Seeking, Striving With All My Heart!

'I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.' 

Vincent Van Gogh

'Louisa' is finished. I have learned so very much from doing this rug. I am here in Idaho and what I have learned has been on my own. A lot of studying and observation and things I learned when I used to paint. Who would have guessed back then how someday I would glean lessons learned painting and use them as I 'paint with wool.'

The collar bone area down to the scoop of her neck went in and it just looked wrong. Then I thought to trace my own collarbone area with my fingers and create the shape with the direction of my loops.

The background. Ha! I was convinced that once I had Louisa finished, the back-ground would be easy. Wrong. The background that I had dreamed of simply competed with her beautiful skirt. As I cut the area down and started pulling more and more lavender out, I saw that less was more. Suggestions of flowers over the ground was all that was needed. 

Louisa hung on my easel for over a week as I felt increasingly annoyed. I do that. I will feel such aggravation when I cannot solve a problem with whatever I am working on. As I looked through one of my favorite books of art by Alphonse Mucha, I noticed all the arches he used to frame all his ladies. A stone arch came to mind- stone, so that color-wise it would tie in with the soft  folds of her blouse. Lovely!

Currently, I am actually working on an up-coming new pattern. I have not done one of those in quite some time. I am taking some of the things I have learned from other rugs and bringing it into this new design. Similar in style to my 'Marie, the Rose of France' pattern, this one has a beautiful woman  and a sheep and a floral border. I have color swatches laid out and am in one of my very favorite stages of any rug design- the dreaming and building of inspiration. 

I have been working on many, many rug hooking kits this last few months. Currently my work room has neat piles broken down per kit and customer. I am getting them put together and I am visiting my Post Office daily. I have been receiving messages asking me if I do kits for my designs and the answer is absolutely 'yes!' Contact me through my Etsy shop or at hooknwool@gmail.com for information. And please come visit me on my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/vintageheartprimitives?ref=hl

Louisa

This is my design that I am currently working on. It is called 'Louisa' -named after my best friend, Louise. Louise is a personal 'life coach', comedian, and entertainer all in one. She has been my best friend for 20 plus years.

This actually started when I saw a blouse that I thought was beautiful. I created the whole rug off that blouse. I saw it back in maybe early January and as the weeks went by I was so busy and had no time to devote to the lady that I was creating in my mind. But, I kept thinking about her- her hair, the style dress, the colors. I also kept thinking of her face. I was intentionally observed people's faces and how the light fell over cheeks and noses that I studied in conversation or my own in the mirror.

I was quite sure that once I had the hard part done, 'Louisa' herself, that the rest would be easy. Wrong! Her skirt came out so beautiful but it seemed that the background bothered me terribly. So, it has hung in my living room as I looked at it in irritation wondering what to do. I decided that what was bothering me was that the background looked too busy and competed with her beautiful skirt.

Looking through a book I have of one of my favorite artists, Alphonse Mucha, I was inspired by his arches that so many of his pieces have. I wondered if limiting the view of the background by having Louisa stand in an arch would fix the problem. After some thought, an old stone arch came to mind.

Not only did it solve a problem, but I really love it!

The stone arch is made from one of my favorite colors that I have available in my Etsy store. it is called, 'French Urn.' It's a blend of gray and brown which always looks so 'stony' to me and pleasing to my eye. 

Speaking of wool, I am finally working bit by bit at getting colors that I either use all the time or just love moved into my Etsy store. Raspberry Jam, Blue Lavender, Run Through A Meadow, Overcast Skies, Pumpkin Pecan Pie, French Roses and Midnight Blue. There are others and I have many more coming...if I could just tear myself away from Louisa for a while.

Color that Inspires!

So, I have really been having fun dyeing my own colors. One of my favorite discoveries is how fun it is to have 'fun' cooking in an extra pot as I dye wool for my rugs and for the kits I do. Above are some of my 'Color Doodles.' Some I can do over and over- others, are one of a kind, like a bundle I sold today, 'Grandma's Pansies.' (Pictured- last three on the right)

I get into trouble with color. One color in the most unsuspecting place is enough to start my brain thinking of how I could use that color- which often leads to a bit of frustration because I would need ten lifetimes to do every idea that comes to mind. So, which one to choose?

I love shades of smokey blues and pinks and purples. What colors inspire you? And what are your favorite ways of using them? Do you have colors on your shelf that you can't bear to use until you find something so special and so worthy of such a delicious color?

This is a bundle that I call 'Mountain Rain.' These colors make me think of a the smells of a mountain after a rain. Wet pine, a stormy sky and raindrops. I have one of these left in my Etsy store. 

Now, this was a FUN piece to do. It is available also in my Etsy shop. It reminds me of a bed of Iris and that's why I call it 'Maggie's Iris Bed.' Raspberry, Gold and a rich deep Rose. 

What colors inspire you? Do they evoke memories or make you hungry even? 

Simplicity

'Simplicity' That's the name of my new pattern and also has been the theme of my last few weeks. This pattern is available in my Etsy shop- on linen. I can make a kit for you as well.

I am almost so close to finishing my ballerina rug, 'Tutu's.' I have been so busy with filling orders this last six weeks that I have had no time to even really look at it, however, I will let you see where I am at!

A pattern you can find in the January 2015 issue of Wool Street Journal.

The other news is that in January 2015 I was in Primitive Quilts Magazine and Wool Street Journal. I adore both publications. In the Wool Street Journal, you will see how I took scrap vintage pieces of fabric and hooked them into a small rug to give tribute to women through history who enjoy and earn a living with fiber arts. There is a pattern in that issue for you to hook or use in a punch-needle design. In Primitive Quilts January 2015, you also get a free pattern that I designed. It is my adaptation of a vintage chair-pad that was found in an old Kentucky cabin. It is one of my very favorite primitive designs I have done.

This is the chair-pad that I adapted for Primitive Quilts Magazine, January 2015 issue.

Ballerinas!

This design you see I am naming 'Tutus'. There will be a third ballerina on the far right. This is an enormous rug measuring 60" x 30".  So, what inspired me? A foreign shampoo advertisement I saw of little ballerinas. I admit! I am a bit overwhelmed with the size of this design but I also admit- I am enjoying every bit of it!

For the sashes and slippers, I hand dyed pieces of an ivory colored silk shirt I bought a couple years ago at a thrift store. Both girls have different sari ribbons I used in their hair. My favorite is the one on the left. The sari ribbon on that one has gold in it and it is just so beautiful!

I have been having a difficult time deciding my background but have settled on a very light, LIGHT barely there grey-blue which I will spending some time over the next few days dyeing.

I have been working in my Etsy store at 'spiffing' things up- I have added a couple things you may be interested in. One is my 'Marie, the Rose of France' and the other is my most popular, 'Lamb and Crocks'- both I am offering in different sizes now. Here are links to those two listings!

Marie the Rose of France

Lamb and Crocks

I realize that I never shared a finished picture of my rug 'Mariam', named after my youngest sister. So, I will leave you with a picture of 'Mariam.' Right now she is hanging in my living room where I enjoy looking at her and wondering what she is thinking and how many stories she has to tell. She is lovely!

I wish yo a wonderful Holiday Season! I have had one of my very best!

Snow Days

It feels like January here in Idaho. Snow is not supposed to happen till next month. Just two weeks ago, I was running the air-conditioner! And here we are at 1 degree and more snow than I can describe.

Now what??

 As I was muttering and sputtering two evenings ago- in absolute disbelief- I remembered! That snow thing I wanted to try. I am CONSTANTLY thinking fiber. Somewhere I had read about it and now I could try it. So, remember, I am only two days into this, OK? But, I will share with you what I have been playing with and what I have come up with. This is turning a snow day into a play day, you know?

I am NOT a professional 'snow-dyer' - I am merely a woman who feels 6 again-snow, color, playing, and wonder.

So, start with, of course, soaking your wool. My favorite result that you will see was actually an old skirt. The others are 'dud' colors that I botched up on another dye day.

Wring out your wool and scrunch it up and lay it to one side of your big pan. I used an old turkey roaster. Remember, you will want a pan that is big enough that as the snow melts, you won't risk it running over. You will be adding a 'dye/snow' mixture on top of this so cover your wool over with clean snow!

That old pink skirt being covered with snow.

OK- so I tried this two different ways. I will show you the results of both with the understanding that I am NEW to this and am not claiming to be an expert- LOL!!

I am going to start with my latest first as I think it will be easier. I think. LOL

Above you will see that I am dissolving my dye in just enough boiling water to dissolve all the dye particles. This is a raspberry color, one of my favorites. Stir and dissolve.The idea is, at least to me, is that I want to add snow to this concoction to make it frosty cold so that it does not immediately sink down into my wool. Right? Right. Right? LOL You are probably asking how much dye? I had about 2/3 of a half yard in this batch and I used a heaping and generous tablespoon size scoop of my dye. Same with the lavender color I used. I mixed my dye and snow in a separate little pan- adding snow until it was like a 'frosty.'

Are you getting the idea? I have to say that at this point, I was 'in my element'- giddy with having way too much fun! Now watch....
Pat these colors now onto your snow.

Can you stand this? My hubby thought the 'maple seed' was a nice touch. I kept it in there- you never know..........

For this batch and because I am impatient, I put my roaster in the oven with the lid at 300. I checked it every 10 minutes.I probably had it in there for close to an hour and toward the end, I carefully added a vinegar/water mixture to set it.

The above is my absolute favorite piece.Look at the far right- could that be where the 'maple seed' laid? I don't know, but it's a neat thought. So that is that batch, but below, I want you to see my first.
My artist son loved it, "Cool Mom! Wow, like, you are turning into a hippy! That's like a galaxy!"  LOL

So, what was done differently with this 'galaxy' piece? Unfortunately, I did not take pictures but it's pretty easy. These are the things that were done different.

1) I propped my turkey roaster up on one side so that as the snow melted, it drained away from the wool.

2) I did NOT use my oven.

3) I just let it melt slowly and as it melted, I scooped water out. I DID scoop a bit of the drained and very colorful water and re-pour it here and there - A LITTLE BIT. So, by the time that the snow had all melted, there was not a lot of 'drainage' left but then I un-propped it and let it sit in what was left of that dye water. I carefully added vinegar and put it in the oven to set it. Again, I am an imprecise soul ,so, maybe a half hour - 45 minutes at 300?

I have decided that winter does have it's perks! Again, I am not a pro- not even-but I love fiber and I had more fun with this- if you have any questions at all- please don't hesitate to contact me here on my blog or my e-mail: yvonne@vintageheartprimitives.com

'Mariam' and Mom

This is 'Mariam.' This design is named after my youngest sister. I do believe that I love this design more than any that I have ever done. I love her sweet face and I love wondering what hers thought are and where her eyes are looking off to.

This is a first for me as I have never hooked a face before. As I am sure you will notice, every girl I have ever hooked is intentionally not showing her face as I have been so very intimidated to even try! Would you believe me if I told you I have had a few happy tears over 'Mariam?' I have! I feel like knowing I can opens up much more of my imagination. . I am very exited about this!

My mother, a pastel artist, sat down with me a couple weeks ago to demonstrate creating a pastel face. She sent me home with the pastel doodle that she explained things on. So, as I hooked this face, I studied what my mom had showed me. When I was finished and hung my rug up to look at what I had done, I got very choked up. There was a lovely young woman hanging on my easel. Her expression- soft, gentle and full of thought. I admit, I love her to pieces!!

My mother's pastel sketch she did to teach me about faces. Thank you, Mom! I will treasure this.

Today I am making kits for beginners and dyeing wool for 'Mariam.'

A beginner kit coming along for a very tiny 'Lamb and Crocks.'

The sky I used in 'Marie, the Rose of France.' I will use this
for 'Mariam' as well. I will call this color 'Overcast Skies.'

The dip-dyed color I used for the Fleur de Lis in
'Marie, the Rose of France' as seen below. Maybe I should just
call this 'Fleur de Lis?' What do you think?

That's what I have been up to!