Let's get started

Time to start my spring penny rug /candle mat. First thing I needed to do was dye some of my felted wool pink. So out came my dye pot. I keep this pot just for dying wool. Opps I don't have any pink dye. I usually use the powdered Rit dyes. I do have some Scarlett Red. Let see if it will work. I really don't want to run out to the store. Maybe if I put just a little (approx 1 teaspoon) in the hot water. I took a small test strip; dunked it in and pulled it out almost as fast as it went in. See the little piece of pink wool on the wooden spoon. In went the larger piece of wool and right back out. Rinsed with cold water and put in the dryer. This is the part to be careful of. I don't want the dryer to shrink it too much so about 20 minutes into drying I take it out and put it over my tub to finish drying. I've had very very small pieces come out of the dryer. I 've learned to get them out before they are completely dry and let them air dry over nite. Perfect!!!!

So while my pink wool is drying I will be tracing and cutting out some of my pattern pieces. I trace my pattern onto freezer paper. With a dry iron I press the freezer paper to the wool making sure the shiny side is down. I use small scissors to cut out the smaller pieces. The small scissors make it easier to cut around curves.

I almost have the pattern finished and ready for print. The only thing left is to get the candle mat done so that I can get a good picture for the front page of the pattern. I will also be auctioning the finish candle mat on e-bay It should be ready for listing a week from tomorrow. So check back later to see how the candle mat is progressing.

For some reason I have lost some my pictures for this posting.  I guess I need a class in how to post pictures..I have always had problems posting pictures.  I give up!