Monday 23 November 2009

Day 98-MarJ's Turkoman Rug

It is such a lovely day today, the weather is almost as perfect as last Saturday when we were hosting the most exhausting birthday party for a 9 year old. So lovely that Maya thought she should be working outdoors today and so she gathered her things, one of which was the lovely Turkoman stitched by MarJ, my housemate and the one who started me on this crazy mini journey.

This design with its simplified cruciform, lozenge-shaped guls (elephant's paw prints), was derived from a carpet believed to have been acquired in Kahgar, the most westerly city in China, close to the border with Kirgizstan. It displays some similarity to Yomud or Beshir weavings, but its exact origin and age are obscure.

The pattern is from Making Miniature Oriental Rugs & Carpets by Meik & Ian McNaughton. This book has to be my most worn mini how-to-book todate.

FRONT
Marj started this rug around the same time I started my 1st one, maybe a week after, in the 1st week of March this year. She finished everything except the edging sometime in August or September, about a couple of months after I finished my 2nd one.

BACK
Thanks to very wrong instructions by me to only use 2 threads, Marj have had to sew over her 1st work again to avoid "patches" where the threads were too thin. Athough she didn't use frames, it is obvious that she did a great job of keeping the carpet straight. She used a 18 count canvas (we will use this until we use up all the cloth) and 3 different coloured threads.

The reason why this post came so late was because I only finished the edging 2 weekends ago, over 2 sessions. I think this carpet is fantastic, way better than mine and I am not being modest. Thank you, MarJ for a very precious gift to the palace because I don't know who else will want to spend this kind of time for something that has not yet been built.

In the meantime, Maya is enjoying the rug tremendously. I must say the rug really shows off the splendour of Maya working in the grass.

32 comments:

Josje said...

What a beautiful gift you received! I love these stiched carpets. I have that book too, lovely designs, but I have never dared to start a project from it. I'm afraid I'll never get it finished haha! Oh well, one day I'm sure I'll start on one of them.

Sans! said...

Oh Josje, do start. For you, they will be real easy. Will you believe I am on my 3rd now and I will probably finish it by the end of the year? Stitching is like running, some days its so addictive, you don't ever want to stop but there are times when you are so off it, you won't do it for months. But again and again, you will go back to it because it is therapeutic and fun.

Taenia said...

The carpet is wonderful!

By the time, I'm stitching my third carpet and I hope to finish it this or next week! It is such fun to stich while I'm listening to the TV.... because most of the movies or series are not worth watching them.

I'm looking forward for picutres of your third carped, San!

greetings from Europe,
Hugs Taenia

Victoria said...

Love the carpet! I have the similar book which I find a bit difficult for me (I'm not that patient with the embroidery). Besides I still haven't finished the first carpet (Greek style) and I think never will.:)

Sans! said...

Taenia, you are so funny! But I do agree with you. I "watched" tv too while I stitch and I can go through 5 series on the same channel without ever looking up from my carpet! haha! The only time I leave my embroidery is to browse through the blogs or leave a comment.

rosanna said...

obviously I shall say that I love stitching, its therapeutic and nerve soothing to me. Yours is beautiful and the pic is wonderful.
BTW I use hairspray before cuttig the paper and t does not affect the colour at all. I asked a friend of mine who is an artist and she told me that it can be done.Hugs Rosanna

Sans! said...

O Victoria, I find that quite incredible , the bit about you not ever finishing a carpet. I cannot believe that because you do such amazing things that I find so difficult like scroll sawing! When I 1st pick up the book, I couldn't understand AT ALL her instructions on "tent stitch??" or edging or whatever because I just don't stitch. I started anyway and made a pretty ugly carpet and then I ask fellow bloggers for help. I can't believe I have the patience to do my 3rd carpet but here I am. I am so curious what a Greek style carpet is like, I hope one day, you will pick it up again!

Katie said...

It is beautiful!! Lucky Maya....lol....Just saying her names makes me want to watch the movie:)

Pubdoll said...

The carpet is beautiful, I love it! So nice to have both such a talented, patient and kind housemate!
Love the scenes you have put together with Maya as well, especially the last one! That scene is in itself a work of art!

Unknown said...

lucky you! this is a beautiful carpet, as is the setting for the last picture, was it taken in your garden?

how did the kids' party go? :P

Sans! said...

Rosanna, thank you for the hairspray tip. I only use hairspray for craft now..haha! My 3rd carpet is still slightly crooked unlike MarJ's 1st. But it is getting better. I am hoping that by the time I am doing my 4th carpet, it will be as straight as an arrow! I just realised that I forgot to iron MarJ's rug. No wonder it is not flat.

Sans! said...

Katie, I wish I have the DVD. Watching it online is not the same but the next best thing, I guess. I love this Maya, my doll. Who else can look as good as her spinning wool into threads?

Mercedes Spencer @ Liberty Biberty said...

That rug is a masterpiece!
Mercedes

Sans! said...

Helene, that art complement is high praise indeed but I don't deserve it :) (I am mighty pleased anyway). It is one of my book trick again :). Although I think I have finally found a nice spot in the house with good light at around 3-4 in the afternoon, barring rain.

Cindy, in case you don't know, the book trick is when you take a big coffee table book (must be on India), pick a nice appropriate page and use it as a background in your shoots. I use that a lot on this blog so no, I am afraid my house is not that grand at all. I have no courtyard with all those birds too!

I am awaiting photos of the party. I will post them when I have it. I will dedicate the pic of the cake to you, Cindy, the pastry princess.

Sans! said...

I will let MarJ know that the Queen of Shabby Porches have called her work a masterpiece!

Pubdoll said...

Knowing you, I knew it was a book :-) But you do it so well, so what I meant was you have turned using books as a background into a new form of art :-)

Unknown said...

LOL i'm no pastry princess, they're just easier to make than savouries, and nicer looking XD

i know you employ the book trick alot, but you've also mentioned where you live near to, so i automatically assumed it was a view from your garden or backyard > < nonetheless, it's a beautiful picture....*sighs wistfully*

Ara said...

This rug is quite beautiful!! I think your friend has some real talent in making mini rugs!!! I'm constantly making things for a house thats not built yet! It helps inspire us I think! Hugs - Ara

Sans! said...

Thank you Helene, you made my day :).

Cindy, sometimes the best things in life is in our own backyard! Although yesterday, I found out that at least 1 mouse has started living in mine! Sigh

Ara, I will let MarJ know :). She will be very pleased. She did mention that stitching was therapeutic for her. I think I am putting off the palace until I have mastered making minis. My Maharajah's Palace will be my masterpiece!

Eva said...

I love the carpet. I admire everyone who is able to embroider, knit or sew, and if things are so small I admire more and more.
For me, the needles and threads are one of the big mysteries of the nature...
I am glad that you had a fantastic party :)

Roberta said...

Lovely carpet and always funny your history.
Please go to my blog, there is a little game for you.
Hug
Roberta

Meli Abellán said...

Sans, the rug is so pretty and has so many stitches!!! It just and outstanding work!!!! Love it!!!
Hugs
Meli

♥Frann♥ said...

ADORABLE BLOG...CONGRATS! =D

dora said...

It is a great pleasure, walk through this blog, always full of wonders, as now this scene and the carpet preciosa, and patience. Congratulations
Carmen hugs

Sans! said...

I have been so bz bz bz, Eva, trying to sort out my craft room that I haven't come back to this blog since my last comment here..lol! Trust me, needle and thread is still a bit of a mystery to me. When I tol dmy friend MarJ about the reactions, she was bemused and said "All I did was to poke a needle with threads through holes, one after another"! No mystery at all, according to her.

Meli, I have just seen your ensemble of carpet + pillows + sofa. Soooooooo cosy! I like my carpet totally filled with stitches, every single hole, like everything I do, I like extreme! LOL!

Thank you, Franny. I love your colourful blogs too!!!

You are a most welcomed guest, Carmen. Loads and loads of hugs to you!

Roberta, let me go right over to your blog and see how I can play the game :)!

Lize said...

Hi Sans, love your blog and I am most impressed with that carpet! I think MarJ is hoping that palace will be finished sooner if she helps with the accessories! I am hoping too that you are going to build that palace soon, especially after I saw that nice Maharajah Abode that you used in the one photograph! Looking forward to following your blog!

Sans! said...

Oh Lize, I love your blog too and am so happy you like it here. I must confess apart from the fact that you make great minis, I am also fascinated with where you are because in some ways, the Persian/ Arab connection with my Mughal Maharajah and palace is very close. Now that I know your son and my nephew share the same name, I feel like there's a special bond :). I am serious, email me if you need Mopiko or other magic cream from here :).

Sans! said...

Lize, I am a huge fan of your blog for many reasons. As you may have foudn out by now, I hae gone through all 24 of your posts :) Couldn't help reading em all despite the fact that I am quite crazy bz today! :)Which Maharajah Abode, I wonder?

Lize said...

If you are feeling blue...
What will cheer you up?
Opening up your blog and finding lots of nice notes from Sans!!
Thank you Sans... you made my day! I am so glad for blogging, it makes it so much easier to find people that share your interests ... living in so many parts of the world.

You found out my secret! Like you, I break up most of my scenes after the 'shoot'. There is no 'market' here... or perhaps there is but I haven't tried it. So it is impossible to buy anything here! Worse that Dubai I think when it comes to crafts!

Now I have read many of your posts, but you have an ENORMOUS blog, so I will come back to read more!

Lize said...

The beautiful Maharajah Abode you used as the background for your photos!!!

Sans! said...

O Lize, don't bother reading all my posts, you will have a headache or fall asleep over your laptop!

I hope your part of the world is not too affected by the Dubai debacle but even if you are, it will pass. We suffered for more than 10 years here economically and now, we are used to being poorer but happier..lol! Not sure if I make sense to you.

I hope to go to India again next year. This time to Rajasthan. And maybe I will be 1 step closer to getting my palace done :).

Lize said...

Hi Sans, no so far the worst thing was the floods in Jeddah. We had a lot of rain in north Jeddah, but the videos I see of other (poorer areas) of Jeddah, are shocking. Rivers running through the streets! It sounds unbelievable but over 100 people died so far. And now I feel so guilty for being happy about the rain... it hasn't rained in a long time! We are also expecting MORE rain, so we'll see what happens...

The real economic effect we have been seeing is when we go on holiday or transfer money, the riyal is linked to the struggling dollar! So we are not traveling as much as we used to!

India is still on my wish list! I love the colours and food! I hope you do get to go in 2010!

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