Follow Your Heart

This week commemorates my one year of blogging! My very first post was about hooking hearts, and so it is fitting that this one year anniversary post is too. Thank you to all of you that follow me, and those who check out my musings now and again! I love the idea that I join you for your morning cup of tea, coffee or commute each week! I am truly grateful for all of you!

This design, Follow Your Heart, 14" x 17", is one of the panel ideas for a larger rug design, that I have mentioned before, called "Matters of the Heart". In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be exploring some of those designs and make them available in my ETSY shop as I contemplate whether I want to follow through with getting the large rug design from paper to linen. It is such a big job! I am catching my breath before I commit. The goal is to use my already cut wool strips for this big project!

I am happy to say that I DID USE ALREADY CUT WOOL STRIPS, for at least 75% of this little mat. I am feeling so virtuous! In fact, these wools were ones that I cut for the Dove In Flight rug (see post from last week of January 2016). I am thinking that after every big rug I hook, I should challenge myself to design some smaller rugs to use up cut wool. Why haven't I thought of this idea before?! Time will tell if this really happens, but I can dream right?!

Colors used in the big heart are greens, grays and tans to complement the cool pinks used for the heart that surrounds the dove. Dirty whites are used for the dove and the "messy" hit and miss background surrounding the big heart. In that background, use a variety of gray green, taupe, whites, pinks, (cool and warm) with some reds and rusts thrown in, here and there! Yay for using already cut wool strips!

I realize that Valentine's Day is almost upon us. So why am I just now showing up with a heart focused rug? Hearts have been used throughout the ages in textiles, architecture, ceramics, paintings, poetry and songs to express our appreciation for nature, love and beauty. I think we need more than just one day out of the year dedicated to LOVE! I am voting through creating my hooked heart pieces, that we have a week, a month, a year, celebrating LOVE, not just one day! Goodness, we could all use a little more love in our life, right!?

The little heart-like weather vane with the dove within, is meant to remind you, that no matter how the winds of life blow you about, remember to FOLLOW YOUR HEART! Fly straight as an arrow!

I'm excited to announce that my design, Follow Your Heart, is available as an instant downloadable PDF in my ETSY shop! You do not have to wait for the mail carrier, you can start hooking to your heart's content today!

Cast your vote for LOVE!