How to ruin a yard of linen

Good day folks.  Today we are going to learn how to ruin linen with dyeing.  We first start off with a yard of beautiful soft yellow called Golden Steak.  If you are a dull stitcher that likes the unbleached monotony, or muted dirty colors, you may not be happy with this.  Sitting in a drawer for years, it is time for action. 

Sally Fiske is a big girl and after counting the graph many times, I came up 340 x 317 approximate.  On 30 count, 21 x 23 stitched.  I have an unhealthy fear of cutting into a yard of linen, but this color didn't bother me as much.  So I did.  My unbleached rolls are saved from slashing once again. 

I cut a small piece off the yard for a Santa and tested it in a purplish bath.  Violet removes yellow but it's tricky.  It was good.  So I cut the 28 x 26 piece and dunked it.  This is how the linen mottled from dyeing, which has happened before, depending on the color and company.  I never figured out why, but think I have an answer now. 

This yard was pressed and without creases, yet the original fold lines dyed darker, even though they were not visible before dyeing.  I'm assuming that any prior crumpling may somehow break the fibers of the stiffer linens and they grab more dye.  Sound reasonable?  This dye bath was very concentrated and I think this definitely contributes.  A soak in less color may yield a better result than someone (who me?) who is always in a rush and wants a 1 second dip. 

 Regardless, the color is good, no longer yellow, and the mottling is barely noticeable when dried.  It will not be an issue because this design has little background showing, most is filled with letters.  Would it really matter if it showed?  Some linens are purposely mottled and irregular and this very slight pattern is insignificant in comparison.  It kind of looks like my legs.  You know, veins?  The more I peer above the laptop screen, I like it.  And every time I pass for another slice of salami wrapped in provolone, it's appealing.  So I have my fabric for Sally and I'm hesitating the start because of her size.  I plan on working up a simple small heart design to work on in an effort to stall Sally even longer. If it looks good, I will share it with you. 

I also need to ask you about selvage edges and which way is up, down, sideways, correct, and how to tell.  Next time. 

  I need to get back to the cupboards now.

 

 

 

Until then, Bud and I have a question.

 

Thanks for visiting!!

Organized stitching - the finale

Hi all.  Hope your weekend has been enjoyable.  This is the final mention of the two new boards I am so happy with and I'm sure you're happy you won't hear the word Magma anymore.  Last time!  I'm just so pleased with the portability and feel comfortable taking a project with me now, instead of worrying about loss or leaving something behind.

 

The Magma went with me to a doctor's office along with a project I am stitching for someone.  In a very large comfortable chair, I opened, laid the chart side on my lap, pocket side hanging on my crossed leg, and everything was right there.  SO nice.  My floss would sometimes catch on the Velcro because I didn't have it bagged.

When I returned home, I sat outside and did the same, and found the Magma works just as well with the pocket hanging to the side.  Or with the strap snapped fully open, perched on my legs when they are elevated.  The magnets that came with it (I already lost one) are very strong and my scissor snips are very secure.  Of all the pretty scissors, my arthritic fingers love these best.  I want to buy the small version for small charts, but I also have a plan to sew a few.

Lisa from The Inspired Stticher commented about turning the large LoRan upside down if the lip is bothering me.  I told her it was paint fumes that caused that mental blackout.  So I turned it upside down, added a strip of fabric secured with magnets to the back, and it's held on the stand perfectly.  Still may use the cookbook holder because it's wider and more stable.   Check out Lisa's Snooty Parrot progress.  First time I saw the parrot close and it's a great sampler.

   

 These magnet clips are in Staples and Walmart's office section.  I love them too for the double duty.

 

So that's the end of my yakking about my new helpers.  I haven't started  - what's her name? - yet because I need to finish this other project which should be done tonight.  I can picture the new sampler, but can't remember her name.  Or where I put her.  The heart design I asked about in a prior post is older and from Nash's From Me to Thee book.  Thanks for your help!!

 

We put a lot of white knuckle miles on to see countertop stone.  We walked in, saw the soapstone, and if I didn't melt from the hot flash the soapstone would have done it.  I had no idea that it looked that much better in person.  Leathered/antiqued/flamed finish on black granite is very nice too, but I can't get an apron sink.  Decisions decisions.  Chocolate chocolate.

 

Have a good one!

Thanks for visiting.

 

p.s.  Am I the only one who found 90% of comments in the Junk email folder?   I don't know if that is Blogger or my mail program but it's very annoying.

 

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The big LoRan

Got my 12 x 18 LoRan magnetic board from Walmart online and thought I would show you.  I was going to have it cut in half, but changed my mind. 

 

 

 

This is great for viewing two pages of chart at once,

 

 or an open leaflet,

or having a side free for notes (some people change colors and don't follow instructions), a copy of the color symbols, or magnetic clips to hold floss, scissors, whatever.  I put a magnet inside a little denim pouch to hold glasses,  Lift 'n Snip, or other accessories. I don't care for the strip magnets and get packets of stronger ones in various shapes from hardware stores and love the big clips. I'm very pleased with the Magma and this LoRan for being more organized and having everything in view with quick access. It sure beats sitting on them or looking through sofa cushions.  Here's the only thing I don't like about it. 

This large board has a lip and it will fit in the LoRan stand, but a slight move and it's out.  It needs to be more secure if I will be taking items off of it.  Cutting that lip off would work, or bending it up so it fits in the stand's groove.

Or I can use my MIL's old cookbook stand.  Perfect.
 

That's it.  Another review of something you already knew about and either have or don't want.  I'm a wealth of unwanted information.

 

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What's in my Magma

Hiya.  I'm putting a few smalls in my Magma for the hospital waiting room, and for when I feel like sitting outside on the swing for a while.  I don't like to take a larger piece with all the necessities out there for just a half hour so this will work nicely.  Never do I work on more than one project at a time, but when all I have to do is open a folder, the chart is already set up, my place marked, glasses and scissor snips at hand, pull out the fabric and I'm ready to go.  So easy.

 One of the projects I would like to put in there is this heart, but I have no idea where to find it.  It's simple enough that I could probably stitch one similar without a chart, but it's always better to have instructions, even if I don't follow them.  I know it's a Nash, but maybe it was from a club.  Do you join all the yearly stitching clubs?  I never have.  I fall in love with one of the designs and the others are always very nice, but not something I want to stitch.  Except for my first stitchings from Scarlet Letter, I don't like kits either.  I'm fussy about - you guessed it! - color.  Some linens I just do not care for in shade or hand.   

 

 I have a few other smalls for the folder and am still deciding on the main project, but I'm fairly sure it will be Sally Fiske from SL.  Bigger than recent projects but I'll give it a shot.  Maybe with smaller projects ongoing, I won't tire of it.  Ann Wragg is always in the running as is Lora Turner, but I need something larger for a grouping.  I may pull linen and thread this evening but I am so tired.  Standing and painting doors on the kitchen counter all day isn't strenuous but I guess I'm feeling my age.

The decision on the cabinets is to stick with the same color, have Benjamin Moore match it and mix a quart of Aura eggshell finish latex.  That will be the second and final coat and if there is no tackiness after curing, done!  If not, I will coat with the poly and deal with the yellow cast or try another brand.

 

Doctor, haircut, and bill pay today.  A little break from the brush.

Have a good one!

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Answers to paint questions

Hello people.  Rather than reply to every email I thought I would post what I learned about painting cabinets previously coated with varnish or oil based coating.  First I will list the products you asked about.  Then I will bitch.

There are a lot of options for painting over oil base paint or varnish.

1. You can go with Benjamin Moore’s oil base Impervo (best self leveling on the market) over what you have with just a light scuffing.  If you’re going real light though, the oil eventually yellows. 
2. You can use Moore’s Advance which is water borne oil paint.  Tough as oil, easy as latex, great self leveling. Goes right over oil, no primer needed.  I found it too thin.
3. For light colors only, you could use latex Cabinet Coat which contains Stix and needs no priming over oil.  Not tacky or sticky and made for cabinets.

4. You can use Stix, tinted a little, and prime the cabinets with no sanding, followed with your latex choice.  I sanded because I wanted the wood showing.  

5. Benjamin Moore claims you can use their new latex Aura over oil if you lightly sand, no primer, or use a primer if you’d prefer.  There is also a deglosser that softens oil and you can paint over it. 

And yes the latex is tacky which I did not expect, but it's highly rated for durability.  The furniture pieces I used to make years ago NEVER dried tacky, but with all the regulations and changes to formulas with VOCs, it is now.  It's not like flypaper, but if something is set on it for any period of time, you will hear a snap when lifting it off the paint. The sticky snap.

 

Thinking that a clear coat would solve this, I emailed Rustoleum to make sure their water based polyurethane could be used over newly painted cabinets.  After a week, the reply came back that it could.  Good.  Love the product and the ultra smooth feel,  it's a clear coat armor for scrubbing, and provides a hard finish over the slightly tacky latex.   

 Yesterday - a week later -  I received another email from Rustoleum.  Seems the first responder didn't tell me everything I needed to know. First, you need to wait a week before applying over fresh paint.  Mine was next day.  Second, it makes it yellow/amber even though it is water based.  Great.  And it did.  The color has changed to a typical yellow based tan instead of the grayish putty that I worked so hard to formulate.  These photos look more like what was intended, and not as yellow as they are in person.  Too bad the first reply didn't mention this.

Now what?  Do the rest the same and have what I didn't want?  Repaint the polyurethaned ones and not have a protective clear coat?  Enter the dead paint can room and search for Aura in the darker shade I didn't want?  I talked to the BM guy this morning and he said the (latex) Aura would not remain tacky as do most latex and to expect 30 days for it to harden fully.  Forums have it 50/50 on the finish and my sample board is very smooth.  After setting a book on it overnight, this morning it snapped.  But has it cured long enough?  If this project was a sampler, it would have been burned long ago.  The cabinets are vertical surface and nothing will be set on them, the insides are not painted.  So it shouldn't be a problem and I may just leave it as paint with no sealer and hope tomato sauce comes off easily.  But if you are painting shelves with latex, count on sealing them with some sort of clear coat unless you like that snapping sound.

 

Painting my dark oak cabinets years ago was the best thing I ever did in the house.  It makes a huge difference and well worth the effort.  All I did was lightly hand sand and paint oil based Impervo over, they have held up great.  Caromal and Sloan's chalk paint will stick to anything, but must be waxed or sealed for cabinets.  Should I just choose a darker color and get the oil?  Choose a lighter color and get the Cabinet Coat?  Leave it alone and see how they hold up?  Paste car wax?  I will need a bag of Dove to contemplate.  Am I over thinking this?  Of course I am.  But I want to make sure the outcome will be good for a well used kitchen with a careless cook who uses a lot of spaghetti sauce, and never done again.

I hide the Dove in the basement and even though spiders scare me, if I encounter one, God help him.

 

 

 

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Sanding

Hiya.  Starting to sand the Satin Impervo oil paint from 20 years ago off the existing cabinets.  My goodness that paint held up to abuse.  Originally, I lightly hand sanded the finished oak with a scrubby pad and went right over it with Benjamin Moore oil Impervo.  No priming needed, and it still looks new.

 I wanted to change to latex so I am sanding (which isn't necessary) using Stix primer (which will even stick to glass) and then my latex.  I didn't use the Cabinet Coat because at the time, the first three color choices were too dark and it can't be mixed past a certain level of tint.  Putting it on as a pastel first coat, no sanding or priming, then using another latex paint in the final color for the second coat would have worked well.  Thought about it too late. I use a hand orbital with 120 grit and it cuts through the paint quickly - almost too quick - might change to 180 grit. This allows me to expose the wood edge for aging, reduce the paint buildup, and insure a superior bond.  If I didn't want to change the color, all I would have had to do is sand and seal for a different look.  This is the same door after a quick sand.  I know you don't care but I'm excited to finally get moving toward completion after those months of paint samples. Many second thoughts about not staying with Impervo (which also comes in latex) but the color just wasn't coming out right.  The Rustoleum water based polyurethane is working like a charm as a clear finish and will be an extra layer of protection - again, not needed, but I would rather put more effort into the project and ensure easy cleaning.  The oil base would take much longer to dry before recoating and handling which is another reason I chose latex.  Smart ass husband said - "are you kidding me?  You've been at this for months and a day extra for drying would bother you?"  He doesn't understand that all that time was taken because of paint colors, not actual progress.  His statement -

 Women -put them all in a bag and shake them and they all come out the same. 

Mine -

 Men - put them all in a bag and shake them and they can't find their way out.

Later!

 

 

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