Back to the Drawing Board

We had a nice little snow last night.  Not enough to make driving a mess, just enough to make everything white and beautiful.  It was a little more than predicted.

That's why we seldom plan very far ahead at this time of year.  Zip's music instructor is holding an all-day bluegrass workshop tomorrow.  We've been debating for several weeks if he should commit because of the uncertainty of the weather and the fact that it's over an hour drive from our place to Hagerstown, MD.  Finally this morning with the storm seeming to be over, Zip called and registered.  Now there are predictions of three more inches by morning!

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get a project ready that will last me all day.  I need to start a rug!

I had been drawing some patterns for a few other people lately, starting with a picture, making a line drawing, enlarging, and then transferring from paper to mesh to backing.

I use a lightbox to create a line drawing from a colored picture.
Notice the black and white Deiter body in the upper right corner!  Love that boy!!!

Then I scan it into my computer and use a really nice program called Irfanview to crop and resize if necessary.  Irfanview is a FREE program that can be downloaded from their website.  I've used it for years to modify my drawings and photos.

Next I measure my small picture.  Then I decide how big I want the finished design to be.  Then I mathematically figure out how much I will have to enlarge the drawing to make it into the finished size and use the Paint program that comes with Windows to print it out.  I then tape the sheets together.

My favorite transferring mesh is a sheer drapery fabric that I purchase at the PA Fabric Outlet.  It's a very fine mesh that is easy to see through when copying the design.  It's also very inexpensive.  Since it's very fine synthetic thread, it doesn't suck all the juice out of the markers.

After I transfer the design to the mesh, I pin it to the backing and draw it on.

I have signed up for the Rug Hooking Daily challenge, 'Grandmother's Trunk'.  While I'm working up my design I plan to photograph the steps for getting a design from the paper to the backing with detailed instructions for people who have never done this before.  I will put it on my website as a tutorial.

Here's the finished design on the backing.

It's been a long and busy day and we must get up early tomorrow to get to the workshop on time.
Should I choose some wool now or wait till morning???

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Reggie had his neutering (ouch!) surgery on Tuesday and has recovered nicely.  He's flying around the house doing his usual acrobatics.  He doesn't seem to realize he's missing some parts!