Fun first. As you know a lot of vintage rugs were hooked using whatever the person had on hand and one rug might include any or all of cotton, wool, silk, nylon and velvet. In the process of taking yards of fabric to the thrift shop and local senior center stumbled upon a stash of velvet. Ahh, wouldn't it be fun to keep this and maybe use some in an antique adaptation. So proceeded to cut just a little of each. Actually I also have lots of red and maroon but didn't cut those.....yet.
At the moment these are in a pot of soapy water and the darks have started to bleed. I've never over dyed or married velvet before so don't know how it will turn out. Most of these are a synthetic back but the beige is a cotton velveteen, the yellow is a one way stretch. Who knows how these will turn out but it is fun to play with today. I'll show the results tomorrow.
Now to my frustration with the US postal service. The cost of postage has gone up once again. Had an order for a Domestic Zoo pattern and the cost for a flat rate Priority envelope used to be $5.75 and if purchased on line was $5.05. Now the cost for that same flat rate envelope is $6.45 and no more online discounts. I'm so glad that I purchased my Acadian frame before shipping costs increased.
Meanwhile, back in the hooker's chair there are still two more blocks to hook on the border of the sheep and no more progress has been made on the whipping of A Day in the Country. Am planning on finishing the border of the sheep today AND whip a little more on the other rug.
Have a great day today, folks we're gonna have to hunker down for the big storm heading our way for Friday evening and Saturday so will pick up more ingredients to make a pot of vegetable soup tomorrow.
Saundra
Nice find on the velvet. Will look forward to seeing your results and how you use it. Maggie B uses quite a bit in her wool applique and her stuffed pieces and it is lovely. Not having access to a local rug source or quilt shop means I do a lot of online shopping...not thrilled about the postal rates.
ReplyDeleteThe postal service will price themselves right out of service. Shipping over the border is sooo expensive that I hate to have to send for rug hooking supplies when I run out of backing or dye. I had to mix some dyes to get black not long ago with no recipe and it turned out ok. I used it to darken some dye recipes and haven't used it on a piece of fabric yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to see what your married velvet will look like.
I just saw a tutorial today on Rug Hooking Daily about finishing the rug edge by rolling the backing forward and using #6 cut wool fabric and it was matching exactly the wool in the rug. It looks easy enough.
Soup on a winter day is perfect. ( sorry for the long comment, I'm home alone)
Hugs,
JB
Questions about the soaking velvet - are they soaking in soapy water or soaking in slow simmering soapy water on the stove? Will you set the colors with vinegar, then rinse ?
ReplyDeleteThanks
I will be interested to see who those turn out, I do have velvet.
ReplyDeletePostage is a pain, love sending things but it keeps going up and seems cheaper to just send the money, nowadays.
Debbie
Hope to see how it all comes out.
ReplyDeleteWeek before last, one of our neighbors was trying to mail a box containing a wreath to Oklahoma. The clerk said, the post office no longer has air freight, they piggy back air packages onto fedex. So you pay the P.O., and then the piggy cost to fedex. It was going to cost him $18.95 to mail it, then the piggy cost made the total $44.00! He took it back to the house.
UGH! That sucks. Printing postage at home was a great cost savings. And another increase :( They are going to price themselves out of business.
ReplyDeleteHugs :)
Lauren