Horse Stitches ~

There is NOTHING delicate about the size of my blanket stitches.  I was asked what I use to stitch with.  I use #3 crochet thread (off white) and dye it in the same dye bath as the wool.  It's a little thick, but it works.

I finished eight little penny mats and I am DONE with pennies.  Hallelujah :)  I was getting mighty tired of them but think they came out pretty good if I do say so myself.

I drew up a pattern for a hooker friend and I said she could pay me in a small piece of paisley.  Well . . . I received this huge piece and she also made a most generous donation to the rescue my dear Ellie came from.  Liz, thank you from the bottom of my pea pickin' little heart.

Not much else going on.  Another hump day almost over.  Have you noticed how the days are getting shorter?  I don't like it ~ not one little bit.  When I got to work this morning, the motion sensor light was on.  It hasn't been on in months :(

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

The Windy City ~

Remember how I was procrastinating packing for the Chicago trip?  Well, about 10:00 pm decided it really was time to pack, not that packing for two days is a big deal.  I can count on a couple fingers the number of times my electricity has gone out in the 17 years I've lived here.  Yup, you guessed it.  Didn't want to pack by flashlight but decide to straighten up the hooking room . . . lol. 

It was just a quick trip to visit family in Chicago so grandson Jake could spend some time with his cousins.  Here are a few of the highlights.

The Chicago Cultural Center, a former library.  Just breathtaking.

What would a trip to Chicago be without a trip to Cloud Gate at Millennium Park, aka the Bean?

I love the reflection of the city on the Bean.

This is too funny.  Nephew-in-law Michael and DSO Fritz looked like twins.

Buckeye Buckingham Fountain (not sure how I came up with Buckeye ~ perhaps because I live in the buckeye state?) , in the center of Grant Park, was dedicated in 1927.  It is one of the largest fountains in the world.  If it looks familiar, it may be because it was featured in the title sequence of Married with Children.

Jake with his (2nd?) cousins Alexis and Sophia.  He does love his cousins :)

The flowers throughout the city are just gorgeous.  This is the only picture I thought to take.  (Sorry, if I enlarge it is blurry.)

There was so much more I wanted to do, but we only had one full day there.  Hopefully next time.

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

A Litle Progress ~

Very little.  The pattern is only about 10 1/2" x 17" so I expected to have more done by now.  As always, just not enough hours in the day . . . sigh.  The pattern looks a little wonky because I had it draped on the back of the couch.

I was happy to find a piece of this wool big enough to do the background.  I'm hoping I can find more to buy.  It hooks like butter :)

Several of you have commented about the colors in the little penny mat.  ALL the wool was dyed using the same dye formula from the Emma Lou Lais/Barbara Carroll book, #85 Emma Lou's putty/old.  Sometimes I vary the amount of dye used to get a little more variation.  I haven't dyed much, but it is my favorite formula so far.

Here is some blah brown wool that I threw in the dye pot.  It made the brown a little richer and slightly mottled.  Much better :) 

Pennies are ready to be stitched in to little mats on the drive to Chicago.

I haven't even started to pack and we are leaving bright and early in the morning so I'd best get off this dang machine and get packin'.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Pennies from Heaven ~

Last summer on my trip to California, I stitched pennies.  Lots and lots of pennies.  So easy to do on the airplane and in the car.  75+ pennies.  When I got home they got put away. 

Until today.  I stitched up this sweet little mat using only 9 pennies.   

With my sampler,

in memory of Ellie,

stitched by the Dirty Martini Queen

We are heading to Chicago for the weekend so grandson Jake can visit with his cousins.  A six hour drive each way so hopefully I will get a few more mats done for the primitive show in Holly, MI, in September.  (I'll wave to you, Patti, as I pass the Wrigley Building.)

I was given a couple hints for solar dyeing. 

• If the sun is not as hot as you'd like, put the jars in the car.  You know how hot a car gets and it's the heat, not the sun, that is needed. 
• Also, to get the dye distributed more evenly, get a pair on tongs and stir the wool a few times during the day. 

Thanks Linda and Sheila for the tips.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Solar Dyeing ~

Hooker friend Sheila inspired me to try a bit of solar dyeing while the temperatures are soaring with plenty of sunshine.  She sent me the directions last year but was kind enough to send them again so I wouldn't have to hunt for them.

As usual, I tried to rush the start (wanted to visit a few antique shops), so rather than mix up a new dye color or two, just used dye that I had previously mixed.  My recipes are from the Emma Lou Lais/Barbara Carroll dye book, "Antique Colours for Primitive Rugs" using Cushing acid dyes.  My #26 bronze green seemed a little thick and #85 Emma Lou's putty/old was a little shy of the 1/4 cup I planned on using.

Here is the wool I started out with.

Here are the results.

A couple of the greens are bright for me so they will probably go back in the dye pot at some point.

There is such a difference in the old putty.  Some is a great tan, some has a purple cast to it.

I am just amazed at how easy it is to solar dye.  Here are the instructions.

What you need ~

• Large glass jars with top.  You can also use black garbage bags.  If you don't have a lid, cover with aluminum foil
• Dye.  I used Cushing acid dye
• White vinegar
• Wool, yarn, roving, etc.  Says it only works with animal fibers
• Boiling water

Pre-soak what you are dyeing.  I soaked my wool overnight.

Fill the jar about 1/3 with boiling water and 1/2 cup vinegar. 

Dye may be added at this point or poured over the top for a more graduated color.

Add your wool and pack firmly.

Fill the jar with boiling water.

Place the lid on and put the jar outside in a location where it will get the most sun.

At the end of the day, it is done, though I did leave mine outside for about a day and a half.

Rinse and hang to dry or rinse in the washer and place in the dryer with a fluffy towel.  It dries very quickly.

**What I would do differently**

The wool came out much more mottled than I would prefer and some areas didn't seem to have absorbed dye at all.  I would not pack the wool in the jar as tightly and I would shake the jar to distribute the dye more evenly. 

And what did I get at the antique shop?  A sweet footwarmer.

Damage on the top tin . . .

. . . and missing it's door, so reasonably priced.

I'm definitely NOT a purist.

My collection now numbers four.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

This 'n That ~

The strawberries are finally finished ~ well, except for adding a rusty pin and vintage buttons to some.  Most are made with antique paisley with wool tops, but I've also used vintage ticking on a couple and velveteen on a few others.  These will be traveling to the Holly Hills, MI, show along with the hooked goodes. 

They range in size from about 4 1/2 " to 2 3/4" and are firmly stuffed with crushed walnut shells (aka reptile bedding).  The smallest berries have metal caps, the largest mother-of-pearl thread rings.

I received this in the mail yesterday.  What a beautiful surprise.  It came from IHeartDogs with no packing slip or paperwork of any kind.  Sure wish I could thank the thoughtful person who sent it to me :)

Nature is amazing.  This log is in the channel in front of DSO's condo.  I find it incredible that weed seeds made their way in to the log and sprouted.  At least they are not lacking water like the rest of northern Ohio. 

Tomorrow's Friday ~ and payday.  Life is good.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Finishes ~ and a Start

My little mats are bound.  They just need labels :)  If I showed them all before, I do apologize.  I miss my mind.

Betsy style pumpkins (as in Heavens to Betsy) hooked with hand torn strips are also done.

I like the backs as much as I like the fronts.  Lots of work . . . but so cool.

I started a new project (instead of continuing on my Magdalena rug).  Free pattern on Facebook from Lori Brechlin. 

The rug I showed in a previous post is a pattern by Bea Brock.  Thanks to all who let me know, but as I was going back and deleting emails, I saw that Sandy told me that her original email.  I guess I need to pay a little closer attention.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren