So I haven’t posted any progress in the past few months.
That does not mean I’ve given up on the project.
Let’s recap.
Earlier this year, I digitzed a 1960’s postcard of an old NEBA Roast Beef / Mike’s Submarines shop that previously existed at the corner of Central and Colvin Avenues in Albany (around where the discount beer beverage store is today). My plan was to turn this into a hooked rug, and hopefully get it shown for Competition Season 2022 and maybe sell it at Historic Albany Foundation’s BUILT charitable show.
But I ran into issues. And “issues” mean that just as I got into a decent rhythm … I’d run out of a specific color. And that meant ordering new yarns from the online hobby outlet Herrschner’s.
Herrschner’s has one shipping speed. Snail’s pace. Essentially I have to order the yarn just as I’m running out of a color (i.e., down to my last 20 or so strands of medium forest green), and then wait ten days for it to finally arrive.
Well, as it is, I know this rug will get done – but now I’m aiming for Competition Season 2023. There’s no way I can get this done in time for BUILT or for the Durham Fair or for anything else this year.
However … I will admit that I’ve really made some decent progress in this.
That photo was from my last post … from way back in May.
Here’s my progress as of this morning.
Okay. I’ve completed the right side of the rug, and you can definitely make out the panels for NEBA and Mike’s, and even the “N” in NEBA from that other side of the sign. You can see the red-white-turquoise piping atop the NEBA sign (and a hint of it over the Mike’s sign) as well as the piping in the center of the rug. You can make out the interior of the NEBA portion of the restaurant, as well as half the interior of the Mike’s portion. As well as a few assorted trash cans outside.
This still takes some time, though. And now I have to wait for that medium forest green to arrive, which will allow me to finish the Mike’s Subs interior panels. Then, when all the hooking is complete, my next step involves binding the edges down, applying bonding compound to the back to lock the yarns in place, and then just admire the completed project.
Yeah, this is fun.
It really is.
Chuck The Writer 
Great project Chuck, though Mike’s/Neba stood where the oil change place is, then behind that on Colvin was Bob Daubnney’s, which was a small place for all the sporting equipment it sold. That moved out to Loudonville about 30 years ago.
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