Join Us in September - An Enrichment Class

Huron Islands - just one of the beautiful vistas in this area

I'm having a studio class and you are invited.

When:

 September 10 to 14th, 2012

10 to 4 each day

Where: In Wiarton

What is it about?

Going beyond expected outcomes are the bywords for this class. Are you ready for an enrichment experience where I'll suggest new avenues for your hooking explorations you can ignore or run with? Feeling tired of making the same old thing in the same old colours? We will start each day with a small hands on dyeing session and spend the rest of the day working on the projects you wish to start or revive, your choice excluding portraits.

I'll be your "gentle Mentor" for this week of fun and inspiration. I'll meet you where you are and take you towards your goal. Suitable for all people who know how to hold a hook and pull a loop.

Salad for lunch, treats and liquid libation included. Cost: $500.00

BTW Many times students join together to rent a beautiful cottage making accommodation cost very, very reasonable. It will be the off season then also. I'll be connecting committed student up so they can make plans. Or gather 8 of your friends and come together.

Write me at wlm@bmts.com for any inquiries

I hope you can come. Act quickly space is limited.

Making memories I can hold onto

If you are like me, things are happening faster and faster and I'm remembering less and less.

Time proceeds.

 To stop time I'm creating a journal of this summer.

Starting June 28th I started compiling things and THOUGHTS ( my dog I do have them!)

Usually I do this in wool, this time I'm booking it.

Here is the page from my delightful and heartwarming visit from Diane Cox, an extraordinary hooker, from Penzance.

Blessings abounded. 

Then I set off for Asheville.

This will continue to be an eventful summer I believe,  Thea only has a few days remaining until her due date. Mary meanwhile has applied a home bikini wax.

Both look great!

Make or hold onto to some memories if you can. It's a tricky age!

It's true

The Magic: That is You

So often people are selling a product that is giving their magic to you.
I'm much more interested in standing by your side as you discover your own magic.
Instead of pruning off some second hand rose for you to smell I'm showing you your own potential, your whole garden. Weeding, fertilizer, struggles and triumphs included as you work your way towards harvest.

I just had the most amazing experience of this in Asheville during my artist's retreat.
We used a tried and true formula I stumbled upon in my own work.
What resulted was nothing short of a miracle.
I have no photos to show you, these works belong to and represent the maker entirely.
They are not my story to tell.

But what I can tell you is you are a creative miracle.
Even when you don't know what the eff is happening next, if you can go forward in faith you will reveal something that is important to show us all.

We are all here for one soul purpose, to share our stories.
I was blessed beyond measure to witness such a blossoming of tales, both long and strong. I'm blown away and so proud of the exhibition of courage I saw to go beyond expected outcomes.

I encourage you to join The Welcome Mat.
This is my soul product but here your magic is leagues more important than my expression.

It is a place where we are planting seeds of the future expression of rug hooking.
For $30.00 a year you can have daily enrichment for your soul.
You can have encouragement, help, commiseration.
And all the hooking and dyeing advice you can take in.
Spread your wings to accept all that is possible in you and through you.
If your soul craves more, and it probably does, join us and we will travel down your garden's path.
I can't wait to see the view.

For Sale: Over Dyeing Colour Chart for all Dyeing

Have you always longed to know what your results will be when dyeing?

I've just created a great solution for you.

I've designed an easy to read colour chart that let's you know what will happen when you dye black over yellow or purple over orange, green over red and so on and so on and so on. It's the colour chart for over dyeing people have been asking for.

I've included a dozen colours to dye over including tan, grey, natural and white as well as 8 other colours. See these what happens to these colours over dyed with with 9 others, making a 108 colour chart for only $10.99! It is extremely useful for the home dyer.

 This works for any over dyeing regardless the materials used though I've given measures for wool and acid dyes, colour is colour and acts the same way no matter what you are dyeing.

Here is a peek at part of it:

Buy it here and I'll send you your high resolution .jpg copy via your paypal email address asap.

Curly Pops May Skirt Sew Along Skirt 2

Here is my latest and last skirt for the Curly Pops Challenge, you can tell by the fabric that inspires me it is getting hotter and hotter here as summer draws in.

I like layers. This skirt is a sheer tencel & cotton fabric.

It is made of a bias cut underskirt and an wrap apron thingy. 

 I hated this skirt when I made it because by cutting it on the bias I made the pattern become a ladder pattern. So what to do but cover it up?

I'm greatly inspired by the movement to leave no remains when you cut something out to sew.  YES USE IT ALL UP!

When I looked at what became the underskirt and then the triangular remains ( two triangles had at 6 inch total width of the fabric remnant still attached) 

I took that end piece, hemmed it and attached apron strings.

 Then I added all the hemmed triangles, to some I added a group of pleats to as I wished. I like it.

She Dee - my dummy - looks a little stumpy but she is more wide where I'm deep.

It is a good relationship.

 Front

 Closeup

Backside - my favourite

Still working on the tops

 I think some strategic pleats to emphasize my best look- empire

And raise up the belt here for the same look, hmmm maybe some angled tucks on one side might be good too. Stayed tuned

Oh and best of all I kinda sorta can carry my bag now without feeling like singing Paper Roses.

It looks much more random now.

I want to leave that to Marie who I admire but I can't rock that look!

 I can't even country it!

Being bold to bullies - Jean Schroderus

Yesterday I watched "Almost Famous".
It was a good movie.
In it I heard the mother say this quote to the lead singer:
I sat right up and took notice, this mother was a very intense woman who talked fast and smart.
"There is hope for you.
Be bold, she said, and mighty forces will come to your aid."

That message was for me!

Attributed to Goethe in the movie it was actually wrote by Basil King, who was from Charlottetown PEI  about overcoming fear. Here is the true quote:
"Go at it boldly, and you'll find unexpected forces closing round you and coming to your aid."


So I'm going to go at it boldly when I have been quiet too long.
My dear friend is being attacked in public in an uncalled for and vengeful manner because she stood up to a bully.


I want to tell you I'm shocked by my naive behaviour and acceptance in which I had the wool pulled over my eyes by the person in question. I wanted to be nice.
I understood there were problems and I was both kind and patient within my limits. But I failed to recognize the  inherent cruelty and manipulation. 


I also want to say as we have agreed to do during talks about this on the Mat so we break the chain of collusion of information, that I do not know this woman and more importantly, she does not know me. Not in the way she portrays. She does not know one thing about my life, my man, my habits or desires.
She does not know my friends, my likes, my dislikes.
She is not a reliable source of information on the subject of me or anyone for that matter.  And she talks about you I know that for sure.  And the same pattern will repeat itself through you if you stand up to her bullying.


You can ask me anything you like for veracity, I'm an open book. I really am. 
And I want to open another book for you.


I'm want my friend, Jean Schroderus, to have a chance at rebuttal. She has been portrayed in a way through cyber bullying that is not factual nor accurate.
You may have read or heard about a vile letter she wrote to someone.
At every turn the real bully has a platform but Jean is shut out of responding.


You may have had several reactions when you saw that letter, but none of them apparently questioning the veracity or integrity of the charming and deceptive letter spreader.


We want to shy away, we want to ignore or gloss over, we want to imagine we stumbled upon some sort of bitch fight. We don't like the rawness of this.


If you gave an ear or eyes to hearing or looking at this, or amended your idea of Jean because you read this letter your conscience should prick you, how do you know the letter is real? What do you know of the person who revealed this? Their motives, the circumstances? Did you ever ask what is going on even to your self.
 Or did you jump on the bandwagon, did you swallow the koolaid?


I'll assure you, you walk a narrow line because after about 3 years of very close experience, handling and  watching the person who is excerpting and reposting this letter to all and sundry who will read it I know one thing for sure - you are next on the list to be a target of this bullying. 


The fine line that will tip you onto the list is having boundaries to acceptable behaviour.


 I also want to add I'm ambivalent about this person, she is neither here nor there to me.  I'm not angry nor desiring to hurt anyone in anyway. I'm not angry with this person or any other for that matter.
No matter the circumstances one person has no right to do the things that are being done publicly to Jean. 


If you are a person who listened to and believed this letter isn't it only fair that you listen to the other side?
Here is where Jean tells her story. 


This is a story many of you will be sharing as yours if we do not stop giving both an ear and a platform to this slanderous behaviour.  I hope the unexpected forces are you as you find the courage to stop bullying and cruelty in our midst and offer support. If a letter is sent or a sentence spoke even if it is removed or glossed over - damage has been done as is the intent and it needs to be addressed, not ignored.




I'm not the kind to stand back or run home while somebody is being beat up and other people are getting away with it and being egged on.  I'm going to get into the fray, ask it to stop, tell, enlist the aid of others to help stop it. I do my best to tell the person being pummelled, they've got a friend in me.
I don't care what happens after that. I've acted with integrity. I acted in a way that is true to myself.


I tried ignoring for all this for 9 months like a business woman and a lady should but it has gone too far.
Nothing is more important to me than stopping this. I don't care what effect I have on my business, if I end up pushing my bolt of wool and dye pans down the street in a shopping cart with my siamese with a tin cup  -  I DON'T CARE!


 Basta!

This Week's Whats

What's on the Dummy

 This sheer top ( somewhat askew) is part of a layering set- I'm not that brave! 

I like how it is turning out.

What's on the table

Green Mango Salad I made for Caryn and cannot stop making- easy thanks to Doneal's mandolin.

What's Impossible

Marie Osmond dropped in and made this bag while I slept. 

What's real, I did this myself while working out a pattern.

What's really real: I want to carry a bag that looks like this on it's sides: 

I guess it is time for some alchemy! I show you soon.

What's on

An amazing community of learners who source and inspire, inform and expedite.

Everything you ever wanted to see or know about rug hooking or wool work.
 Really.
This week's recipes: Wanderings

What's on my frame: the ceiling. Very lofty.

    

 What's inspiring me.

This old tie, doesn't that sound like a great new sewing show?

 What's on my wheel:

I was showing my friend Caryn how to spin, she took hers home, she did so great! 

What's on the needles- my summer sweater is coming along.

 What's waiting to be finished - a new knarly cushion for the front bench

What's up with the household?

We got our dining room window in and the rug for the space has arrived Yippie!

Soon the whole house will be swathed in wool!

Pinned and Slightly Pissed

If I post something on this blog or on Pinterest I expect it to be pinned.

BUT

As part of the Welcome Mat subscription I provide about 10 or 12 videos a year on varying topics, some tied to the lessons I give there, some showing dyeing and other good tricks of hooking, all with the same intention, to provide good info for my subscribers.

As part of the great service on the Mat  I offer a free month perusal, no holes barred, you can look everywhere and see everything.

In the last 6 months someone joined the Mat for their free month.
While there they pinned several videos which said right under the title: for Welcome Mat subscribers only.
They never did get a subscription.
And the videos were pinned and repinned and repinned.

On the Mat on every page it is clearly stated:

Contents of the pages of the Welcome Mat remain the property of the authors or artists and cannot be printed, copied, saved or stored without the express permission of that originator.

Last night I used some code to disallow pinning from the Mat.
And I realize  getting back my property is like trying to gather up spilled tea from an oriental rug and put it back in the cup. But I think we can do a few things.


I asked the pinners who had these videos on their boards please remove them so I can act in an honourable way towards my paid subscribers.
It was somewhat akin to making The Matters something to tuck under their pillow only to see it kicked down Main Street.

I'm also going to ask you a few things; I think for these things to stop we need to say and do something.

If you see my videos pinned, unless the title mentions RHM you can be assured it is a Welcome Mat production.
Let me know please, or if you are brave, let the pinner know yourself by commenting on it.
Maybe you could say:

Did you know this video was not released for public viewing? The original pinner pirated it. I suggest you delete it.

Also irritating was seeing one of my rugs pinned ad infinitum with the title "hooked rug".
Here is the comment I added to that:
 This rug is hooked by me, it's title is, And The Day Came, please help stop the anonymous pinning of artwork.

It would be good if we all stop pinning anonymous work and when we see this let the original pinner know, ahem, your slip is showing.

Another trend I noticed was the gay abandon of  many rug teachers pinning artwork without credits from other disciplines. The video pinner was also a teacher, that is effing disappointing behaviour.
Pinterest has serious guidelines about the unsanctioned use of intellectual property. It is making me look at all my pins pretty hard.

It is fun but only if used with common sense. 

AND it is not Pinterest who is at fault here, it is the users.

I like the idea of peer pressure being the best resource.  

Tell me what you think of all this.

It has made me seriously rethink my free month policy among others things.

Over Dyeing Chart

Long have you wished and now here it is...

A colour chart that shows what happens when you dye this colour over that one!

It is colour, not dye company specific.

It will be on sale in Etsy this week.

Once it is yours, you will see all the pertinent info that is blacked out right now.

Isn't it pretty?

Make it in May Skirt Challenge

I agree Edith.

Get the clothes and you are half way there, the exercise program , the artist within, the excursion in the woods of the Bruce or the streets of San Fran Wiarton.

Here is one of my entries into the Make it in May Skirt Sew Along Challenge

Here is my Jody Pearl splice skirt #1

 Although I could see how  to make the splice skirt by looking at a photo and I'm a pattern drafter I bought Jody Pearl's pattern. It is coming all the way from Australia. I couldn't wait. It is a clever idea and it needs honoured with greenbacks. I suggest any interested do the same. I'm going to have fun flapping it up and flapping it down or not flapping at all.

 And here is a close up.

Loved the puzzle, now I'm going to make a shirt from a circle, origami!

 These triple cotton bias skirts are what I'll be wearing in lieu of jeans, they are my casual wear.

 Next up in splice ville, a plain navy, floral, madras combo

Looking Backwards Can Be Painful

 As I get older it is more difficult to crane around to see what is behind me!

I need to limber up or slimmer down.

It is quite wonderful how I have a naturally built in support for bustles.

Though how unfortunate to be born in a time when that isn't la hauteur de la mode ( thats for you Jean!) 

We like to fantasize about giving up our fast and furious modern times to look back but a little peek at this slideshow will be a painful reminder some things are better left behind even if I have to couture my own modern day built in bustle disguisers.

 I can't wait to make my splice skirt from my from Jody Pearl Lange pattern.

And Mary, I'm sorry but my first choice of fabrics to try is black with toonie coin size white dots, white with black scribble and lime green, a newspaper with limeade.  I'm sorry to offend your siamese sensibilities.

Whats

What's on the frame

What's coming in RHM

What's on The Mat

Part of April's Free Pattern

What's on the dummy

What's on the sewing desk

What's a detail

What's another detail

What we are studying in the online class - The Colour Lab inside the Mat

Gradation

What you doing?

Spinning for Summer Sweater

Yup, I think summer is coming! And I am not going to go all Johnny Cash  this year. I'm gonna at least cover up the black and white with some colour!

Mary sais, Mudder you is nots a newspaper.

                                                                                   

 I spun these out of this eclectic collection of locks and fiber and big bags of this and that semi rovings I dyed one day. Doneal, who I listen to completely, suggested I spin them together.
I did not comb or card. I just picked it up as it came changing colours as I pleased. Then I plyed with royal blue cotton I had for ..... ahem...... thirty years.
I love the way it looks and can't wait to swan around in it!
Off now to draft a pants pattern. Hope YOU are doing something for yourself today! Get off your computer...ok? Life is waiting for you.

Dye Measures - This = That

Click photo to make larger

Today's Murder and Formula

To make Little House Wren simply prepare 1/8th yd of natural wool by wetting it with a touch of surfactant, like jet dry or shampoo.
 Dissolve 1/128 tsp + 1/256 tsp Majic Carpet Orange and 1/128th tsp. Seal Brown in 1/4 cup boiling water.

Add this to cool dye bath on stove top, no lid. Turn on heat, 9 I use high)  add wool, stir occassionally.

Wait until most of the colour has gone into the wool, then add 1 Tbsp. vinegar or 1/32 tsp. citric acid.

 Stir a bit more, turn off heat, cover and return an hour later. Rinse.

No murder need be committed to use this formula.

Blogger is strongly suggesting we make the change to the new format before they do it for us!

Ugly Wool

If you believe like I do that all wool, no matter the colour, is valuable wool you might have a stash of truly ugly wool you have NO idea how to handle.

One of the best things about wool is it's transmutable behaviour. That's an old word they used in alchemy, transmutable. Instead of searching to make gold we search to turn our wool into something more valuable, the colour we are looking for!

This week on The Welcome Mat I've re-issued my article, Taming The Uglies, there are about 8 good ways to deal with your ugly with dye. Surprising and interesting uses of colour abound. Pictured above is a black and white check that is spot dyed, it is called Impressionistic

The ideas work with found, inherited, and even the uglies you made yourself in the dye pot.

We are having a contest right now to see who possesses the ugliest wool. I'll be make it pretty as a prize and one of our members, who has a deep and generous heart , will be giving this person an brand new ugly.

I'm also looking at the colours of Norman Rockwell this month and translating them into formulas. Here is this week's inspiration:

I'm looking at the wall, the woman's coat, the couch, the paisleys on her dress and the rug. I love the emotions depicted and the beautiful rendering of her knees. Although it is not apparent at first the blacks in this work are derived from purple and not just his black eye!

Get up and get creating! That's an order!

Are you letting it happen?

Is clicking on this pretty picture keeping you from wool working?

Really ? Really.

Stop it - get creating... instead of being an observer be a partaker!

That is unless you need coloured balls.

Go here if you do.

Oh the Colours

I love spinning because of the new colour combos I can stumble on without even trying.

Escaped

Yesterday I escaped. To fiber heaven.

Yup.

Camilla Valley Farms

Tencel, bamboo everything a girly wants and needs.

And then to Chapters, a rare treat

I bought a second copy of Pantone Guide to Communicating with Colour, it is a great book to help you decide what colours to use together to create certain moods in your pieces, like classic, or energertic Only 4.99 a savings of almost $45.00 off the cover price.

Norman Rockwell inspired these colours in my column in The Welcome Mat, Dyeing Matters.

I like the way they look.

I'm working towards beauty and balance and I hope you are too!