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

SHOW BINDING WORKSHOP - MONDAY, DEC. 2

This Monday at Women Matters, Lansdowne, Pat Mangeon will be conducting a workshop on how to do Show Binding.

You will need to bring with you;

• Scissors
• Sewing Needle
• Heavy Thread
• Ruler
• Quilting Pins
• The hooked piece that you will be putting the show binding on.
• Wool fabric of your choice.  Enough to go around your piece plus 6" more.  This strip should be approximately 3" wide.  Cut enough strips to that when you connect the pieces allowing for seam allowances, the length will be about 6" longer than the outside of your rug.

WM will have its popular steam iron available, however, it may be in high demand so anyone who wishes to bring an extra steam iron is welcomed to do so.

Workshop starts at 11 a.m. and promises to be fun and interesting.

Thanks to Pat for offering to do this for everyone.

Fibre, Fibre Everywhere

Well, Kim from Cornerstone Fibre, was a big hit.  She brought along a lot of eye candy for us to drool over including, drop spindle kits, felting needles and lots of fibre.

Kim also brought some of her creations to show us.  

Wet Felted Purse

Wet Felted Hat

Pattern on Felted Scarf

Hat knitted with hand spun energized singles.

She noted that these rovings were dyed with unsweetened Kool-Aid.

But the most cuddly chunk of fibre that Kim brought, and the star of the show, was Daisy, a Satin Angora rabbit who is less than a year old.  Kim talked about her experience raising Angora rabbits and noted that a female rabbit is called a doe and a male is a buck.  The females rule the warren and are more territorial than males.  They are also more likely to bite, scratch and kick, as they defend their territory.  Imagine!

As Daisy has been hand raised by Kim, she is comfortable being held and cuddled.  Nancy was quite taken with Daisy and Daisy was very comfortable in Nancy's arms.  But alas, this was to be a short friendship. Kim explained that this was Daisy's last public appearance as she and her sister, Dalilha, would be traveling to their new home on the west coast, within the week. 

Thanks to everyone who came to this event and helped to make it a success.

WHAT IS ANGORA?

Did you know that there are Angora goats ....

and Angora rabbits?

So which one produces the Angora fibre?  It is the rabbit.  The fibre produced by the Angora goat is called Mohair.

If you want to see a fluffier bunny than the one pictured above, then check out this You Tube video on Giant Angora Rabbits.  

Kim from Cornerstone Fibres will have some of this scrumptious fibre among the supplies that she will be selling at Women Matters on Monday, November 4th.