I gave Auntie a stamped mat for Christmas in 2002. This mat had a farm scene on it, and featured cows, sheep, chickens, a duck and a pig lying on its back. I thought it was amusing and so did she. We immediately began discussing what colors should go in the mat. I suggested that the barn be red, and the pink pig, and I was quickly cut off by Auntie asking me, "How many barns so you see that are red? AND pigs are not pink!" She was correct of course.
One of the first things she said after examining the mat, however, was "I will never finish that." Sadly, she was right. In the months after Christmas Auntie bound the mat, which for me is the most difficult and time consuming part of the entire process. She also outlined the pig in Ivory. And that was all she finished. She died in October of the following year.
In the fall of 2008, I was home on the farm for my vacation. Rummaging around upstairs at Aunties (a favorite pastime of mine), I was surprised to find this mat still sown into Auntie's rug hooking frames. Five years had passed and I had forgotten about the mat. I looked at the binding and then was amused to see the pig outlined in Ivory. I immediately asked Hilda if I could take the mat back to Toronto to finish it and she was more than happy to pass it over to me.
At the end of October I went into my craft cabinet and once again the mat fell into view. I decided to put it in the frames and get at it. Recalling the discussion I had with Auntie about the colors for the mat, I decided to make the farm appear as realistic and un-folky as possible. I decided upon the colors, placed an order to
MacAusland's Woolen Mill and began.
The cows were done in brown and white to represent our
Ayrshire cows on the farm. I also made the tilled soil red to represent
PEI's vibrant red soil....and it really is vibrant if you have not seen it first hand.
I put Auntie's initials - HL 03 - in the upper right hand corner and my initials - JR 08 in the lower right corner.
I was particularly happy with the tree as I am slowly mastering the art of circles and developing some texture into my hooked mats. I finished the mat the week before going home for Christmas. I took it home and gave it to Auntie Hoolie (aka Hilda) for Christmas and she seemed pleased. Knowing that the mat now resides with Auntie's other hooked mats on the parlour floor makes me very happy. I hope it makes Auntie happy too.
Began by Auntie in 2003.
Completed by Juanita in 2008.
