year after starting it, I’ve finished my first rug hooking project.   This was definitely a learning piece – I learned MANY thing about the does, don’ts, and maybes – all to make my next project even better:

• My loops shouldn’t be too close together….it will cause the project to buckle and curl.  (There are times when this is desirable, but unfortunately, not on a flat project like mine.)
• When cutting fabric, it’s VERY important to cut straight with the threads….not on the bias.  If you cut on the bias, you wool strips will fall apart.  (Ask me how I know…LOL!)
• Don’t blindly start on the outer edges and  work inward like I did for the earth….it made a rather boring  edge.  Instead, think about the effect you want to achieve.
• Just like with knitting, you’ll sometimes run out of the color of wool that you need.   (Thankfully, I bought a kit…and the designer, Jerry Spears, knew EXACTLY what fabric I needed!   She sent the fabric right away – talk about fantastic service!!!!)
• I also learned that when I turned the fabric, I tended to make lumps.   Again, it may be better in some cases to just end the row there and trim the wool rather than attempting a tight turn.
• Like knitting, finishing is also critical – you have to decide which type of edge you want to do and then press the project when you’re done.  (Thankfully, there were no seams to deal with for the edge I chose….instead, I just had to roll the backing around some clothesline and then whip stitch it in place with some yarn. 
• There’s really no right or wrong way to do things – the best method is determined by what you’re making and what type of effect you’re going for.   (I think that’s what I really like….I’m given the freedom to do it “my own way”….yet, there’s always someone around to ask for advice on exactly how to proceed if I’m unsure.)

Here’s the piece before I finished the edges…

And….here’s the final piece.   Can you tell that I LOVE sheep????