Sunday, October 19, 2008

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

6 comments:

JoJo said...

Sheri, I think I like this rug better in the "before" picture too. The staining doesn't ruin the rug but I guess I'm just a fan of the white. Either way, it's still adorable. I can't get over how you did Santa's beard! How original!!

I also love the pictures you posted earlier from your hook-in with Patti. I'm kinda jealous of her going off to Florida for the winter but then again, for me, at least, it's just not Christmas without cold weather and perhaps some snow.

ShabbySheep said...

Hi JoJo, I looked at the rug this morning and I'm RE-hooking the background in the white!!! Can't put that much work into something and not be happy with it. It still smells like coffee, maybe I'll add some cinnamon to the foundation fabric before I rehook it and it will Really smell good!!!

danasmith said...

Oh my gosh I can't even imagine dyeing after hooking...it would scare me to death! lol I love love love your rug! I is just beautiful!
Dana in Virginia
www.TheThingsILove.typepad.com

Joan said...

Sheri, I love the Santa's beard and the hat! Did you take the roving and roll it into "worms" like clay? I don't blame you in re-hooking the piece. It is too cute not to enjoy! I made your pinwheels for dinner Saturday and my husband loved them! Do you remember which shade of red wool you used for santa coat?
Joan

ShabbySheep said...

Joan, the red wool was recycled (a woman's suit) and the roving for the hat I just pulled it into strips and hooked it, then snipped the loops open. However for the beard, I hooked the roving in here and there (so the background linen wouldn't show so much) and then used what my friend called thick and thin wool yarn. I cut off the "thin" parts of the yard and used the thick!!! I sewed each piece on seperatly with regular sewing thread. Hope this makes sense. I have about half of the white background re-hooked. Will finish it tomorrow and post another picture. I'll show a picture of the thick and thin yarn too. I bought it at a garage sale, but I'm sure a good yarn shop would have it.

Doreen Frost said...

Love the rug....VERY nice. I actually like it once stained..but that's just me.

Take care,
Doreen