Thursday, October 30, 2014

Colour Craft - Red Violet Bonus

Colour Craft is a column in The Welcome Mat.
In it I compare the three most used dye companies main colours I've groups for use in my publishing work. How to sub them for each other, what you need to know to dull them down and what will work best around the colour wheel.
I use all of the Majic Carpet Dyes and the following Pro Chem and Cushing dyes.




So far in Colour Craft we have covered Yellow, Orange and Red and today I published the Red Violet section.

Here is a great array of Red Violet recipe to use in your work.

Red Violet Sample
2/32 tsp. Red Violet

Brown Dulling Red Violet
2/32 tsp. Red Violet
1/64 tsp. Chocolate Brown

Black Dulling Red Violet
2/32 tsp. Red Violet
1/64 tsp. Black

Yellow Green Dulling Red Violet
2/32 Red Violet

2/32 Moss Green (you might be wondering why so much Moss green? Once again I trust my eye rather than ideals… this red violet is extremely strong. You need more of a weaker (by comparison) dye to dull it down.

Method
Each red violet recipe was dyed over 1/16th yd of pre soaked natural wool in a dye bath on the stovetop.  
 I added 1/8th tsp of citric acid after half the dye was taken up, that varied according to the darkness of the formula. Wait until water clears completely. Rinse well and dry as you wish.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Today's Formula - Lupine

It's a gray day here, it seems heartening to imagine violet in its place.





Cedar Hill from Scenes of The Bruce Series

hand torn strips hooked in complete rows from right to left , bottom to top - Wanda Kerr

Here is my Lupine using my Majic Carpet Dyes.

My oh my.... it paints a gray day splendidly against the last of the golden leaves.


Lupine
1/128 tsp. Red Violet
1/128 +1/256 tsp. Blue
1/256 tsp. Seal Brown
1/512 tsp Black


Method:
Dyed over 1/8th yd of natural wool. I wet the wool. I dissolved the Majic Carpet dyes together in boiling water, poured them into the barely heated dye bath, added the wool and waited until the water almost cleared to add 1/32 tsp citric acid or 1 tbsp vinegar.Wait for water to clear. Rinse well and dry.

Wait until water clears. 

Saturday, October 25, 2014

One Pot Parlay Video Tutorials

Did you get your new issue of RHM, the N/D one?
Mine just came and it twigged my very poor memory. I made a video to accompany my Sept/Oct article, One Pot Parlay. I made two because I showed you how to correct them if they weren't satisfying. And I forgot to post them for you. There are many gorgeous formulas in the article.
Here's a few to get you started. 
Don't dye? Don't worry you can buy these Pot Parlays pictured and more right here in my store



Go your Own Way Rabbit Foo Foo Collection
Look at how we can go into possible muddy territory with nary a concern!

1/64 tsp Turquoise
1/128 tsp. Blue Violet  + ¼ inch round damp toothpick Orange
1/128 tsp. Red Violet + ¼ inch round damp toothpick  Orange and Turquoise
½ inch round damp toothpick  Orange + Seal Brown + Red violet
½ inch round damp toothpick  Yellow


 Goddess Greta Collection

1/16 tsp. Blue Violet
1/32 tsp.  Red Violet
1/16th tsp Red + 1/16th tsp. orange




 Method : Dye Bath, 1/8 yd. pieces of wet natural wool


Decide on dye –* add dye directly to the warming dye bath – dissolve - add wool.
Stir about.
Cook 10 minutes.
Add  1/8th tsp. Citric Acid or  1/8th cup vinegar.
Cook 10 minutes more, remove wool.*
Decide on next dye. Repeat from * to *

Keep doing this for as many pieces of wool you have.
Add more water into pot as needed.
If you find there is not much dye left add a bit of the original into the second wool’s bath.
Once the dyeing is all done process in a 350˚ F Oven for 20 minutes.
Note: If you have two pots it is as easy to have two going as it is to sing a round.  Start the first pot,  at the first 10 minute mark when it is time to add acid, start the next pot. Every 10 minutes when your buzzer goes you will add dye and wool or acid to each pot as required.


What do you think? Seems simple doesn’t it? It is, just give it a whirl. I think you will be deeply satisfied with these beautiful transitions . Try it this week end!


And the fix it!

Here are the results of the video:


I kinda missed my pastel goal but the array is gorgeous!
PS, You can shade with these parlays.... oh baby, crewel rugs just got a whole new lease on life!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Today's Formula Cobalt /Matters

I've had tremendous interest lately in The Welcome Mat.

This is wonderful. There are a few recurring questions. What is it like, I want to see inside before I buy it and do I have to pay further for everything I want to do or see there?

One member recently said: The Mat is like " going to an online university offering undergrad, masters, doctorate degrees all from your own comfortable home!Wanda is a "ONER"...master professor..teacher...sage!"

That made me blush a bit but it is true I like to aim high, go beyond expected outcomes. The Mat represents this. I like to meet you where you are and take you where you want to go even if that's nowhere!

Here is a video if you want to skim the surface of what the Mat is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjcSM5oyahE

Here are the pertinent facts:
I tell you pretty much everything I know about hooking and dyeing on the Mat.
4 weekly informative and fun discussions
1 teaching discussion a week
Free patterns
1 yearly free class which is not condensed or abridged version , full bore teaching in my interactive style.
Monthly dye column using Pro Chem, Cushings and Majic Carpet Dyes, yes all three.
Support for my RH magazine Colours To Dye For columns
Tutorials
Challenges
Yearly January Journal dare
Video tutorials on hooking and dyeing
Editorials that showcase my personal artistic development, what I'm learning now.

And there is much, much, much more.
If you enjoy my dye column in Rug Hooking imagine what this is like, I have no constraints of space or deadlines.
Take what you want and leave the rest on The Mat.
You don't even have to get any mail from us but read it like any other web page.
Everything is archived, searchable and questions are answered.
It continues to develop and change as you the subscriber requires.

Yes we have a few classes on the Mat that require a further fee. That said they are places where I teach one on one. They are a bargain,  extensions are applied as required, can be signed into at any time and are a treasure trove.

The Mat costs 8¢ a day. How can you not afford it? You take much greater chances ordering books online. Be Brave, be a member.
Here is your invitation.
http://thewelcomemat.ning.com/?xgi=1Brbd3oItTyftZ

Remember what Buddha said:

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."
Decide for yourself about the Mat.

Our formula for today using Majic Carpet Dyes:


 Cobalt
4/32 tsp of Blue ( you know this is 1/8 tsp.)
1/256 tsp. Blue Violet
1/64 tsp. Black

1/512 tsp. Orange

Method:
All colours dyed over 1/8th yd of natural wool. I wet the wool. I dissolved the Majic Carpet dyes together in boiling water, poured them into the barely heated dye bath, added the wool and waited until the water almost cleared to add 1/32 tsp citric acid or 1 tbsp vinegar. I added up to 1 tsp. of citric acid or 2/3 cup of vinegar when dye colour was dark.

Wait until water clears. Some resting of wool in dye bath off the heat source may be required in darker colours.


Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Spot Dye Named Spectacle


I showed you a group of spot dyes yesterday and gave you the formula for the beautiful green one.
Wednesday needs a little more pep I think and so I've given you the formulas for it's companion piece Spectacle.

A Spot such as this is useful as outline, flower centers, to act as paisley cloth, if cut and kept in the order of cutting ( apply to piece of carpet or double sided tape) can act as an out of focus background.
It is useful in most geometrics, landscapes, orientals and even crewels. I even use them in portraits.


SPECTACLE
Using Majic Carpet Dyes  - click the link to get your set.

Over 1/2 yd of natural wool scrunched in pan, each colour in dissolved in 1/4 cup of boiling water then topped up with cold water to 1 cup added to wool in a checkerboard pattern by pouring.

1/16tsp. Red Violet
1/16 tsp. + 1/32 tsp. Blue
1/16 tsp. Yellow

Mash lightly


I'll be sharing even more knowledge about spot dyes in the  The Majic Carpet Club, join us!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Spot Dyed Splendor with Majic Carpet Dyes


6 Greens Salad second from the left.

'Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.' (Vincent Van Gogh)



Spot dyeing is one of the most exciting methods of dyeing. When we concentrate on the small things it takes to create them we end up with something grand ! As usual we have three main components, wool, dyes and pans and two secondary ones, acid and heat. The magical manipulation of these factors are what create the difference between ho hum and glorious spots.
Try this one!
                                           Scrunch your wool methodically into your pan.


 Wool should look like this.


Add on your dyes




SIX GREEN SALAD
1/2 yd. natural wool scrunched and crinkled into an enamel refrigerator drawer or flat pan
1/32 tsp. citric acid crystals added to each colour
Spotted by pouring the spots out of measuring cup in a checkerboard pattern.  Please don't dribble the colour on, be bold.
Add the colours to wool in the order listed for exact replication. It will make a difference. Use a cup of water for each dye or group of dyes listed, pour boiling water in first to dissolve the dye (1/4 cup ) and fill up with cool water to one cup measure.

1/32 tsp. Brilliant Green
1/32 tsp. Moss Green
1/32 tsp. Bottle Green
1/32 tsp. Moss Green + 1/64 tsp. Seal Brown
1/32 tsp. Brilliant Green + 1 /32 Yellow
1/32 tsp. Bottle Green + 1/32 tsp. Reddish  Brown

Add each dye individually once all dyes are applied, lightly mash in a gentle manner.

Bake at 350˚F for 20 to 30 minutes. I do not cover them nor add foil to the bottom of the pan before the wool is added.

Go to the WandaWorks store for your Majic Carpet Dyes and explore other delights.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Sharing New Skills Monday + 3 Wandering Formulas and Method

Each week on the Welcome Mat we have a lesson called New Skills Monday.
Here is this week's, we love sharing on The Mat.

We'd love for you to join us, it is the best bang for your buck out there. Only .08 cents a day for the best inspiration for rug hooking artists online.

People ask me to write a book frequently and this truly is the book they want.
But better because I'm present and fairly live. It is the best kind of book, interactive.
I've been working my whole career with one goal, to help you realize your dreams and potential by helping you to look at things differently. Here is just one miniscule example.

New Skills Monday - Contrast and Background - A Simple Rug Study.

Recently we've talked about contrast and backgrounds.
They've been on my mind because of our last lesson in the poppy class.
And while I posted the lesson I forgot to talk about the background in this rug.
We are going to share with you.
Let's look at my rug And The Day Came, sorry if you are tired of seeing it, I use it for my ads.
Here is a close up, we are looking at the background, see the variety of colours and the directions?
Some kinda stems, some kinda buds but in the background colours. You can see areas of lighter and darker action.
For the whole rug, it is 5'6" long I used about 5 different yard pieces of green that were similar in value. Some were just mottled with lighter and darker patches of the same colour.
Others were spot dyes of my 7 Greens Salad where I just take seven straight out of the bottle or mix green and dye up a yard of wool. Some were blue green, some true green and some yellowish green.
Can you see where the spot dyes are?
Let's look at it from a distance to get the whole impact of what happened with all these greens.
I also make sure if I come across a dark patch or a light patch in a strip that doesn't belong where I'm hooking. I reserve them ( cut them off ) and group them together where I need that kind of dimness or glow.
These greens make a "ghostly garden" and the sideways directions and the angled patches create subtle movement. Rather than do the usual with these 5 yards like cut them up and pull them randomly for a wormy background or pave it up and down in straight rows I let the greens paint patches. As you know I'm big on creating shapes in my wool painting whether it be face, flower or background.
The background of my letterings are three wanderings used either or. This means use one or two strips of one colour and then switch to the other colour to blend them.  If you are interested in these formulas they are at the bottom of this discussion.
Contrast
I won a prize for this rug and it was published on a black and white page. I had played a great trick in this rug which isn't all that apparent.
I only used temperature and saturation to create contrast.
Look at it in black and white, what a terrible thing to publish, I bet people were shaking their heads. Barely any value contrast between flowers and background!
I hope you enjoyed this please add what you like. What kind of contrast do you like to create?
What do you think of this background?
Got questions?
Please ask.
I used Majic Carpet Dyes to create these formulas moons ago.
The Method
Fill a 12 or 14 quart kettle 3/4 full with water.
Heat it.
Add a very generous handful of pickling salt. I use 1/2 cup.
Measure dye from formula line #1 into a measure cup and dissolve with boiling water then top up to one cup with cool water. ( this is making a dye solution) 
Pour this solution into the pot.
Place into the pot a 1/2 yard of wool that has been pre-soaked in wetting agent (drop of plain shampoo or jet dry without bleach or synthropol. 
Stir with a spoon or ruler for a few seconds. Let some wool be above the water.
Leave for 10 minutes . 
Stir in 1/2 tsp. citric acid crystals.
Poke wool down with a spoon ( I use a wooden ruler) until it is submerged. Only do this once.
Wait for colour to be absorbed.
Pour solution from line #2 over the wool.
Give one swift whip of a spoon, do not stir further.
Only add acid once.
Leave for 10 minutes.
Pour solution from line #3 over wool.
Use the same stirring routine as mentioned before.
Continue repeatedly adding the dyes from each line in this way until you reach the end of the formula.



Rinse wool well and dry. 

In my dirt in this rug I used Clay Baker and Oceanic

Clay Baker
3/32 tsp. yellow
1/32 tsp. red violet
1/32 tsp. bottle green
4/32 tsp. chocolate brown
2/32 tsp. turquoise

Oceanic
2/32 tsp. blue
1/32 tsp. moss green
1/32 tsp. seal brown
And a little Brazil Nut at the top of the "dirt".

Brazil Nut
4/32 tsp. blue
1/32 tsp. blue violet
2/32 tsp. yellow
1/32 tsp. blue + 1/32  tsp. black
1/32 tsp. red violet  + 1/32  tsp. black
5/32 tsp. yellow


Friday, October 17, 2014

Colour Chart for Majic Carpet Dyes

My friend Starr asked for a colour chart for Majic Carpet Dyes and I thought you might like it too.



We buy white jars with white lids so you can write the name of your dyes on top.
Hey today we wrote up some tips for new dyers who are purchasing a kit.
Maybe you would find it helpful too! Here it is.

Welcome to The Majic
We are so happy you have chosen our wonderful dyes.
This box they arrived in is great for storing your dyes, hang onto it!
Majic Carpet Dyes are easy to use and are great mixers. You can dye any colour with any other colour in equal measures and get a wonderful array of spectacular colours.
Use my handy toothpick measures for light colours.
1/8 “ of round damp toothpick = 1/1,024 tsp.
¼ “ of a round damp toothpick = 1/512 tsp.
½ “ of a round damp toothpick = 1/256 tsp.
1 inch of a round damp toothpick = 1/128th tsp.
2” inches of a round damp toothpick = 1/64 tsp.
Use 1/32 to 1/16th tsp for medium colours
Use  ¼ tsp for darker ones or ½ tsp for colours approaching black over ¼ yd of wool

If the colours seem too bright out of the jar use a small amount of Seal Brown to dull the warm colours( the colours you see in fire) and use a small amount of black to dull the cool colours( the ones you see in water). Please only use small amounts of citric acid to dye, you only need 1/32 tsp. for light colours and ½ tsp for dark ones.

Please join our free club for Majic Carpet practioners http://wandawaystudio.ning.com/group/the-majic-carpet-club full of tips and help for these terrific dyes.

If you would like more concrete instruction I have a Beginner dye Booklet for sale in my store, www.wandaworks.ca . My online studio for creative and artistic growth is full of dyeing info, only $30.00 a year.
I’m here to help you reach your dyeing goals.

Basic Dye Bath Method
Every time we dye we are dealing with 4 things: Heat  Wool  Dyes  Methods
Here is the most basic method of dyeing.
Find a large pot, pan that you can devote to dyeing.Fill it half way up with water, heat to a simmer.
While you wait, wet your wool very thoroughly with the addition of shampoo, jet dry, or synthropol.
Add dye  to water ( use a formula to help you at first if you have never dyed before)
Add wool to water, stir around for smooth result, leave with out stirring for mildly spottier results. Wait until almost all the dye has been absorbed into the wool.
You can test this by dipping a white spoon into dye bath to gauge how much colour is left.  
Add acid or vinegar 1/32 tsp acid or 1 tbsp vinegar for a light colour, up to 1/2 tsp acid or 1/3 cup vinegar for darker ones.

Leave until all colour is in the wool and the water is clear, rinse well, dry.