Do Not Try This at Home!

On the forum, Wool Snippets I had been asking everyone if they had ever attempted to dye something after it was hooked. Well, I tried. Actually I did it, but like I said I wouldn't recommend it. I had used off the bolt natural wool for the background for this Santa rug. I thought it was too bright so one of the answers I got was to use tea bags and dab it onto the wool. I pre wet my piece with a sponge BUT the only tea bags I had were green tea....So I used coffee. I made a fresh pot of VERY STRONG coffee and proceeded to use the sponge to apply the hot coffee.

Here's before..... with the bright background on the bottom right...

Applying the coffee stain....

It only soaked half way through the wool even though it was wet and I put ALOT of coffee on it...

So I stained it from the back too... hoping it would meet in the middle...

Then they suggested I lay it in the sun to dry. It was so wet it would've taken days. So I threw it in the clothes dryer on high heat!!!

Here is the final piece. I used raw wool for his beard and roving for the fir on his cap.

First, I hooked in some of the roving where the beard would be. Then I sewed the individual pieces of wool on for the beard.

For his hat I hooked the roving high and clipped it to make it sheared.

But you know what? To tell the truth , in the finished piece I liked the background better the way it was with the brighter natural wool. Live and learn. Also maybe I have helped you guys to see that it isn't easy to dye after hooking. Not a great idea. Also I need to mention that the design is by Brenda Gervais. Love it!!!

And finally, here is a little vignette of summers last blooms from our garden. I believe we've already had a frost, but some things are still blooming. I need to get out and mark my hostas so I can divide them with my neighbor Paula in the spring. I always forget which is which until they're too big to divide.

Bye for now and have a beautiful week.

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable

but more useful

than a life spent doing nothing.

George B. Shaw

Peace,

Sheri