Who is Orange Sink?

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Rice Lake, WI, United States
My home town is Rice Lake, a small town in northern Wisconsin. I own Red House Wool Studio~ an in-home wool and rug hooking business. I enjoy collecting and decorating with antiques and primitives. Orange Sink Blog is a journal of my interests and ramblings about life. Cathy Greschner

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Monday, June 30, 2014

I'll Be Peddling Wool at the Stitching Sisters Quilt Show July 4th!


A peddler of wool!  That's what I guess I'll be this coming Friday!  One of the lovely stitchers from the Stitching Sisters Quilt Guild has asked me to join them as a vendor at their  10th annual quilt show in Chetek, WI.  About 20 minutes from my home, Chetek used to be my home!  My parents moved there from Rice Lake when I was in High School!  I became a Chetek Bulldog as the school mascot is known by. I was not happy about moving there.. but that's a whole 'nother story for a different day!
Chetek is a quaint little tourist town!  Resorts by the dozens dot the shores of the many little fishing lakes. Hundreds of vacationers will be wandering the streets of Chetek this weekend. They do it up in true old fashioned 4th of July style with water ski shows, fireworks and activities for young and young at heart!
With only a few days to prepare my wares and wools I've been rummaging around the house trying to find cute display things.  Down in my dungeon I found this old blue swirl enamel dish basin. So guess what... it's now a wool holder! 
I've been making fake displays in the studio but heaven knows why I do that... they never turn out like I envisioned for some reason.
So if you're in the area and are so inclined... please join us at the Stitching Sisters Quilt Show this Friday, Sat. and Sun.  I may be only setting up on Friday.  If I feel well enough to do Sat. I may do that day also.  More than one day may be all this former Bulldog can handle. 
I've turned into more of a Poodle these days... tee hee..


July 4th, 5th and 6th
Chetek Community Center~711 First Street
$2  Admission
(turn at Ohde Drug)
............
Over 100 New and Antique Quilts
Guild Challenge
Vendors (new this year... a wool peddler!)

Cathy G




Wednesday, June 18, 2014

The Wool I Used and More Photos!

This is somewhat of a repost... but I added a few more photos of the rug hanging over the fireplace.  At the end of the post I've added a photo of the two wools I used in the background per Diane's request.




Time to light a candle in celebration. The binding is complete.  American Floral is now hanging over the fireplace.

Funny how putting something different on the wall leads to the cleaning and rearrangement of the entire room.


The summertime mantle.

Cathy G

I added a few photos for Lauren ... :-))  

I made the binding from black wool.  It is 3 1/2 inches wide and I had to sew some strips together long enough to go around the rug.  All hand sewn on.  I plan to do a tutorial on how I bind my rugs.... don't hold your breath though... you know how long everything takes me! 

Thank you all for your kind comments and emails.... Diane... I will run a photo tomorrow of the wools I used for the background!! Promise!  ( photos now added... see below)










The photo below shows the two wools I used in the background of American Floral.
The striped one is a Rebecca Erb wool called Norma's Magdalena Stripe.  The dark gray wool is from Heaven's to Betsy called Mighty Mouse.  I'm hoarding both wools of course!  LOL!

The swirly affect was easy to achieve.  I drew the swirls using a felt tip marker onto the linen pattern in the places I wanted them to be.  I hooked the swirls in the dark gray wool and then hooked around them filling in the background in this manner.  In places I filled in with only the darker wool, as in around the vase.  I think it gives the rug an old look and of course more primitive.

Of course I'm pleased to answer any questions you may have in regards to hooking.

You are all so very kind and I appreciate so much   your compliments on the rug!  My head is much bigger today!  LOL!


Raining here today and muggy!  
And I have to dye more wool.... ugh!!!
Cathy G






Tuesday, June 17, 2014

American Floral Rug is Hung!




Time to light a candle in celebration. The binding is complete.  American Floral is now hanging over the fireplace.

Funny how putting something different on the wall leads to the cleaning and rearrangement of the entire room.


The summertime mantle.

Cathy G

I added a few photos for Lauren ... :-))  

I made the binding from black wool.  It is 3 1/2 inches wide and I had to sew some strips together long enough to go around the rug.  All hand sewn on.  I plan to do a tutorial on how I bind my rugs.... don't hold your breath though... you know how long everything takes me! 

Thank you all for your kind comments and emails.... Diane... I will run a photo tomorrow of the wools I used for the background!! Promise!  










Saturday, June 14, 2014

American Floral Rug Done Hooking!


I finished hooking this rug today. I may tweek it a little here and there.    The design is by Maggie Bonanomi available through Need'l Love.  It is quite large 29 x 37 inches. I plan to make a black wool binding and hand stitch it on.
It will have a home over the fireplace mantle in the living room for now.
I'll take a photo when I get it hung up!

Here's to the beautiful red, white and blue!
Long may she wave!

Cathy G


Thursday, June 12, 2014

Cindy's Hooked Rug Footstool!


You may recall a few posts back I shared this photo of Cindy when she was working on her hooked rug footstool cover depicting pine cones.   Well you will love this finish and her unique application of proddy fringe around the bottom!


Our dog Max was very pleased and intrigued with her results as well.  Cindy has pets at her house and I think Max was enjoying poking his nose into the fringe and getting to know them! The proddy fringe was a fun process for Cindy and don't you just love the pops of red in this rug!


The girls here are now on the lookout for vintage footstools to cover with their hooked rugs! Once you do one you become hooked and want to keep the creative ideas going! Hmmmm, I think I have a couple of old footstools around here that just may need a new fun cover!  
Congrats Cindy on a lovely lovely finish and we can't wait to see how you're coming along on the next rug you have going! 

As a hairdresser in "real life" Cindy deserves every moment she has to sit and hook!
So she can do that now in delicious pinecone proddy fringe comfort!

Thank you so much for all your comments on Elaine's footstool rug in the last post! 
Again congrats to these lovely ladies on beautiful finishes!!

Cathy G


Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Elaine's Hooked Rug Footstool!


A few of the girls gathered here in the studio today for our monthly hook-in and to our delight Elaine had finished her camping theme rug!  It was hooked to cover a footstool for their 5th wheel camper.
This is such an awesome piece!
The old red pick-up truck and picnic table on one side....



....the Airstream camper and campfire on another side.  Follow the  flowing blue river past the majestic snow covered  mountain....


and watch the fall colored leaves on a tree which towers over a person fishing in the stream.


I adore that big colorful sun shining over it all and the scene of her and her husband relaxing in their lawn chairs.
Notice the red Coleman cooler which is an iconic piece of equipment in any perfect camping scenario.
How I love this great finish for a rug that is not only beautiful but tells a story.
A rug that will be used to pamper the lucky feet that come to rest upon it!
Elaine... congratulations dear friend on a fantastic finish on this fabulous rug!
There's talk Elaine and her husband may be snowbirding it this winter somewhere warm in the gulf.
The footstool will be the talk of the campground I'm sure!

Elaine, do you by any chance need a rug hooking instructor to tag along? LOL!
( one can only dream!)

Cathy G

Monday, June 2, 2014

Revamping a Tee


The other day I bought a Hanes tee-shirt at Walmart for 6.88.  It was another of my usual "shopping for clothes" escapades where I grab something without trying it on after I have my cart loaded with groceries.
When I tried it on at home it fit quite lovely... except after wearing it for 15 minutes I noticed that it scratched and picked at my skin in the spots where that goofy machine stitching was all around the neck and the raglan sleeves.  Dang... I hate when that happens! 
I am one of those fidgety people who cut tags out of clothing because they irritate the boogers out of me!
I know... you get what you pay for you may be thinking to yourself.
But wait!  What if I turned the thing inside out and wore it that way? It actually had kind of a good funky look that suits me fine and it didn't feel itchy...except... the Hanes logo and SIZE XLG was stamped right on the fabric at eye level where you know... everyone standing in a line anywhere can read what's on the back of your shirt.  Now maybe I'm a little vain  ... but I don't think it's anyone's business what size my tee shirts are. That's kind of private information don't you think?  

So here's the next brainy idea I had and one that kind of reminded me of my high school days.  We were always redoing our clothing back then... splitting the sides on a pair of jeans and making them even wider on the bottom by sewing wild colorful fabrics on.  Good little Hippies that we were... jean jackets were embellished with peace signs and such.  Sound familiar?
So today it felt pretty "righteous"  to be sewing something on a tee. Even if it was a little tame heart cut from a pair of old faded and worn stripe ticking shorts that I  pulled from the rag bag.

I'm wondering now if there's anything else in my closet that I could be wearing if I took time to get creative... what about you? Have you revamped or enhanced a piece of clothing more to your liking?
I want to know!!

Cathy G