Stitching a rug while balancing on a bongo board: Don't try this at home, or anywhere else

Well, no one has suggested a new video idea for me yet, and I had friends by to help me shoot a few days ago, so I decided to finally live up to my boast that I can stitch a rung while doing anything, including while balancing on a bongo board. Hence this video.

Planning the colors for a rug: A conversation with my mother about a most atypical rug

Some time ago, I set my new camera up on a tripod and shot some videos of me and my mother doing "ruggy things." This was one of the better videos of that lot, though I do notice that the camera couldn't make up its mind what the color temperature of the lighting was.

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What would you like to see a new, good, well lit video of? / "I'm not dead yet, I'm getting better... I think I'll go for a walk..."

Sorry for the long time no post... I'm still alive, still making the rugs.

I have a new video camera, and I might even have someone who can use it to shoot a video while I do a rug. I know my previous videos often left much (almost everything) to be desired... its really impossible to shoot a good video in a room dark enough for a migraineur, on a tripod, while you're hoping what you're doing is in any way visible.

Better camera, have well lit places to shoot, and friends to help me now, so... post a comment or send me an email about what you'd like to see, and it'll be my pleasure to work on it.

One leather skirt = a 9 inch rug center

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Skirt specs: Size 12, knee length.

This is the center of my "retina recovery rug." Next I'll do blue jeans, doing one pair at a time. I have a whole series of photos showing how I chose which jeans to go with this skirt, etc., to do as a tutorial for how the creative process works, but that will have to wait. Our female dog gave birth while sleeping on me last night, so... .

Toothbrush rugs: Improved videos- basic stitch, finishing off a rug AND photos of the "gentle pastel rug"

FINALLY!

• I finished the gentle pastel rug
• I shot some well lit videos in a quiet place.
• I came up with a name for this rug- the "Brisk Rent Riot Rug" (its obtuse, its supposed to be, don't try to understand it. )
  

I've been wanting to get some better videos shot and this rug done for 2 months now! This rug could best be categorized as a "thank you rug" or a "gratefulness rug." There are some people from our previous lives who have stuck with us, prayed for us, loved us, helped us out, when few others have done any of those things. They don't (to my knowledge) read my blog or facebook page, don't know its coming, never asked for it. They've been masks of God and means of Grace to us, and turn about is fair play and well overdue!

First- the video showing the basic stitching technique:

Watch Toothbrush rugs- doing the basic stitch | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

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Next, a video showing how to finish a rug off or tie it off.

There is no "right" way to do this, but this is what works for me!

Watch Toothbrush Rugs- finishing one off | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

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I hope these videos are clearer and more helpful than the ones I shot in Chicago, but if there's any way I can make future such videos more helpful, I'm always game. I'm a great rug maker, but I have no pride when it comes to these videos... especially since I usually shoot them without help of anyone else behind the camera. In this case, my wife was asleep with a brutal migraine (what other kind does she have? ;< ) elsewhere, so I had the time and space to set up a tripod in a bright quiet place.

Now some stills of the rug

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This is the finished rug

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This is one of the most beautiful rugs I've ever done, I'm glad to be giving it to such beautiful people... and I hope its at least a decade before I work with Pink again!

I have a "retina recovery rug" in progress which is made of a leather skirt center, and will have jeans around the outside, but I've not gotten around to finishing my rather detailed [me... verbose and precise... never! ] description of how I chose the colors and shades of jean to use, so... that will be for another time. It certainly is turning out well, and you should see the expressions of people when they see me stitching with LEATHER!

An already excellent site updated- Laura-Jane Whimfield's tutorial

The site "Whimfield: modern pre-industrial living" is an utter delight! Laura-Jane is so talented and is an excellent teacher. I wish I knew a tenth about any one craft as she knows about a vast array of them.

This talented lady has updated her already excellent tutorials on the one little craft in which I happen to have some facility. Do check it out!

Kudos, Laura-Jane!

Why yes, the cat DOES have my tongue- and here she is! And here is a little of what I'd be saying were she to let go

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Yes, the cat does have my tongue!

I don't generally post these days unless I can say it well, and lately, that muse just hasn't been with me.  Instead, I've been chopping wood, taking care of Tess, blitzed out with either allergies or a cold, fencing in the dogs, and so forth.

I have several projects in the works rug wise about which I wish I were posting.

• A photo expose of my "retina recovery rug" which will have a leather center and jean body.
• A video about repairing a rug which has suffered the ravages of an overly agitated (agitating?) washing machine or dog... or both
• Rug stories... there's always rug stories

So when my sinuses let up or the cat lets go, that's what I'll blog about.  Until then, enjoy the cute kitty!  Most of the pictures in the slide show are of her hiding among the boxes of rug mat'l in the garage, as is the photo below.  I also took a particularly difficult piece of fabric and made a cozy cove for her, but as soon as I approach she jumps out to rub against me, so no photos of her in it yet.

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Phoebe was our cat, we gave her and another to my parents when we moved in 1997. The other cat died, but Phoebe is still fine. She was the fiercest of the kittens from her litter, but now she is very affectionate. She loves tormenting the Papillon dogs when they are outside, she always knows how far their leads will let them go, or how small a space they occupy.

This is my favorite picture of Phoebe