DATES TO REMEMBER

APRIL 5, OTTAWA OLD FORGE AREA 1 HOOK IN (For more information, please refer to post of January 31st.)

WHEN:  Saturday APRIL 5 TH, 2014, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
WHERE: Maki House 19 Leeming Drive, Ottawa, Ontario

APRIL 7, HOOKING AT JANICE D'S -- Directions to follow by email.

WHAT'S ON PAT M'S HOOK?

 "I love primitive and wide cut!" notes Pat.  So this past January, she travelled to Kennebunk Maine, to take a class at Camp Wool, a retail store run by LeAnn Hodgson that offers classes all year round with a variety of teachers for all skill levels.  

Pat signed up for a class with Betsy Reed.  Betsy has been actively hooking for over 15 years and loves hooking wide cuts and hand torn strips.  She has created a collection of wonderful patterns and has an extensive stash of textured wool.  

Pat absolutely loved the class noting, "not only is it wide cut but also torn strips of wool which can be from 3/4'' to over 1'' wide. You need a wide shank hook so you will not hurt your wrist." Pat's rug "Matilda" is wonderfully textured and  it hooked up quickly.

If you are interested in Camp Wool please check out their website for more information and upcoming classes.  And note, Betsey Reed is returning to Camp Wool in September for another 3 day class "Having Fun with Primitives".

Thanks Pat for sharing your adventure and rug with us.

PERSONAL PLAIDS GALORE

Here are a few more samples of Personal Plaids hooked by our members.  Can you guess which one is Laura's?

PERSONAL PLAIDS

What a fantastic workshop we had last Monday.  A special thanks goes out to Gill W, Jill C and Nicole for all the work that they put into the Personal Plaids workshop.  We had such a big crowd and that we needed to find a way to squeeze in an extra table to accommodate everyone.

Personal Plaids are created based on your date of birth and your six chosen colours.  By hooking  in every other hole and every other ditch, you pick a colour to represent each number and hook the appropriate number of vertical rows ( e.g. 3 rows for number 3).  Then, turning your piece 90 degrees, you repeat your hooked pattern horizontally across your previously hooked vertical rows.

Gill hooked a sampler that was a great reference piece.  For demonstration purposes, the gold coloured square shows only the verticle rows hooked.  The remaining square are complete plaids.  The upper right hand square is a plaid that has been hooked using a piece of wool that transitions from one colour to another.

The gals were careful to give credit to Shirley Lyons for first introducing the rug hooking world to Personal Plaids.

Personal Plaids are not unique to rug hooking.  For anyone who was unable to attend the workshop but would like to know more about Personal Plaids, you can check out the blog 'Nuts about Needlepoint' by clicking here.  Creating a Personal Plaid 

WHAT'S ON ELEANOR'S HOOK?

Well, as you probably already know, our good friend and fellow artisan, Eleanor B has recovered from her first hip replacement and is now waiting to have her second hip operation.  We all wish her the very best and a very, very, speedy recovery as we are anxious to have her back in our company.

In the meantime though, Eleanor has not given up on her hooking.  She manages to find time most days to do a bit of rug hooking in the evening and as we all know, a bit each day soon adds up.  Eleanor is now in the process of finishing this rug which is for her daughter in honour of her family pet.  As Yvonne will be coming east to visit her parents soon,  Eleanor is moving quickly towards the completion of this rug which she will give to Yvonne when she visits. Oh my, there is nothing like a deadline to spur one on.

And yes, Eleanor is already planning her next rug. 

THE GREEN GECKO

There is a wonderful little shop in Lynhurst, Ontario, called The Green Gecko.  The owners, Terri Dawson and her husband, Peter, travel in the winter months to scope out unique one-of-a-kind items for us to purchase in their shop.  While they are away, Terri's mother, Rosemary, fills in keeping things going during the shop's winter hours, 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Satuarday.  This leaves Rosemary with time on Mondays to join us in Lansdowne and fill us in on Terri's adventures.

Recently, Terri was invited to visit a small silk production site in a little rural village in Thialand.  What she saw is absolutely amazing.  Check it out.  Visit her blog THE GREEN GECKO to read about her adventures and view her fantastic photos and videos to find out what Terri learned about small scale silk production.  Then, the next time you are using those lustrous silk threads and yarns in your hooking, think about how those fibres came to be.

FEATURED ARTIST - PENNY D - THE FLIGHT OF THE STAIR RISERS

In June of 2010 I went to Trent school of rug hooking to join Anne Boissinot's open class. I had in my mind to design and hook thirteen risers for our staircase in the country. Our property is a fifty acre bush lot on a little lake in Eastern Ontario. It was my plan to design and hook each riser independently and then worry about the treads later. Each riser was to depict an event at the lake home which reflect funny and happy memories of our life in retirement here.

There were bears, cows, butterflies, trilliums, sumac, house and workshop, canoes, Queen Anne,s lace, frogs, mice, daffodils, turtles and birds, all to be hooked in 6 by 22 inch panels. I began to draw (not a talent) I am noted for, but with encouragement and boldness I created some lie,likenesses. I didn't really worry much because each one was such fun. I really didn't care if the observer knew the story, I did and then in the summer of 2011 they were finished!!

However, we weren't, finished. How to install them and what about the treads. The choices seemed endless, there was industrial rubber that I had seen at Karen Kaiser's house, there was tile that my husband Richard wanted, there was grit which would maintain the integrity of the pine that I had seen of my friend Christine's log house and there was carpeting of the wall to wall kind. at first the carpeting seemed the least attractive from the view of a wannabe Arts and Crafts perspective however as we puzzled and argued it became the choice. Then there was the colour.  Again another decision. Finally, I won with a light green. When the installer came I was still pondering how it would all work, but work it did and we are so pleased. All I have to say is it was fun and worth it. PEN

MARCH 10th PROGRAM - PERSONAL PLAIDS

On Monday, March 10th, Gill W., Jill C. and Nicole W. will be giving a Personal Plaids workshop that is based on a Shirley Lyons' initiative.

Where:  Lansdowne
When:  11 a.m.

If you are interested in participating, please bring with you the following items:
- your hooking supplies
- a piece of open weave backing that will fit on your hoop or frame
- 6 different colours of wool (your choice) in a #3 cut

This promises to be an interesting workshop where one's age is no longer a secret.

COLOUR WHEEL THEORY DEMONSTRATION

February 10th was a beautiful, sunny day for travelling to Women Matters, Lansdowne, where Rhonda presented her Colour Wheel Theory demonstration using food colouring.  Twenty-Three participants enjoyed a colourful event, learning how to create 12 colours using only the 3 primaries.

Since this demonstration, Rhonda has received requests from individuals who want to dye this colour wheel in their home.  As a result, she will soon be posting additional home dyeing information on her personal blog ARTFUL MATTERS. A link to her blog can be found on the right side of our Women Matters blog home page.

COLOUR THEORY DEMONSTRATION

This Monday, Rhonda will be giving a demonstration on how to use liquid food colouring to create a 12-hue colour wheel using only the primary colours.  Anyone interested in having a better understanding of how to create various colours or wishing to come up with their own dye formulas will find this demonstration useful.  If you plan to participate, please bring a pen and paper for taking notes and a colour wheel if you have one.

DARK FRUITCAKE

A few weeks ago, Claire brought some dark fruitcake to our Monday gathering.  She received a lot of requests for the recipe so here it is.  Anyone who was interested in making this cake, can print a copy.  It comes from the Better Homes & Garden All-Time Favorite Cake & Cookie Recipes cookbook.  The ingredients and quantities in brackets are the directions that she followed for the cakes that she made.

 

Here is the recipe:

 

DARK FRUITCAKE

 

3/4 cup butter or margarine (butter)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. each ground nutmeg, allspice, and cloves

1 tsp. salt

16 oz. diced mixed candied fruits and peels (2 1/2 cups)

1 15-oz pkg. raisins (3 cups)

1 8-oz pkg. chopped dates (1 1/3 cup)

8 oz. whole red or green candied cherries (1 1/3 cup)

1 cup slivered almonds (walnuts)

1 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup chopped candied pineapple

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup orange juice (1/2 cup each orange juice and brandy)

1/4 cup light molasses (honey)

 

Grease three 8X4X2-inch loaf pans.  Line bottom and sides of pans with brown paper  (parchment) to prevent overbrowning; grease paper.  In saucepan, melt butter or margarine; cool.  Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt.  Add mixed fruits and peels, raisins, dates, cherries, nuts and pineapple; mix till well coated.  Beat eggs till foamy.  Add brown sugar, orange juice, molasses, and butter or margarine; beat till blended.  Stir into fruit mixture.

 

Turn batter into prepared pans, filling each about 3/4 full.  Bake in a 300 degree F oven about 2 hours or till cakes test done.  Cover all pans loosely with foil after 1 hour of baking to prevent overbrowning.  Place cakes on wire racks; cool thoroughly.  Remove from plans.  Wrap in wine-, (brandy)- or fruit juice-moistened cheesecloth.  Overwrap with foil.  Store in refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks before serving.  Remoisten the cheesecloth once a week.

 

Enjoy!

 

Thanks for sharing this Claire.  Much appreciated.

PERTH RUG HOOKING WORKSHOP - CANCELLED

Jane C. advises that the Perth Rug Hooking Workshop has been cancelled due to a lack of response.  For next year, she and Carol plan to get the info out sooner and to have two separate subjects rather than two wide cut classes. This sounds exciting.  Let's encourage such an initiative in our area.

PEN'S DIRECTIONS FOR MARBLING WOOL

Pen, who is now our Women Matters' icon of marbling, has provided us with the following directions.

"Take three 1/4 yd pieces of dry wool, one dark, one light and one medium in value in a variety of colours. ( you can use smaller pieces if you choose, but you must be able to roll them in with your larger pieces).

Layer the pieces so that the light is in the centre and the medium and dark are on the outside. (the wool should not have  been previously dyed ).

Roll the pieces lengthwise so that you have a long tight sausage shape. Then twist the sausage as tightly as you can and tie it in a knot if you can.

Then take the whole thing and put in a pot large enough to hold the wool and some water. Pour some water over the sausage until it is about 1/3rd of the way up the wool. Add a tablespoon of laundry detergent (usually Tide without bleach) and bring the heat under the pan to a gentle boil/simmer.

Gently simmer the whole mess, keeping an eye on it so that it doesn't run dry. You will notice that the water begins to look muddy, coloured with the dye running out of the wool. You can gently turn it over every once in a while. This will take about a half hour.

 When you see that the water is quite murky, throw in a couple of glugs of vinegar and watch to see the water gradually clear, about a half hour. Again keep an eye on it so that it doesn't run dry. When the dye appears to have been reabsorbed, let it all sit on the heat or about another 15 minutes, then let it cool, rinse the vinegar out in the sink and have a look. It aught to be marvellously marbleized!,

Good luck, have fun and let me know how it turns out"

OTTAWA AREA 1 HOOK-IN

WHEN:  Saturday APRIL 5 TH, 2014, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm

WHERE: Maki House 19 Leeming Drive, Ottawa, Ontario

Please bring one rug, either finished or in progress, for Show and Tell.  Remember to bring your lunch and a coffee mug. Plan on enjoying coffee and tea along with the goodies provided by the members of Olde Forge.

Our vendors:

                        Christine Gibson

                        Loretta Moore

                        Elaine Tigges

                        Cathy Ivory

will have a variety of beautiful wool, yarn and other hooking supplies available to purchase.

We are asking that you pre-register by contacting Lucie Deschamps at  luciedeschamps@rogers.com . We will tick your name at the registration table upon your arrival. This will allow us to have a clear idea of the number of attendees.

Unfortunately, because of space limitation and fire regulations we can only extend our invitation to members of OHCG Area One Branches  (Sorry no non-members or guests at this event.)

JOAN MOSHIMER'S DIRECTIONS FOR ONION SKIN DYEING

 Joan Moshimer, an American icon of rug hooking, once provided the following directions for onion skin dyeing.

"Gather together an assortment of colored flannels, new or used, in all sorts of odd sized pieces.  The colors can be red, rose, orange, tan, greens, blues, grays, lavenders and some small checks and tweeds if you have them.  Darker colors will result if you start with a lot of dark colored wools.  Generally, for the best results, use medium and light colored wools.  Soak wool for a few minutes in warm water with a little detergent in it, then arrange the wool in layers in a medium size enamel pan, putting between each layer a handful of the onion skins and about one tablespoon of uniodized salt.  Let these layers build up to within a few inches of the top of pan then cover with boiling water.  Let it all simmer for about 30 minutes, then rinse well and dry.  The colors that emerge will be like no others you have evern seen, soft and subtly blended with a golden glow from the onion skins.  The more onion skins you use, the more pronounced will be the 'glow'."

PROGRAM SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Regrettably, this year’s winter weather has kept me from attending WM gatherings. As a result, I have not had the opportunity to book a program for the first Monday in February.  As you may know, January’s program was on the second Monday of the month rather than the first so let’s have our February program on the second Monday as well.  This extra week will give us some time to decide what we want to do.  As I understand the current schedule, our sister branch in Algonquin will not be meeting that day and so they too will be able to attend the program, if they so desire.

While I was huddled up at home this past month, my pent up creative juices were flowing.  I had some time to think about what we might do as part of our programming for this year.  I would like to propose the following two programs that I have designed based upon comments that were made and interest that was expressed at WM gatherings last year.

Colour Theory

The first program is a colour theory demonstration.  We will look at primary colours and how to use them to create a 12-step colour wheel. Then we will put this knowledge to work using food colouring to create a 12-hue colour wheel. You will learn about different sets of primaries and which ones to use to create an unlimited number of colours. 

Please note that this is a colour theory dyeing demonstration and not a dyeing demo.  It will give you basic information that can lead to a better understanding of how to create the colours you want when dyeing your wool.  You will also gain a better understanding of colour that will be beneficial when planning your rugs. 

The first part of this workshop is being offered to regular Women Matters members, free of charge. The second part is more advanced and so for those of you who, after taking the first part, are interested in pursuing the second session, can do so by signing up for the class which will be held in my home studio.

 A Potpourri of Patterns (POP) -- Zen Tangles, Fair Isle and Fabric

The second workshop, Potpourri of Patterns, is inspired by Zen Tangle artwork, Fair Isle patterns and fabric designs.  Above is a sample Zen Tangle design that I have hooked which will give you an idea of what Zen Tangles looks like.  You can search the web for more Zen Tangle artwork.

To begin this workshop, I am suggesting that each participant create an original rug design that contains various segments or elements.  One session will be devoted to designing your pattern.  In each of the subsequent sessions, I will introduce you to two or more patterns that you can use to hook the sections or elements of your design.  

This workshop series is also being offered free of charge to regular Women Matter members.

If you are interested in participating in one or both of these workshops, please let me know by commenting on this post or by sending me an email.  As soon as I know that there is enough interest, we can flush out the details, set a date (possibly

Monday, February 10^th) and we can get started.  

Rhonda

APOLOGIES TO JUDY

My sincere apology goes out to Judy P.  She was the one who wrote the majority of the post dated January 29th, entitled Pen's Dyeing Demo.  So sorry Judy for not giving you credit for the post.
Thanks so very much for providing the write up.  Much appreciated.

PERTH RUG HOOKING WORKSHOP

When:  Friday, April 11th and Saturday, April 12th, 2014
Where:  Best Western Plus Perth Parkside Inn & Spa
Teachers:  J. Cuthbert and C. Shewan
Registration Deadline:  February 1, 2014 (limit 32 students)

In the workshop you will have the opportunity to work on a different pattern each day.  The teachers will focus on colour planning the patterns and will discuss pattern history and the use of texture in rug hooking.  The patterns are designed for wide cut and are Fantasy Leaves (23" x 23")  and Paisley (19" x 26").

Workshop fee $195 includes the two patterns, instruction and notes, 2 coffee breaks and a sandwich lunch for both Friday and Saturday.  

Registration:  Thursday afternoon 4:00 - 5:00 or Friday morning 9:30 - 10:00.  Classes will start on Friday at 10 and end at 4.  Saturday classes will start at 9:30 and end at 3:30.

Hook-ins in the evenings.

The hotel is holding a block of rooms.  Two queen beds or 1 King bed for  $159.99 plus tax per night, double occupancy.  A hot continental breakfast is included. The hotel has an indoor pool, hot tub and steam room for your enjoyment.  Please contact the hotel directly to make your reservation.  613 326-0082.

If you have any questions or want a registration form, please contact:
 cshewan@kingston.net or jcuthbert@ripnet.com.

PEN's DYEING DEMO - ONION SKIN AND MARBLING

Early morning, on January 13th, the ladies of Women Matters received an urgent plea from our dear friend and 'demonstrator of the month',  requesting that we go on a search for every bit of onion skins that we could find.  Apparently her 'supplier' had left the country, on a quest for hooking knowledge

and Pen didn't have one onion skin for her demonstration.  The ladies came through in good form and before long, Pen had "onion skins coming out of my 'ying yang' ".

In preparation for the onion skin dyeing, Pen showed us how to layer the fabric, onion skins and salt; fabric, onion skins, and salt and so on, in a pan or dish. Pen used an old, metal crisper, that she had found at a Good Will store.  'Now you fill the pan up with water; enough to cover the layers.'   Water?  Did Pen say water?  Who would have guessed that the water was turned off due to some construction work at the Library?  Not a problem;  the construction workers ran off enough water in a pot, so that Pen could proceed with the demo. We all had a good laugh and Pen remained totally unruffled (as only Pen could do).  

 Here are the results of the onion skin dyeing.  Four fabrics were dyed.  From left to right; the dyed results to the left of the original green/beige/white plaid fabric,  the dyed results to the left of original mauve plaid, results to left of the original pink fabric, and the results to left of the original purple fabric.

Time for the marbling demo.  Pen showed us how to layer the fabric, then we twisted and tied the fabric and placed it carefully in the pot, with a 'glug' of Tide and enough water to cover the fabric.  Oh no!   We're told it could be atleast 1/2 hour before we have more water.   In time, we heard that welcome 'gurgle' of water and Pen was able to finish her dyeing demo.  At the end of day, we were in total 'awe' with the beautifully dyed fabric.   We've all been motivated to go home and put this knowledge to work and be creative with our own fabrics.

Here are the results of the marbling demo. Once again, the dyed wool is to the immediate left of the original wool fabric.

Here are pics of the dyed fabrics in all their glory.

Thank you Pen,  for a wonderful demonstration and a fun filled day.

We enjoyed lots of laughs and Pen was so gracious and accomodating, amidst all the adversaries.   

Judy P.

LANSDOWNE PROGRAM - PEN'S MARBLEIZING

This Monday, January 13, 2014, Pen will be demonstrating  "Marbleizing", a dye method that can give  our existing stash of commercial wool a 'remake'.  If you do not know what to do to change the look and colour of your commercially dyed wool fabric or perhaps you just want to dabble in dyeing without the added expense of buying chemical dyes and measuring spoons, then this demonstration was made for you.  Pen has been rug-hooking and dyeing fabric for many, many years and has offered to share her talents with us.  If we are really lucky, she may even add a second demonstration of onion skin dyeing.

SHOW BINDING

One of our own, Patricia M.

shared her knowledge.

It was a wonderful opportunity to learn how to do show binding. This was something many of us had wanted to do for some time. We learned how;

It is not as easy as it looks

That it takes just as much time as whipping

But the effect can be quite marvelous when you use a piece of fabric you used in your hooking piece.

Around seven of us brought our pieces and with Pat we cut, pressed and sewed in place our framing fabric.

Some pieces are better whipped, but show binding is definitely an alternative method of finishing.

Thank You Pat

Janice's Show Binding in Process