Off the Wall Friday

 

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Off the Wall Friday

 Due to a long list of "Things to Do"...I'm taking the next three weeks of blogging off.  I'll happily host though - so feel free to link up.  I want to wish everyone the joy of this season and if you are going through trials, I offer a hug.  Thank you for keeping me company on this creative journey!

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The Lack of Color in 2026 on Off the Wall Friday

'tis the Season right?  The season for decorating, shopping, lights, wrapping and all things color.  Normally, it's the time of year that is sensory overload with all the different colors everywhere. I look forward to it because it's my first line of defense against the cold and the dark days of December.  Lately though it seems to have gotten harder.

It all started when I realized my stash of wrapping paper had nearly diminished.  So, I went to Walmart looking for some pretty new paper.  I mean, I hoped to find some pretty new paper.  But no.  It seems that the craze of midcentury lack luster graphics that has taken over the retail scene the last few years was continuing. Plus, there was a new twist....minimalist geometric graphics...like strips.  When I say minimalist, I mean minimalist.  What says Christmas more than the palette white, black and a touch of rust red?  The best thing about this display are the boxes!

I mean seriously?!  Who thought this was a good idea?

Honestly, I don't have anything against black for wrapping paper...when done right it can be pretty great, right?

From my stash

But what did I expect?  This lackluster color trend has been going on for a long while. If you need any proof of that look at the stores parking lot.  Am I the only one that comes out of a store has trouble tracking down my car because its lost in a sea of neutral black, white and gray?  

And to top it all off, the Color Cabal...you remember me ranting about them before...those are the people who sit in New York City and decide what color we all need to love next year ...yeah them....they decide that next year's color is - wait for it - white.  Now calling it Cloud Dancer does not negate the fact that its white...the color that encompasses all the colors with no color.  I truly have no words.  

Well yes I do or I wouldn't be ranting right now.

It's bad enough that that we actually have a Color Cabal but for them to choose white in today's climate just shows you that someone is obviously not reading the room.  So now for the next year, we'll
see white show up all over the place.  To show what a bizarre chose that is take a look at the colors for the last twenty years ...here.  I mean it was ridiculous enough that last year's color was poop  mocha brown, but this year it's like they want to suck all the color out of the color of the year.  

It's enough to make a quilter cry and seek therapy.  Or revolt  ... 

revolt against

Color Cabals

against

Lack of Color

against 

Neutrals 

against 

Homogenizing our Society

Or at least maybe we can walk away from the rows and rows of ugly wrapping paper at Wal-Mart and take Tessa's advice and go to TJ Maxx where they did finally have some pretty colors.

its prettier in person and this is just a few rolls! 

Okay rant's over...

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Finally in the Dye Pot on Off the Wall Friday

 Yes, I did it.  I gathered enough courage to make the dive into the wool dye pots.  You wouldn't think it would be such a big deal since I've been dyeing my own cotton fabric for the last 15 years.  But dyeing wool and dyeing cotton are two totally different things.  One thing is the same though, there is no set way of doing it.  Just like when I did the research on cotton, everyone seemed to do it a bit different.  There were a lot of YOU HAVE TO'S and NEVER DO'S but what there wasn't was a standardized procedure on how to dye a piece of wool.

What finally got me going was I wanted a nice royal blue for Santa's vest and I didn't have it in my small stash of wool.  Luckily, I had bought a set of Cushing Dyes complete with swatches on Facebook Rug Hooking Buy/Sell group.  I love this set  - complete with wooden cigar box.

Out of the 94 colors, I chose "Blue" ...I know right? ...brilliant!

I also chose a nearly white piece of wool with a tiny light grey strip running through it.  I kind of arbitrarily chose it, but actually in the end it was a good choice.

The textured wool and the 94 swatches!

After the many wool dyeing tutorials I watch, I took what they all had in common and did that!

1. Soaked the wool with some kind of  humectant..some people use dish soap, some use Synthrapol, some use vinegar.  I had Synthrapol so I just used a splash of that.  I soaked it for about an hour while I gathered my other stuff.

2. Cut a fat quarter of wool.  Measured a 1/4 teaspoon of dye into a cup of filtered water. Gathered all utensils I needed and would forever be designated to wool dyeing. Honestly there is no set measurement for how much dye you use ...mostly people just guess.

3. Filled the dye pot to 3/4 full of filtered water.  Heated the water to just below boiling ...so I kept it around 170 degrees.  I used my new vintage enamel pot since with the white it's easy to see the dye water.  Don't use aluminum pots.

4. Put the fabric and the dye into the water...let simmer for about 15 minutes...put in a big splash of
vinegar in with it, to set the dye...let that simmer for about 15 more minutes making sure the wool didn't get too dark.  Once I was sure it was the right color, I took it out. (everyone does it different but basically it all involves hot water, vinegar and wool for various amounts of time and dye)

5. Rinsed it in warm water cooling gradually to cold.  At this point really no dye was bleeding out of it.

6.  There was still plenty of dye in the pot and I could have dyed more (which I should have but didn't think of ).  Really, I probably only needed 1/8th of a teaspoon of dye for the fat quarter.  

7. I spun the dye in a salad spinner and gave it a finally fluff in the dryer.

For the record, it was much faster and easier than low immersion dyeing of cotton.  But of course I was only doing 1 fat quarter as opposed to me doing 24 fat quarters at a time.   The thing about dyeing for rug hooking is that for the most part you are doing small amounts and can dye up what you need as you need it.   That is totally different than how most quilters do it.   I am VERY happy with the results because it's just the color I needed. 

And speaking of that...on this week's....

Rug Watch

Santa has now gained a vest!  Yes, there is the hand dyed blue vest.  While hooking I realized that I had inadvertently chosen a textured wool which not only gave it a slight little change where the gray was in it, but also gave it a more "nubby" loop perfectly suited for his vest.  The wool is a bit more fragile especially since it's only 1/8th wide but it hooks up lovely! 

I also used yarn for the first time.  I meant to watch some tutorials on that but didn't get that far, so I decided to wing it.  I love it!  It's even more nubby than the textured wool,  It's not hard at hook,  

I've really been enjoying doing this project and I like how Santa is looking a little more filled out!

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Thankful on Off the Wall Friday

 My Thanksgiving got snowed out (#lifeonLakeErie) so I have the mopes...but I read this and it helped...

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Transferring Santa on Off the Wall Friday

Sit & Stitch at Whiskey & Wool!

 I got it done.  Well actually, to be clearer, we got it done.  We got Puzzle Santa transferred to the linen backing.  Let me tell you, I now know why patterns are so expensive.  

Let me back up.  In most needlecraft arts, patterns come on paper and you are expected to use the pattern to make your project.  Not in the rug hooking world.  Rug hookers buy their patterns already transferred onto their backing ready to hook. Now I know the reason why.  It's a LOT of work to
transfer anything but the most basic pattern.  

There are a few traditional ways to transfer a pattern, but they all start basically the same.  You cut your backing (for me it's linen) 4" or so bigger than your pattern.   Then you zig zag stitch or serge around the edges to stop fraying.  Then you trace the edges of the pattern on the "Right of Grain".  This is just a fancy way of saying that you pick a corner point and follow the line of the linen straight for the length of your pattern.  You do it for each side of your pattern.  If at the end your box looks a bit wonky, you just stretch it back and forth so that the corners are now 90 degrees.  

Once that's done you can trace the pattern by ....

• Transfer using a light box ...This is what I did because I have a huge light box.  It worked fine but its a bit clunky for a big pattern and its rough on your back. A pro is that you only have to trace it once.  Although you still are starting with a full size pattern. 
• Use a lightweight pellon material.  You trace it on the pellon in a felt marker.  Then pin it to your background and trace it again with the sharpie.  This is nice because you can sit down and just trace and trace until its done.  The downside is now you're tracing it twice. You sit still and just move the fabric around to where you're tracing.
• You use an overhead projector.  Yeah, I know ...who has an overhead projector?  Well, lots of art quilters from the last 25 years!  Honestly, I think this would be the easiest for me.  You design your pattern.  Transfer it to acetate sheet (or have a copy store do that for you ...do they still do that?)  Put your background up on the wall (maybe with something behind it to catch any bleed through).  Arrange the acetate's border to match the on-grain border on your background ... then trace.  You're only tracing once and you don't have to draw a full size pattern to begin with.  Next pattern, I'm trying it this way and let you know how it goes!

Really the first two ways are the most common for rug hookers but both have you tracing the pattern two or three times at least!  Also, with these methods, your pattern either has to be blown up at the local copy shop or drawn full size.

Anyways, it took us about 4 hrs to get the pattern transferred.  It probably wouldn't have taken that long, but my husband is a perfectionist when it comes to drafting. But looking at the finish product, I'm so glad he is!  Honestly, with all the work he did on this pattern, he's soooo in the running for husband of the year award.  

Amazing this is where they begin right?

The end product is 22" by 36" which is considered a medium pattern. Patterns this size go for about $100-$125 on linen.  (Linen is about $40/yd ...36" by 60")  So needless to say, not only do we have an original pattern, but we saved ourselves a hunk of change!  Plus, I know it's on the straight of grain and its traced right.  Both issues, I've seen complained about in reviews of patterns.

With the pattern all done, I was ready to go back to Whiskey and Wool for their first free Sit & Stitch.  OMGosh so much fun! Fiber Artists from the area all gathered for 5 hrs of social stitching time.  There were embroiders, cross stitchers, needle punchers, and of course rug hookers. There was even someone working on a quilt!  If you work with fiber by hand, you were invited.   I really had a good time and got to meet some nice ladies.  Plus, I was the only rug hooker doing a project in "fine cut" #4's.  Lots of people had never seen rug hooking before and we could show the difference of how a size 9 looks like and a size 4.  

So Far

I love working in 4's.  The wool strips just blend together nicely, and you can really get a good shade with it!  I started with the red because I had that here, but sooner rather than later I'm going to start dyeing! 

That's Me...

(Linking with Kathy's Slow Stitch Sunday)

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A Pattern is Born on Off the Wall Friday

 I was hoping to have more done this week creatively, but alas it is not so.  I'll blame it on the early snow (11" in Meadville, PA where I work) and the shorter days.  It makes you want to get home from work, watch the sun go down at 5 pm and get into bed.  I did start my light therapy and am feeling a bit better...we'll see.  I should have started it in October!

At least, I helped my husband design the pattern for Puzzle Santa....speaking of which...

Here's what you missed on Glee....

I bought an auction lot of half a project on EBay from the estate of a beloved rug hooker.....

I didn't realize until I got it that it was only half the pattern....

Then I had to sweet talk my husband into finishing the Santa from the photo and helping me design the rest. I took a long time to research Christmas and winter rugs.  With rug designs, you always got to keep in mind that what cut size you want to use and how will the design look in a bunch of little loops.  That's why  patterns don't always translate exactly into rug patterns.  

For inspiration, I found this pattern on W. Cushing & Co.'s site that I really liked.  It is called Winter Wonderland designed by Joan Moshimer based on a vintage postcard. 

Here is Ruth Poole's interpretation hooked ...see how hooking can really change the tone of it..something to remember. 

I think it's the vintage feel of it that spoke to me and how it would go good with my Santa.  Showing it to my husband, we brainstormed ideas.  This is what we came up with....

And you thought I married him for his looks....
He taught himself how to draw off of YouTube 

I'm a little bummed I couldn't figure out how to get that luscious moon in but "Oh, Well!"  I do like how it now looks like a proper rug.   With the new border, it grounds Santa instead of just letting him hang out there. I still gotta work out the snow banks, but it's getting there.

Saturday, I have to get it onto linen and start color planning out the beginning of it.  I know you are skeptical that I am going to be able to shake this bout of winter ennui to get it done...but I have a plan.  Sunday, I'm going out to a hook in with some friends and if I'm going to have something to hook, the pattern needs transferred.  Always good to have a little peer pressure to pull you out of a funk! 

That's as far as I got....

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