Equal time

I told my daughter Leah that I blogged about her brother's rug.  Since equal time is fair play, I am going to write about the most recent rug I made for Leah.   I have made several (5 or 6) rugs for Leah since I started rug hooking in 2001.  She likes the rugs I make, but does not believe they should be used for wall art, so all of her rugs I make for the floor.  She has a lovely floral, a street scene,  a frog (at one time her favorite icon) and my favorite, a rug for her voice studio that says DIVA on it.  Leah liked this Sharon Smith pattern "Purple Rain" so I decided to hook it for her a few of months ago.
I asked Leah want she wanted in this rug and she said that very obviously the woman with the collar on her dress was Mary Poppins.  Ok, Mary Poppins.  I said, "Should the other characters be Bert and the children from "Mary Poppins?"  She said,  "Mother, why would Bert and some random children be on my rug?"  I thought,  "For the same reason Mary Poppins is on this rug",  but held my tongue.  I asked "Would you like the other characters to be you and me and maybe Grandma?"  Her response was indifferent.  "Yes, that would be ok, I guess"  But there is a fifth character in the rug, so if Leah and I and Grandma and MARY POPPINS are in the rug, who should the 5th person be.  I asked (cringing) "Would you like the little figure to be a our niece?"
"No," she said quite firmly, "that should be Helena."  "Helena?  Who the heck is Helena?????" I asked
politely.  "She is my voice student, and is very clearly the little person on the rug!" she declared as though I had missed something very obvious.
So, Leah is on the left, carrying an umbrella with roses on it, very like one my mother bought her when she was  a little girl.  MARY POPPINS is the next one, her hat is unmistakable.  I couldn't figure out how to have her holding a spoonful of sugar.  I guess it would have gotten sticky in the rain.  The next figure, and please note that I make myself look very sveldt in my own rug hooking, is me, carrying the black and white purse Leah bought me for Christmas.  Next, in red, is Helena.  Welcome, Helena.  And last is my mother who looks bizarrely like herself in this rug.  My mother had these black rain boots, a similar coat, and if anyone's umbrella would be turned upside down in the storm, it would be my mom's.
To make this officially about rug hooking, I will tell you how I did the sky.  Back to the noodle bins, where I pulled anything remotely, purple, lavender, violet, orchid, burgundy or blue.  My storm is located in the left corner where the sky is purple and dangerous looking.  The sky is clearer to the right, because the storm has not reached there yet.  The hardest part of this rug was balancing the greens.  In the original,  the ground was all different colors.  But, I, alas, am a color realist and my grass had to be green, green, and greener.  I chose all flavors of green in the yellow green family.  Some are almost a pale yellow/green like Maple Creme.  There is Lemon Grass, Light Khaki Drab,  Sweet Pea and Wasabi in the green palate.

Enough for today.  Here's to Leah and her Mary Poppins rug!!!!!  She is away now doing her summer theatre gig in California.  I must be missing her.........cause I know if she reads this,  I will  be hearing from her !!!!!!!!

Janice