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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Crazy Horse Quilt Runner: Ta-Dah!!!!!

One of my favorite bloggers (Lucy at Attic24) always says Ta-Dah! when she shows a finished item on her blog.  I like that!  So here's my Crazy Horse Quilt Runner Ta-Dah!

(click on it to see it bigger, then use back button to come back here)
 

If you've seen my blog before, you may know that I started this 30" x 91" runner on January 1 this year, posted my progress every Saturday morning, and was very close to being finished at the end of May.  My arm and shoulder had a Different Idea.  So my plan was to hook just a few minutes a day to keep things going - even though it would be Slow Going for sure.  Then all of a sudden it was hundreds of degrees here (well that is a slight exaggeration) and somehow my plan to help my arm by hooking "just a few minutes" a day didn't happen.  It was too darn hot to put a large heavy woolen item on my lap.

But after our vacation to Colorado and New Mexico in August, I came home ready to hook - more specifically ready to finish Crazy Horse - pain or no pain.  And now she's done.

The rug now lives on the floor in a walkway between my kitchen and family room.  It is a Treat to see it there and even more of a Treat to feel its soft scrunchiness underfoot.

Here are a couple of shots - one from each direction.
Looking toward the kitchen...
Looking toward the family room...

There are several "thank yous" I want to extend.  First, thank you to Susan Quicksall, Holly Hill Designs, for this wonderful design.  I have said this before, but the rug is a blast to work on - it never gets boring.  Each animal or motif is like hooking a little mini rug.  You finish one and you are off to the next.  Even the background is fun in a "mental agility required" sort of way.  If you decide to tackle this pattern, it is CRITICAL (see how that is all capitalized) to read and follow the short list of instructions provided by Susan.  Really... don't start without understanding everything in that list (not difficult... just important).

A big thanks to Anita White for providing almost all of this wool, including several pieces she dyed specifically for this rug (the dark eggplant and the turquoise).
Thanks to all you hookers at Anita's and here on the blog for saying Ooh! and Aah! and Other Nice Things as the rug has taken shape.

Thanks to my husband for standing on a kitchen chair and holding the camera WAY up in the air to get a photo of the rug from high above.  (I tried and it was terrifying.)

And last, I borrowed some space from Susan's design on the short edges of the border for my initials and the year.  With Susan in mind, I "beaded" my initials.  The "G" is from my maiden name - Green.  It's there because I want my Dad to see it.  He will really like that.

I have several unfinished and totally neglected hooking projects upstairs.  I hear you calling out to me and I'll be digging you out soon!  That would be a good blog post - not the digging out part - but the Ta-dah part!  So check back...

Happy Hooking and Happy Fall (well, almost, sort of, Fall).







12 comments:

  1. Amy, congratulations on finishing your Crazy Horse Quilt Runner rug. It's so beautiful and the colors are so well balanced. I can see why you are so happy with it. You found the perfect home for it. JB

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  2. It is stunning. I don't know that I would dare attempt such a large project. And the color planning must have been quite a challenge.

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  3. OMGosh! THIS is the reason I'm readying myself to delve into rug hooking! I LOVE this! So gorgeous!! Congrats on the fabulous finish!

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  4. I have really enjoyed watching your progress on this rug and the final product is just glorious!! It looks perfect in that hallway. Congratulations on finishing such a beautiful challenge!

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  5. Your rug is BEAUTIFUL!! I, too, have been watching your progress and this was a daunting project!! Congratulations! I saw Susan and her patterns at Sauder last month ~ I came so close to buying one of the Crazy Horse patterns but alas, I did not! My friend bought the tote pattern and I'll help her color plan it! Susan really is a wonderful designer! Love seeing your rug in your beautiful home!

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  6. Oh....your rug is just beautiful. Congratulations on finishing it--pain or no pain! We do suffer for our art don't we?
    I am working on just the Crazy Horse rug and am STILL not finished even tho I started way back...well, let's just not talk about I started.
    Again....congrats on a lovely finished rug.

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  7. Amy ~
    I'm so sorry you had to endure pain, but the finished runner is beyond gorgeous. You must be so proud of it. I know I would be.
    Thank you for sharing your journey!
    Pug hugs :)
    Lauren

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  8. Amy, it is so wonderful to see it finished. It looks perfect in your home. It may never want to move. It has been great to see it progress and follow your progress both on here and seeing it in person at class. Thanks for sharing it on your blog.

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  9. Loooooove it, Amy! Congrats and your perseverance, even through pain, is to be very much admired! The colors are so wonderful and it is just a happy thing to behold.

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  10. That is so fantastic Amy! What a talented gal you are! And to have Susan post it on her site is quite a nice honor for you! And that Anita is really something with her color planning help and her beautiful wool! Congrats!

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  11. Hi Amy,
    Thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving your link! I will definitely be back when I have a little more time to read everything. Your runner is beautiful! I miss the Wednesday group and seeing everyone's beautiful projects! ~Roberta

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  12. Hi Amy - I was just wondering the other day if you'd finished your runner, so I came to check out your blog - and there it is in all it's glory! I'm not sure how I missed your post almost 2 months ago, but I guess I did - sorry 'bout that! Anyway, it turned out SO nicely - you must have a great feeling of accomplishment at this point! Congrats! I can't wait to see your next project!

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