The Wooly Red Rug
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Laurie Lausen is an avid rug-hooker who sees her career as a fiber journey that has taken many paths over the years. She began designing and hooking rugs while still in school in the early 1970s. She started her business, L. J. Fibers, in the 1980s, sharing her passion for color and texture with thousands of students teaching spinning, dyeing, knitting, weaving, rug hooking, beadwork and basketry.
The Wooly Red Rug
4M ago
Greetings
It’s a wee bit embarrassing…it’s been so long since I posted here! 2023 has flown by, lot’s of traveling to teach at some great venues!
Now with that behind me, I’m making the effort to be a little more “social” here. I was having a conversation the other day with a younger artist about the relevancy of “blogs”…with all the other online options, I thought perhaps they were a thing of the past…but she disagreed, and nudged me to “get on with it”…so here I am…
with a quick post to see if I remember how to do this…☺
The web shop has been loaded with this year’s harvest of plant dyed ..read more
The Wooly Red Rug
2y ago
Here I go again with an attempt to resurrect this blog!
2022 is starting off on a weather roller coaster here on the northern edge of the prairie. We are currently in the deep freeze, and oh the winds…but tomorrow’s forecast is for above 30 degrees F.
Looking forward to trying out the new snowshoes my guys gave me!
It’s paperwork season…my least favorite. I’ve made great progress these past few months with culling out STUFF…mine…my families…my parents…but mostly mine. Feels good to let go and to get organized…and the bonus is there are only a FEW things I can’t find…You know, I put them in ..read more
The Wooly Red Rug
3y ago
Hearts are common motifs on early works in textiles, clay, paper, wood, metal and stone.
A frequent element in my work, I pleased to offer some new pieces for sale.
Timely for Valentine’s Day gift giving, to me hearts symbolize so much more than love & friendship.
I see empathy, gratitude, kindness, self-care, sympathy, unity…all good qualities to cultivate in these tumultuous times ♥
I’ve got some larger scale work in progress, but I seem to be favoring smaller pieces these days. Find these and more here Many Thanks for taking time to read my little note!
Wishing you and yours all the ..read more
The Wooly Red Rug
3y ago
A few days ago I was tidying up the bottom shelf on the potting bench were I do my backyard dyeing. My nest of old enamel pans needed a good scrubbing…
Now, I admit to being so consumed these past many years with caring for may Mom & Dad that many things just were left untouched…and my memory is a bit foggy…but I don’t think I’ve touched these in a couple years!
What a delightful surprise in the bottom pan…
5+ ounces of lovely dried marigolds!
I do remember dropping a handful in the pan after a walk thru the garden and dead-heading. But usually I have a basket or ..read more
The Wooly Red Rug
3y ago
Hello Everyone…
We’ve had lovely…almost “fallish” weather here on the northern prairie…
A delightful break from the hot and humid!
I’ve spent many days in the backyard…dyeing, gardening, hooking, reading…
our winters are so long, I like to take advantage of every moment outdoors…
to store it up…to savor it.
I was responding to an email form my friend Kris
(many of you have met her…she’s my right-hand at many events)
She’s not on social media, but I think occasionally pops in here to see what I’m up to;)
Usually by this time of year we would have had many coffees, lunches, garden tours, roa ..read more
The Wooly Red Rug
3y ago
One of my favorite plants to dye with is Coreopsis.
This is "Solanna ~ Golden Sphere"...not as hardy here as Tickseed, but it has the loveliest blossoms and I adore the colors it yields on wool.
Today I've been mordanting more wool fabric and yarn...
I use Alum and Cream of Tartar as my mordants on wool.
I'm still boiling up Black Walnuts...it's been a good year
tho' it seems so EARLY this year...
nothing is normal;)
simmering some wool fabric and yarns in black walnut, along with some osnaburg and cotton velvet I plan to use for eco-printing!
I'll show you those when they are dry ..read more
The Wooly Red Rug
3y ago
calendula, lavender, lemon balm, oregano and yarrow...
a little harvest from the gardens this morning.
It seems so very early for the walnuts to fall,
but I'm so excited to be boiling up this year's first black walnut brew...
...naturally dyed wool fabric and yarns will be back in stock soon:)
I'm happy to have contributed a pattern to the ATHA 2021 Biennial ~ Kansas City Fundraiser Pattern Book...
The Pattern Books and Worm Boxes are available to order!!!
Hope you have a lovely day, L ..read more
The Wooly Red Rug
4y ago
the June 2020 issue of
Early American Life Magazine
I'm thrilled to be the first web-based business EAL has as a Featured Partner!
I've loved this magazine since it began in the 1970's.
~ Laurie ..read more