One project done and another one started

The rug hooking piece that I started during "Applique Weekend" was intended just to be an experiment, a little something just to try out some techniques on.

Attaching stones,

attaching leather,

appliqueing wool and some embroidery stitches.

I was going to attach it to a wooden hoop  but couldn't find one the right size, so looked into another suggestion and found a brass ring at Lens.

The rug hooking is 15" in diameter and the ring is 16" so I was able to whip the edge at the same time as attaching the ring.

I attached a piece of thrift store blanket to the back and

its finished and I love it. The pattern was a Rittemere-Hurst-Field called Glass Peaches but I'm calling mine "Peach Stones"

Next September at the McGown Teacher Training I have to teach this piece.

The instructions were to hook it in a 3 cut and have cumulus clouds. I do not find the pattern particularly inspiring and I have to find some teachable components. So one of the things I am going to teach is how to use black walnuts to dye wool. I will then use the dyed wool in the tree trunk and perhaps the cabin too. Sue and Bruce donated 2 bags of walnuts that had fallen from their trees so Thanksgiving weekend was spent dyeing.

Black walnut stains everything so I did my dyeing outside.

I only used about 25 walnuts (husk and nut) and the "tea" lasted through 2 days and 2 yards of wool. I took a 1/4yd and simmered it for 1hr, another 1/4yd for 1/2 an hour, another for 15 minutes and another for 7 minutes. Each piece was then rinsed, again and again and again, then hung on the line and sprayed with the hose to get all the walnut bits off.

It was very windy so the spraying with the hose step resulted in me taking a cold water shower! Then they all went in the washing machine .

So now I have a nice 4 value swatch.

The next day I went through the process again - 90 minutes, 45 minutes, 30 minutes and 15 minutes. The last 3 all look pretty well the same colour but I wont really be able to tell until tomorrow when they will be dry after the final wash.