Daughter Of Darkness Stirs The Majic

I love dark rich colours.

I'm a card carrying member of the Daughters Of Darkness.

Right now I'm hooking on my online class project along with my students.

The Painterly Poppies on The Welcome Mat.

The deep reds and greens make me very happy.

I love working along with my students this way, the pattern is part of the class fee and everyone is doing their own thing with it, flipping, resizing and bringing their own beauty to it with their own wool or personal variations on formulas I give them to create something wonderfully individual. 

I'm present with them as they hook and can take step by step photos as I paint and adjust my colours.  This class feels fresh and lively.

We are approaching the last lesson on possible backgrounds though these classes stay online and you can join in any time and I pop in to help you along as you wish. 

Because red is a naturally dark valued colour and the stems are long and run through the background we will have some careful plotting to do.

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On the topic of dyeing very dark colours which we could all use in our stashes...

There are a couple of things to know about dyeing really dark colours. You need extra time, lots more dye, more patience, more citric acid and for some colours placing a lid on the pot is a good idea so the steam can add to the overall heating. Sometimes I leave wool overnight in the pan after shutting off the heat and cover it up with a lid. 

On another note I most often dye dark colours over already dyed wool. This time I used natural wool because we can all find it easily. It does take quite a bit of dye to do these but the colours are so terrific.

I have a few Majic Carpet Formulas to share today 

Dyed over 1/2 yd. of natural wool

These photos have been lightened 20% to show colour

The first two use a spot dye method

 It takes 1 hr 30 mins.. @ 350 ˚ F to process these.

Gather up wool in peaks and valleys, add 1/8th tsp. citric acid to each dye solution, pour in stripes or spots in a checkerboard pattern. Don’t mess around too much with the wool after you pour the dye on so you can get the stars in the dark sky effect.

GALAXY

1/2 tsp. Blue Violet

1/2 tsp. Turquoise

1/2 tsp. Bottle Green

1/2 tsp. Brilliant Green

1/2 tsp. Red Violet

1/2 tsp. Black

SOLAR FLARES

1/2 tsp. Orange

1/2 tsp. Red

1/2 tsp. Red Violet

1/2 tsp. Yellow

1 tsp. Moss Green

1 tsp. Black

You won't be sorry you dyed these dark darlings.... get some Majic into your life today!

Formulas for September Skies

From my September Skies Article in my Dyeing Matters Column on The Welcome Mat

 Storm Froth 

Storm

Both are from the same recipe:

Over 1/4 yd of wet natural wool with Majic Carpet Dyes using the dye bath method.

Dissolve these together in 1/4 cup of boiling water and top off to 1 cup with cooler water.

 1/8th tsp. Blue

1/32 tsp. Chocolate brown

I did something special  to help you get good light blues which can be difficult.

I measured out 1 tbsp. of the Storm formula and placed it in a dye bath with 1/4 yd of wet natural wool. I processed this colour without adding acid.

After the dye bath cleared I placed the wool into an acid and water bath, 8 cups of water 1 tsp. acid.

Storm Froth was the result of that tablespoon of dye recipe over 1/4 yard of wool.

Use the rest of the formula to create Storm as pictured, it will not make a difference to the colour if the tbsp is used for Storm Froth or not, proceed with or without it.

Happy Dyeing!

Emily Carr Colours for you

There is deep majic in the forests of Canada.

Our Artist Emily Carr captured these spirits in her work

 Sombreness Sunlit, c. 1938 - 1940
oil on canvas
110.7 cm x 67.2 cm

I used my own Majic Carpet Dyes to capture her colourations in formulas.

You can too.

Here is Tree Bark from Sombreness Sunlit

1/128th tsp. Turquoise

1/128th tsp. Seal Brown

This is a wonderful neutral that would work for many places in a hooked rug, anywhere a cool gray is needed from flesh to forest as seen above to florals.

If you are interested in dyeing more amazing Carr colours you can buy the whole collection, 19 colours inspired from 4 paintings in The WandaWorks Store as well as the Majic Carpet Dyes to create them.

The Mistress of Majic Carpet Dyes says The Store is Open

There have been people who have commented I have a rainbow up my arse.
I cannot see it that effectively so I'll leave that for you to observe... quietly please.

What I can tell you is Majic does happen to me rather frequently.
And very colourful Majic. For instance after a very long but fruitful day plugging away at Majic Carpet Dye business, I laid down to rest.
This is what happened. Yes, without trickery, lights, drugs or Photoshop.

And not only once...

But twice and with different colourways. It made me laugh.
We feel deliciously colour blessed here.
And I'm glad to report it was not coming from my arse but from more heavenly heights.

If you want to be in such an awesome space when you dye I suggest you go to www.wandaworks.ca
Our dyes, the Majic Carpet Dyes, formerly owned and operated by Rittermere Hurst Field are ready for sale.

Questions? We have a list of FAQs right here.

Want to join our club for Majic Carpet Dye users? There is nothing else like this around for other brands. It is already amazing and I have many great plans for it and it's completely free. It's in my online school The WandaWay Studio  Go to the Classrooms to look for The Majic Carpet Club to sign up.

Hmmmm what dyeing tidbit will I share tonight.....
OK I don't know if you always do this but I think it is one of the most important tricks to foster when dyeing.... As soon as you take the lid off your dye jar - measure quickly - and get the lid back on pronto.

If you spill that stuff or something drops in it to contaminate your colour you will feel sorry.
Lid off, lid back on before you do another thing.

How about a pretty colour to dye tomorrow?

Over ¼ yd. of natural wool in a dye bath with Majic Carpet Dyes (though you can use which ever dyes you choose for somewhat similar though not exact results)

Method:

Wet wool with an additive such as shampoo, Jet Dry or Synthrapol to prepare it to dye.  Heat a receptacle of water to dye in, for the smooth dyeing of ¼ yd use approx. 1 gallon of water.  Add dye formula into the dye bath, making sure it is dissolved.

 Add wool. Heat at simmer for several minutes stirring for smooth application of dye. Add in 1/32 to 1/4 tsp. citric acid depending how dark the colour, about 10 minutes into the process or until most of the dye is taken up. The latter is what I do. Continue heating until the water is perfectly clear or per your own directives.  Rinse well, use dryer or hang to dry.

Powdered Turquoise

3/32 tsp. Turquoise

1/64 Bottle Green

If you really enjoy delightful dyeing I know you will devore my dyeing column in The Welcome Mat. Currently I'm comparing three dye company's ( Cushing/ ProChem/ Majic)  main colours for leads on how to sub them for each other. It is called Colour Craft and contains great recipes and hints on how to handle bright strong colours too. I think you'd love it. We are also playing with my Point Method of dyeing, video instructions and recipes, so much fun!

See you there!

Majic Carpet NEWS And Yellow Formulas

You have only tomorrow to wait and we will be open for Majic Carpet Dye orders.
We have been working very hard to get ready.

We are thankful for your patience with my one leggedness and interest in our new product at WandaWorks. Our strengths are different than Rittermere Hurst Field's were and this necessitates changes. We know you'll understand we all need to foster our specialities and work with our greatest aptitudes. We hope these changes will be welcome ones.

Here are the answers to FAQs we've had lately.

How do we order?
We are a mail order business. We have no phone. You can order online on our website or download an order form to mail or write by snail mail or email us and request a form.  Our email is majiccarpet@bmts.com

What can we order?
You can order the regularly sized Majic Carpet jars with 2/3 oz dye or bigger jars with 1,1/3 oz dye  or refill for the 2/3 oz jar.
You can order glauber salts and citric acid soon. Dye lessons, formula collections are available in PDF form to purchase too.

When can we order?
We would like you to order starting Thursday September 18th  at  www.wandaworks.ca
You can look around our website now but we are still in the process of polishing some areas such as shipping which might be crucial in your order.

I'd like to place a wholesale order.
We are not wholesalers. This is not part of our business dynamic but welcome any all orders including those that will stock your shelves. Please add what you need to to recover costs and profit.

Can I buy big jars like you use?
Yes you can upon special request. There is no discount on these products. You pay by the unit measure which is 2/3 oz.

Can I be your US distributor?
We have no plans to seek special distribution at this time.

Can I get a discount if I'm a teacher?
I've long thought teachers don't charge enough for classes if they are dependant on discounts from suppliers to aid their paycheck. We will be looking at this in future to see if my bad attitude needs refining. Mind you I can have this attitude as I am a teacher of many years. As a business person I would need to raise the price for everyone to accommodate this discount.  I'd rather not.

Our thrust with this new venture is to offer not only dyes to the home dyer but information, affirmation and support with their dyeing ventures. We want to be in direct contact with our consumers. We love these dyes. We want to feel the Majic with you and bring even more of it to your dyeing life.

Let's Talk About Yellow Now
Majic Carpet Yellow is a low acid reactive dye.
This means you add no acid during the dye bath process,  that the more acid you add the less likely it is to work. Adding a lid on the other hand is a great idea as Yellow loves a very high heat, greater than a simmering can provide. A lid on let's steam act to raise temperatures beyond the boiling point.

Even when I'm using a tremendous amount of Yellow, say 1 tbsp or more, I would only add acid when the water is almost clear.
When doing a spot dye, I do not add acid along with the yellow dye. The high heat and neighbouring acidity is enough to have it strike to the wool.

Yesterday an anonymous Pear Maker asked if our recipe Caryn would make a good pear (use the refill link above to see it.)
Today I'm sharing some info on make good yellows in case a golden pear is what was required.

For the following samples I used 1/32 of Magic Carpet Yellow plus a few grains of the other colours listed over a

piece of wool that is 4 "x 18" ( 1/16th yd.) 

To dull down yellow use a few grains of black, be careful it

will turn green if you add too much black.

  To lessen yellow's intensity use a few grains of blue violet (I

usually use a toothpick, dipped dry into the dye, or dipped wet if I require

more dye).

 To deepen yellow add magic carpet chocolate brown.

To cool it use a 1/4 in damp round toothpick of Magic Carpet Moss Green.

I recommend using Magic Carpet dyes for a great dependable beautiful yellow that will "go" with most anything. A few blue violet grains added to this strong yellow creates a colour that is unequaled. If I was banished to a desert island made of wool this is the yellow dye I would want in my

palette.

When I am trying for good usable yellows as I add dye colours to the yellow, say I add brown to yellow to make it more dark and warm, I paint the dye on a white paper. This way I can see if I have achieved my desired result.  I add more dye if needed or stop if I'm getting close to my desired colour. Only add very small increments at a time to the yellow. Paint a strip each time you do . This is the best way to test for colour without wasting wool. Use the dye solution like a paint.

 I hope this help you out Dear Pear Hooker.

Only Three More Days Until Your Majic Carpet Arrives

Are you almost ready to roll?

Only 3 more days to wait to place your order for Majic Carpet dyes.

Look at our new product, the Majic Carpet Dye Jar Refill.

Instead of buying a jar again and paying higher amounts for shipping we can pack you up a great refill selection per your order and you can refill your jars! We've tested it extensively and it survives shipping wonderfully. We even send you decanting instructions with some fun ways to use the scant dye remaining in the zip lock.

This product is totally green in so many ways ... let's celebrate.

Here is an unusually coloured green called Caryn

It is tremendously useful in your stash as it is chameleon like... elusively acting gold in some environments and green in others.

Caryn

Using Majic Carpet Dyes

2/32  tsp. Moss Green

2/32 tsp. Orange

Mix formula together with boiling water, pour into a dye bath over a wet 1/8th yd natural wool. Heat was added, then citric acid or vinegar after about 5 minutes. Wait until water clears. Rinse well, dry in dryer or hang to dry. Multiply x 2 for 1/4 yd of wool. Multiply x 4 for a half yd. 

Fall- ing in Love - Majic Carpet Dyes and The Spirit Hare Pattern

The fall is always a special time for me, I love the wild skies, the bright colours and the beautiful days.
And it is also time on The Welcome Mat for our free Fall Spirit Animal pattern. I love this series we have, we do so many amazing renditions of these patterns.
This year Caryn Devlin of The Wool Garden has drawn The Spirit Hare for us.
Here is part of this amazing pattern.

He is communing in a spirit world!

And best of all, this week our newest addition to WandaWorks, Majic Carpet Dyes is ready to launch.

Have you got your ticket to ride ?

I'm excited to announce our countdown for online sales of The Majic, (the Majic Carpet Dyes) on my website starting September 18th, only 5 more days to wait!

Want to ride the Majic Carpet with me?  I'll be pulling some rabbits out of hats for you with formulas and dye instruction each week in The Wanda Way Studio ( my school for rug hooking online).
I've started a club there for all things Majical..... go here to join us, it is free and there are formulas and boons posted each week for all to use. Look for The Majic Carpet Club.

I'll continue to support all things dyeing on The Welcome Mat and in RHM.
Have a great week!

Fashion From The BedQuarters - What we did on our summer vacation

Man made me a bed desk this summer and I loves it, I've had foot surgery and I'm not to bear weight.

And I have shit to do.

Pictured above is my precious sewist Elyse helping me construct a couturier garment for my friend in  need. She was a MOG on Saturday, Mother of the Groom and her appointed seamstress let her down.

Into the breach we strode hopped because I only have one leg to stand on.

We worked bleventy bleven hours.

We made a bustle, a ball skirt with feathers stitched into the fancy gathered waistband, and her name was stitched there too. And a blouse with amazing Mood Fabric buttons.

  Here is her totem jacket, everything means something to her family on it!

Even the skirt bottom has a feathered edge.

 A fine time was had by all.

All 70 fashion diva hours of sewing.

But we are all well pleased.

Note: this was edited by Elyse 

Incredible Eco Dyeing Results

Wow! I'm getting some excellent colour transfer on wool flannel!

This is not the usual "shades of brown" eco dyeing results is it?

Two sides of the same piece of wool

This sampler includes a plethora of things from inside to create these permanent stains. No dye or harsh chemicals are used! 

Our Eco Dyeing Class started today in The WandaWay Studio  

Join us if you are eager to get the same great results.

3 Great lessons including videos 

 Inside - Outside- Overdye

Miss Online Manners? I do

You can get this great magnet here

A lot of rug hooking connectivity takes place online theses days. I thrilled about this because I love my ability to meet and enjoy the heck out of so many like minded people! Thank you so much!

I'm sensitive to negativity and its terrible influence on creating and our hearts and our souls. It wears o our bodies too. I think most people have a little well of non edifying waters they take a dip in every once and awhile. But most of us shake off the dew, dry ourselves in the sunshine and carry on.

I don't like to be negative and I do like to act professionally at all times online and elsewhere

I did not always appreciate the importance of this even though Anne told me! 

Every once in awhile my professional life is blurred by my private one but rarely.

What I'm saying is, there are inside voices and outside ones.

I want to caution you about the permanence of your responses online.

Even if removed ,when read they create a lasting impression of you and create a ripple effect.

If you are a rug hooking professional, teacher, business person or even a blogger with nothing to sell, you need to conduct yourself with positivity and ethics.

A lot of what happens is simply reactionary. So and so writes a blog post with emotion ( not positive) and that in turn sparks a hussah of comments that both embroider and stumpwork 

( build up ) the original words and emotions.

Be careful.

Try not to partake. Write a note if you need catharsis but don't post it.

Rarely do you ever see a dissenting opinion to these missives. And frankly they aren't that welcome.

Try to be the voice of reason if you are brave enough.

I have a list of good netiquette which I find even the top bloggers in rug hooking don't adhere very much.

Please copy and spread this list around liberally. Everyone needs to see it and turn away from those who are not using good online manners.

1. Never denigrate a business or service no matter what happens if you have one yourself. NEVER.

2. Don't troll other services or blogs for good fodder without giving credit to the source, ALWAYS with links. You would be shocked at the levels at which this is happening. We are have some very popular bloggers setting a very poor examples. In the greater blogosphere rug hooking bloggers are the only people who do not do this that I've found in my areas of interest. It is very bad manners, akin to eating your snot at the dinner table with Her Majesty. Act more honorably, if the info or photos they found, wrote or researched are good enough to add to your blog or other service then don't they deserve a reference?

3. Always check with yourself before posting by asking would I want this said of me? Could I apply more understanding? Is this the seed I want to plant? What fruit will it bear? Would I want credit for my work? In my case today I asked, does this need attending to?

4. If you have a quick emotional response to something you read ..... don't react by typing. React by thinking or creating. If a day later you still think you have something important to add then have at it. I think you'll find in 10 hours much of the emotion will have dissipated. Don't feed that negativity a thing if you can help it.

5. Do not  ever and I mean NEVER take up the case of defense for someone else. Every horrible firestorm I've ever observed or weathered online came about because someone got indignant on another's behalf.

I'll tell you as an added bonus, this is something to look out for.... some people get stuff going through behind the scenes manipulation and then sit back and actually enjoy the chaos, their hands nicely clean while everybody else is browned up to their ears in crap. Ohhh that stinks!

6. Don't act like spoiled babies when things aren't going the way you think they should. Change is inevitable and it is good. 

Let's turn a new leaf.

Spread the word please.... with credit of course. 

The WandaWay Studio - Eco Dyeing Class

Exciting News

I've just thrown open the front doors of my online classroom

The WandaWay Studio

Anyone can go anytime to the WandaWay to look around.

To start any class look in Classrooms in the top menu and join the one you like.

Eco Dyed Wool

                     

This coming year the WandaWay is having 4 terms of classes.

On August 20th Term 1 starts with a great class on eco dyeing.

You might have seen my recent March/April/May 2014 Rug Hooking Magazine article about this?

My Eco Dyeing article and one featuring my online classes by Paulette Hackman is in this issue

You don't need any previous dyeing experience to play with us or you can be an expert dyer, everyone is welcome. This is not traditional natural dyeing. We use the natural materials ( including rust and dirt of you please) in their whole, fresh, complete form and manipulate them to imprint permanent stains on our wool.

What transpires is wonderful. Although there is plenty of info on eco dyeing out in the universe, the wool flannel we use creates some problems and adjustments I'll steer you through.

Finding new ways to colour our wool means bringing new and unique glory to our stashes. This in turn brings even more individuality and beauty to our hooking or other wool craft.

Rust printed and overdyed wool adds splendid markings on my wonderful poppy seed head.

I admit I'm in love with this seed pod and eco dyeing started this romance.

Join us and fall in love with dye and hooking all over again

As an introductory boon and man I love giving you a boon, I'm offering a three lesson class for the cost of a two lessons one. only $50. Save $25!

The lessons are: Inside, Outside, Over Dye and will be available for 3 months from your join up date.

You only need a few household items, wool and a little harvest of the natural materials around you and dyes for Overdye.

My classes are interactive, you can have direct contact with me, ask any question about the lessons, I provide inspiration, guidance and help you with ways to improve if desired. My goal is to help you develop as an artist, not to make you a mini me! I meet you where you are and take you where you want to be.

Here is your invitation to the WandaWay Studio.

http://wandawaystudio.ning.com/?xgi=0C4KvL21tClQbH

To join this wonderful Eco Dyeing Class, just go to the classroom and follow the prompts.

It would be a great idea to join the studio to keep in the know about future classes if you aren't interested in this one at no cost. All classes will be available to everyone at any time.

I'll be building up a delicious curriculum over time. I'll see you there!

Note:

If you are a current paid up member of The Welcome Mat this Eco Dyeing class costs $10. Please choose that option when signing up. If you are not a member of the Mat, you are more than welcome to join it and then join the WWS to save yourself $10 off the complete cost of class and also reap a year in the only university of rug hooking, The Welcome Mat.

http://thewelcomemat.ning.com/?xgi=1Brbd3oItTyftZ

In a Word Rug

   January Journal Rug

In a Word, 2014

27"x 50" #8 and #6 on linen

In a Word  Journal project:  A word(s) encapsulates each day and is added to the rug during the month of January. This January Journal is a yearly event  Welcome Mat members join in, we make some very amazing projects around our yearly themes.

In January 2015 we shall be looking at the idea of houses, join us if you are a secret carpenter or always wanted your own village or just want to watch.

Poppy Passion Pattern Peek

We would love to see you in our Poppy Passion Class, my 3 month online class this summer. 

We are learning new ways with colour, dyeing and hooking loops.

This beautiful exclusive pattern is included for all students.

Here is a portion of it. The reason it's so hot around here is I'm on fire for this project!

Poppy Passion - An Online Class

This is a closeup of one of my poppies from my "and the day came" rug

Our online class for Summer 2014 is Poppy Passion. I'd love to have you join.
We will be creating the most magical of flowers with artistic and creative flair!
I'll be supplying you with a beautiful pattern, including close up and distant poppies, a patch among a wild garden. You can enlarge as you wish or interpret as you like. You will use your own wool. Or I can supply it as needed. There will be dyeing recipes and new twists on common methods included as part of this class.

3 excellent lessons on painting with our wool strips, being artistic with colour, handling tough aspects of flowers and greenery including contrast and creating liveliness using a spectrum of colour to shade your glories with good teaching, back up and plenty of direct student/teacher interaction + the pattern PDF

Find out how to make your poppies more than red blobs with black centres. Have some seedy fun! It's going to be imaginative exploration on what colour can do for us in the garden!

Class starts July 1, lessons will be presented on set dates but you show up when you like. Class is open for 3 months.

Spend the summer with poppy passion and me and the whole year with the rest of The Welcome Mat family!!

What are you waiting for? It's time to start blooming hookers! I'm looking forward to seeing the amazing projects you create.

Online class cost $75 US

Join the Welcome Mat to participate! ( an additional $30 fee will apply to become a member)

Go here to join class if you are a Mat member.

Go here to join The Welcome Mat to sign up for our class.

Question ?

I love when people ask questions!

Yesterday a great one came up on The Mat while we were talking about hooking vast negative spaces and how to handle them. I thought I'd share with you in case you wonder the same thing.

"I'm interested in how people do different colored backgrounds for landscapes with large colorful skies. It's not so difficult to make different colored skies( other than blue) there are a  lot of them. Red, pink, purple, yellow. I want to make my background interesting by changing the color of the landscape. Something besides green or brown,  but how do you change the colors of the landscape and make it look right. This is probably a more involved topic than your asking right? Anyone out there have any simple suggestions for this?"

Here 's what I said:

You can go here in The Mat to study my tutorial on blending like values in the Free Online Classroom. This let's you use wide array of colours in any section of a landscape you like, such as a hill, but they do the job of making the hill appear as a hill where it should be because they are all the correct value for that space. Many colours making one statement, I'm a middle distance hill!

 That brings me to the idea that many colours need to be used in a landscape to create planes or the sensation of distance/depth. Each plane of the landscape creates it own " colour temperature, saturation and value costume " for the role they are playing in the total landscape. Brighter darker colours in the foreground, less so in the mid ground and duller, lighter colours in the background. This is why so much hooking work lays flat even when we are trying to create depth, not enough colours used in the proper places.

Here is a link to landscape art. LOOK AT ALL THE COLOURS USED!!!! Amazing. Now look more carefully how those colours play their role to create the landscape or do not in poorer examples.

It might also be good to look at Stephen Quiller who loves to use unexpected colours in traditonal style landscapes. A master!

PS Dear reader.... there are hundreds of tutorials on The Welcome Mat to enrich your rug hooking with 5 years of sinfully rich archives to dig through! Only $30 a year!

Surprising opportunity for you?

Marjorie Duizer's Peace on Earth

Are you free for a week during June, the 16 to the 20th to be precise?
There is a wonderful opportunity to come to a great rug school.
The food is good, the atmosphere friendly and dynamic and the air cool.
Positioned in sight of Lake Michigan it is a way to welcome summer that can't be beat.
Steal some time for yourself before the hordes descend!
Sound interesting?
The Manistee Rug School has a few openings available with some terrific teachers ( that's the surprising part)
My fellow Canadian, Marjorie Duizer has a wonderful body of knowledge that she shares openly and joyfully with her students. She has every teaching accreditation available! You'll be in excellent hands no matter your subject.

Christine Hornby is a new comer to the teaching circuit, her body of works to date are beautiful and expressive, I'd jump at this chance if I were you. She looks at things in new ways that are both charming and exciting.

And my friend Susan Feller, smart, funny, with a refreshingly new look at our rug hooking art will have you reaching your hooking goals in no time! I don't know why you are missing this chance!

You can go here to see their write ups and find more out about them and their hooking art work and registration form.

How can you resist?
Don't be crazy, come.
I'm going and if I can go so can you.
I'll see you there!