GOT DANDELIONS ?

If so, follow the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade".  

I'm not making lemonade, instead will make a dye recipe.  I've never done this before so this is a maiden voyage for me.  To dye half yard of wool it requires 4 cups dandelions.  All I could conjure up from my big yard was 2 1/2 cups.

I put those in a mesh bag you see in the photo just above and under the dandelions, which I've used when doing onion skin dyeing.  Then went back outside to deadhead some daffodils to make up the difference.

The dandelions and daffodils are to soak overnight, will dye tomorrow and show you the results after that.  But tomorrow morning must purchase some alum which is the mordant.  Actually it requires alum and cream of tartar.  I have the latter.  

Hope this isn't a disappointment for both of us and if so I'll not waste my time snapping off dandelion blooms and instead will leave them for the bees.  However, there are still many more buds which will bloom for them.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

GUESS I'VE GOTTA DO IT.....

Can't in good conscience delay showing you the update on Cottage and Apple Tree any longer.  I've often said hooking an antique adaptation is like putting together a puzzle.  Some of those puzzle pieces would be hiding in your noodle/worm bags.  That is just one unspoken secret which helps make a rug look old.   

Antique rugs never had a yard of the same wool to hook a background, unless it was a tattered blue or grey military uniform.   Plus back in the day rugs were made with 'rags' of homespun cottons, cotton stockings, long johns or whatever textile was available.

Didn't get many loops pulled yesterday as I needed a shearing and afterward had my annual eye appointment.  HATE having my eyes dilated because after 5 hours later there was still the peripheral glare in my vision.   Normally I have a rug to bind while sitting in the waiting room but good or bad am all caught up on binding.  

Am hoping the gals who purchased this pattern are having as much fun as I am.  I'd love to see a photo of yours eventually and if you have a question about what I'm doing or want me to take a close up photo of something, please feel free to email me.  

EEK, soon I'll have to decide what my next one will be ....but at least there's the Comstock rug sitting on the sidelines.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Onion Skin Dyeing

Today is the day to get this task done.  It has been so long since dyeing with onion skins and was looking forward to the results.  Wanting to impress my readers 😀 thought it best to pull out my "Natural Dyeing" booklet by Marie Sugar and follow instructions.

It said to use 2 cups of onion skins ~ I mixed both yellow and red onion skins together.  I pressed the down but didn't push so hard it would crush the skins into bits.

The zipper mesh bag was purchased at the Dollar Tree.  There are 3 bags for only $1.

Decided to use these various pieces of bolt wool and parts of dismantled clothing.  There is approximately a yard there.

A picture of the color leaching from the skins before putting in the wool.

With the color almost all absorbed into the wool I wasn't impressed with the results and knew you wouldn't be either.  So pulled out the wool and added another 2 cups of skins into the same bag.

Back into the pot went the wool after the additional skins had leached their color.  Here is the before:

Here are the results.

None of those colors have a plan yet but sure will be more useful to me for antique or primitive rugs that the before wool.  Even in the past when I had disaster dye jobs have found particular pieces very handy.  

Saundra

Natural Dyeing

Can't believe that as hot and humid as it is outside that I'm thinking of dyeing.  Perhaps it is because I feel like I am in a hot pot of water.  And no am not getting ready to dye, that will come later into the cooler temperatures but need something to write about.

In the past I have done some natural dying using onion skins, avocado pits and black walnuts.  To see a collage of old posts on different dye methods posted on my blog click HERE.

While perusing Pinterest the other day saw a magnificent photo of dyeing with black beans.  And they were beautiful colors.  So this post is a historical record for me as well as giving info to my textile loving friends.

Isn't that an awesome color?  It came from an old post by lilfishstudios.

And the photo of the beautiful yarn dyed with black beans.

And another gorgeous color above which was posted by SpiritCloth. 

There is definitely a whole world of information to discover thru the internet.  If only there were more hours in a day and I weren't too lazy. Yet time spent on the internet takes up valuable time as well.  

Ben has been walked and he chose to do the short version and get back in the A/C.  Glad he did.  Now I'm going to veg out and hook more on the Turkey and Tallowberries so that maybe there will be more to show tomorrow.

Stay cool and dry.  Or.... IF you need rain hope you get only what you need.

Saundra