PATTERNS ON LINEN

Can I say again how much I dislike linen for rug patterns? First and what I thought was the #1 reason for disliking linen is that I am VERY allergic to it. Never in my life have I gotten anything like poison ivy until several summers ago after cutting, serging and drawing 100 or more patterns on linen I was a mess. Couldn't figure out what it was since I hadn't been out the house for days. It was very HOT July and I had been in the house working on patterns for camp. My arms & legs started itching and the next thing they were covered in blisters. Not a pretty site. After dealing with it a couple days on my own I went to the doctors. After talking about where I had been and what I had been doing it was determined that the linen was the problem.

Now I stay far away from it and try not touch it. But I had an order for a Madi's Favorite pattern on linen and I said I would do it. Really thought I could talk Neil into doing it but........So this morning I headed out to the garage with rubber gloves and long sleeves. Got the linen cut and was ready to draw the pattern. This is when I found out the 2nd major reason for the dislike...........it is a bear to draw on ...........pencil marks don't show up, it is hard to keep the pencil straight in the line to get a straight line and it takes way more Sharpie's to get a whole pattern drawn.

I hear so much about how Monks cloth stretches...........that is only true if you the hooker stretches it. All backing will stretch if they are pulled too tightly on a frame or you don't do a couple rows of an outside border around the edges of the rug. And since I don't have a choice on what backing I work on I do love Monks cloth. It is so forgiving on your hands and much easier to draw a pattern on.

The patterns is drawn. Clothes are washed and dried, and I'm so far non the worst for linen except my face & eyes are itching. Just glad this job is done! Think I deserve some time to go finish up my sock I'm knitting.

MADI'S FAVORITE

33" X 33"

The pattern on monks cloth is ready and available with free shipping here.

I love doing simple rugs with very simple colors. Althought there is only four main colors in this rug I used many different textures and colors for each. The dark green background was up to 10 or more different wools. I don' t even worry about them coming from the same dye pot just as long as they are pleasing to the eye.