Project: A Nålebinded cushion
Dimensions: 31”D, 10” H
Inspiration: ‘Round the Bow rug; Tropical Skittles

Process
First of all, this did not start out as a cushion. It started out as an experiment to weave a different color onto a different background color. I also wanted to do another version of ‘Round the Bow but with brighter colors. After I had finished the first 4 colors, I didn’t really like where it was going. I decided to experiment more and turn it into a cushion which I’ve wanted to try for awhile. I planned to include purple but I felt it was large enough after 5 colors.  It reminded me of Tropical Skittles.

This piece was complete after 4 steps. 1) weave two different pieces of the same size; 2) lay those pieces on top of each other; 3) fill a pillow case with firm stuffing and slip in between the 2 pieces; 4) nålebind the 2 pieces together. When I weave a piece, the top (what I see while I’m weaving) looks much different that the underside.  I think the underside looks just as neat as the topside, so I wanted to show it off. On one side of the cushion is the topside of the weaving process. The other side shows off the underside of the weaving process.

                                 Topside                                                                             Underside

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problems
As always, problems arose, lessons were learned, and I came up with ways to improve.
What were the problems and what would I do differently on this cushion?

1^st- While weaving the last 12 inches of the top and bottom pieces together, the wall bulged in slightly.
Even though I used the same number of rows (31 on each piece), the top and bottom pieces weren’t the exact same size. The extra material from the larger side when binded to the smaller side caused a bulge inward.
I also should have tied the two pieces together before I wove the two pieces shut to keep the pieces in-line with each other.

 2^nd- Background color should match the foreground color
When the foreground is a different color EVERY little detail shows. It especially shows with the bright foreground and dark background I selected. I think it would look more aesthetically pleasing if the foreground and background matched. Also, when each revolution is added, additional links must be woven which causes a new row of links going vertically down the piece. Odd spacing can result from the additional links that must be added. This would not be apparent If the top and bottom colors were the same.

The red lines show you the vertical rows that were produced from adding extra links in a revolution.  If I hadn’t added any new links, there would only be 11 pinwheels instead of the 68 I ended with which would cause the piece to not be as strong.

Final Note
I HAVE TO MAKE THIS AGAIN! It’s the most comfortable cushion, it’s so unique, and it beats sitting on the floor any day. I think if I make the changes as previously mentioned, these cushions will be a valued addition to any space.
Chunk sure enjoys it.

 

 

 

 

In my latest experiment I spiraled 2 spools of rope and fabric around each other. I thought it would be pretty and take a lot less time since I would be doubling everything at the same time. The result was a lollipop-like pattern. This was a little too simplistic and boring, so I scrapped it after 1 fabric link of each color.

I have 2 designs I’d like to try next, one is a variation of one of my pieces, ‘Round the Bow, and the other is like stepping stones. Can’t wait to get started!

 

 

 

The latest idea I came up with was a maze.  After researching mazes, finding one I liked, and tweeking it to make it much more difficult, I came up with this sketch.

Mazes become more difficult the larger they are made.  Ever been in a hedge maze?

The plan: 43 inches across using tan and brown fabric.

The first attempt was a failure.  Two mistakes:

• I used the same technique I always had, wrapping the fabric around itself, spiraling.
• I tried to make the path and the walls the same width which made it difficult to distinguish the two.

 

The first try looked like this

 This does NOT look like a maze. It’s confusing & ugly.

Circular mazes need to be in concentric circles. Spiraling the fabric creates this weird joint from changing colors. It’s an eyesore.

 

 

I took my first attempt apart and started over, this time planning to cut the rope with each revolution and layering each level creating concentric circles.  I also decided to double the size of the paths making it more recognizable from the walls.

Second attempt- We have success!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because of its size, this maze is much harder to find your way out of in reality than the picture you’re viewing. Actual measurement is 40 inches across.  There’s only one path out and several paths will lead you in the opposite direction.

 –BONUS–

                                                                                             I was searching for a stool at Goodwill to sit on while I work , and I found this little gizmo that works great as a spool for the rope.  This $1 find is awesome for keeping the rope ravel and twist free.  The base stays stationary while the middle rotates on small ball bearings.

 Wonder what was its intended purpose?

 

 

 

 

A toast to you and this new year, full of new possibilities! Here’s to a bright future!

If you are a

• Color aficionado
• Skittles enthusiast
• Leprechaun
• Nyan cat obsessee

This accent rug is for you!

Whatcha lookin’ at?
This accent rug measures 36 inches across and encompasses 5 rows of each color and 2 rows of black to outline.
It took approx. 15 hours to complete.

Why a rainbow?
Honestly, I just wanted to use all the colors.  Colors are one of my favorite things.  They make everything more interesting to see and they can evoke emotions. And who can argue against rainbows being one of nature’s most beautiful spectacles. Hooray for optics! For your viewing pleasure, here’s a site with lots of awesome different types of rainbows.

Side Notes:
-It’s kind of sad this picture was taken with a phone instead of an actual camera, but the clarity and light was better with the phone. (Someone needs an upgrade)
-With each rug, my seams where I change colors have improved. My next experiment will be to not use a continuous strand making the seams disappear completely. This will probably add at least an hour in work time to each piece, but will be well worth it if I can make the seams disappear.

Looking forward to my next idea lined up. I hope it will turn out A-MAZE-ING  ;-)

 

 

 

 

Oh me, Oh my! Have I been busy these last 2 months. (I told you I wasn’t persistent at blogging.) Recently I acquired some investment moola to start some new projects and hopefully get a solid business going. Here’s what I’ve been working on the past couple months.

 

I started by making fabric swatches of all the available colors I had.  It is so much easier to make color combinations when you can lay the colors next to each other without having to get the whole lot of fabric out. Some important colors are missing though, such as forest green.  I dyed bubble gum pink, bright yellow, majestic purple, and forest green, but the forest green did not turn out forest green.  Because my pot hadn’t been scrubbed properly and some teal dye was still left in the crevasses, the result was a gorgeous slate/denim color. It was not added to the swatch colors because I doubt I’ll achieve that color again. Any other colors I want I can dye, but these are the main colors I can buy.

 

 

 

“Oh. I Love. My Pretty Little Flower.” is actually a whole flower now. Looks great for my first free-form weave.  I’m still not sure of whether to put the border on the petals.

(See Sept 12th post)

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to rugs, I’ve been working on ways to get my work off the floor. One of my ideas was to put my work on canvas. Here are 2 canvases I recently finished. Aren’t they retro funky fresh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My latest idea was this lovely accent mirror, perfect for checking yourself out right before you walk out the door. This would make a wonderful addition to anyone who has a retro feel to their home. More mirrors with different color combos to come soon!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This rug has been claimed Chunk’s rug because he usually picks this as a one of his napping spots every day. I did the rug back in the beginning of learning the weaving process, before I opened shop. Back then it was just an experiment in color repetition, but now I realize it was a perfect means to figure out specific supply costs for rope. I didn’t put much effort into detail as you can see because I had no plans on selling, it was purely an experiment.

Color Repetition Experiment: Repeat color pattern Aqua, Navy, Lime with same length strips and continue to add 1 inch on every revolution until I ran out of a spool of rope (100ft).

The Results!

d= 32in * r= 16in * C=  100in * A= 804in²

That’s how many square inches goes into 100 ft of rope. Now I can figure out how many square inches are in a rug and figure out the exact costs of the rope I used in every project.

If I kept going and added more rope, this part would have repeated itself next. Trippy! Almost looks like you’re getting sucked down a wormhole.

 

 

 

 

 

Well, here’s my current project, just sitting on the table waiting to be complete. It’s about 1/3 of the way done and I have 2 petals left to complete. I will only be able to get halfway through the next petal before I run out of fabric and since this is custom dyed fabric (the fabric from the previous post) so I have to match the right color. Funds are limited right now so it’s at a standstill until hopefully the paycheck.

 

 

This is a sketch of the layers I’d like to do. Not very complicated. I’m varying the petal shapes because it’s just more fun that way.

 

 

 

It’s called “Oh I Love My Pretty Little Flower” because every time my SO walked by it, he sang the song from that scene in Young Frankenstein. Great movie! “Oh. I love. My pretty little flower…”

 

 

 

 

My supplier of fabric only carries a limited number of colors. If I was going to progress with rug creating, I would need to come up with a way to achieve many different colors.

I first tried the washing machine method because it was the quickest and most convenient. I added my dye mix (2pkgs of dye dissolved in 4 cups of hot water) to the washer basket and the twin sized sheet. The method successfully dyed the fabric, but it was a lighter shade than intended. Because the fabric I was using was not 100 percent cotton, the dye did not adhere to the fabric completely.  I like vibrant colors! I needed a better method for the dye to really set in the material. Hotter water was the answer, so I tried the stove top.

With this method, I cut the sheet in half because I needed the fabric to move freely in my pot. I used one pkg of dye for the half sheet in 3 gallons of water. Stir, stir, stir! Constantly for 30 minutes. The stove top method yielded great results, a color pretty much matching the box.

Since I wanted the same color on the other half of the sheet, I needed a new dye bath. I didn’t want to waste the dye bath that was on the stove, so I decided- LET THE EXPERIMENTING BEGIN!I took half a light lime sheet and put it in the dye bath for 30 mins, only gradually stirring this time. The results, a dark seafoam green.

In the process of this experimenting, things got a little out of hand in the rinse process and I got the other box of dye wet. The pkg is NOT water safe and the water started to mix with the dye. Gotta use it now! Well I wonder what would happen if I added this dye to the pot I already have on the stove, what color would turn out. Keep in mind 2 sheets, 1 white and 1 green, had already been in the pot with 1 pkg of dye. So I added wet pkg of dye and stir, stir, stir! Constantly, for 30 mins….AY!  The results, a darker version of the first batch and second batch put together. Interesting! Wonder what I’m going to make from my new colors.

After the real work was done, I thought, what else can I throw in the pot? I can’t just let this dye bath go to waste. So in went an old white t-shirt, a white dish towel, and a light blue pillow case. The t-shirt picked up the color beautifully but I don’t think anyone will still wear it; the dish towel picked up no color at all. It must have had over 50% blend of an unnatural fiber; and the pillowcase, well I should have washed the pillow case beforehand. Lesson learned there. The pillowcase colored a really pretty shade of turquoise, but you can see all the drool stains on the pillow. Whoops!

I still couldn’t bring myself to dump the dye bath out without dyeing as much as I could, so I found some scraps from old projects and threw them in the pot. Then I took the pot outside and let it sit on the porch over night. Got some pretty colors, but I think I will stick to the stove top method for the best results.

What was special about the experience?

I got blue boogers and it was a success

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

Candace here! Let me tell you a little about myself and why I do what I do! I recently graduated from Texas State University with a degree in marketing. Uninterested in the current job market, I have been trying to think of a product I could affordably make and effectively sell. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, ever since I was 6 years old and walked around my neighborhood selling pictures I colored (hey, I brought home $10, that’s pretty good for a 6yr old).

I started weaving scarves in 2010 after my mom gave me a loom. That was great because they were easy and cheap to make, but it took 8 hours just to do one scarf. OUCH! In the spring, I took a break from scarves to do a personal project for my home. I wanted a rug for the kitchen, but didn’t want to pay retail price. So I found some extra material lying around, looked up some instructions, and weaved a round rug. It turned out great!

 

Okay, so it was a little boring, but it satisfied my criteria of a circle, a shape lacking in my home, and it was FREE! Because it was made from a soft material, it bunched up in the corner of the room often. I could have done it better I thought. But how?

That’s when the idea came to use the same sisal rope I had used for my cat scratch posts as a base material. The ideas just keep evolving and pretty soon I fell in love with the designs and work I was creating.

 

 

I started this business because:

• I love to build and make things with my hands.
• I love creating real things from ideas.
• I have a passion for combining color and creating one-of-a-kind designs.
• I believe everyone should have something in their home that is as unique as they are, that complements their space, and that tells a story.

 

 

 

 

My blog is devoted to keeping you updated on what N.Y.G.R. is up to, whether it’s the designing process or the experimentation phase or the actual construction of my rugs. Let’s get this out there first. I have to learn to love to blog- right now, not going to lie, I hate blogging- there I said it! I know what to write about it (sorta), just not quite sure how to put things together. It’ll get there, it’ll get there. Stay tuned!