Prim Talk Radio Show March 6, 2009

On today’s show I will tell you about one of our new staff member and she has also recorded a segment for today on making rag rugs. And I will continue the series on rug hooking for the beginner. I will give you some tips on defending your turf.
Congratulations to Dianne Theroux of Prim Décor tips for being our February contest winner. If you are interested in reading her letter, go to our website and click on the contest page.
Defend your Turf
I was reading in our local newspaper last night that with the economy tumbling right now there is more crimes in our neighborhoods. They also gave tips on how to defend our turfs. I wanted to share them with our listeners
A home burglary occurs somewhere in the U.S. every 15.4 seconds and costs victims about $2,000.00 per offense, according to the FBI, more than half of all residential burglaries occur during the day.
The most common item taken in homes is cash, followed by tools, television sets, stereos, cameras, laptops and computers. Jewelry, food, clothing, gasoline and guns round out the list.
Here are a few tips to protect your home.
Invest in solid doors and quality locks
Always lock your doors and windows when you leave. Sliding doors are frequently used by burglars.
Install motion lights or some type of outside lighting by all entryways.
Plant thorny bushes under windows and trim back trees and shrubs where thieves could hide
Don’t put valuables where they can be seen from windows
Secure your garage door
Don’t hide spare keys under the door mat or flower pot. Those are the first places criminals look
Engrave all valuables such as stereos, video cameras with your driver license and videotape them for identification purpose
Thieves who pray on vehicles most often steal cash and small items such as GPS devices,
which are easy to grab and later sell. The best defense is a locked vehicle with tempting
possessions stored out of view.
Also start a neighborhood watch in your area. This program makes everyone feel safer and it also can bring your community together
We would like to thank one of our sponsor’s Tori from stencilmein.com where you can find a large selection of unique stencils from simpler times gone by. From vast selections of colonial and vintage stencils. Stencil me in is dedicated to providing a wide selection of unique and original designs that are simply filled with old world charm. Check out Tori’s site at www.stencilmein.com
New Staff Member
Dianne Theroux
Dianne is the owner of Room by Room Primitive Decorating. She is the mother of 2 grown children and the grandmother of 2 little boys. She has always had an extreme love for primitive decorating and crafting in general. She likes to sew, quilt, and recently started making a rag rug out of fabric strips. Dianne loves trying new things and the joy you get from a completed project.

Dianne lives in the beautiful state of Rhode Island, mainly because she loves the change of seasons! I have to admit though this winter was a little rough. Dianne is always thinking of new ideas to decorate her home using a lot of yard sale and salvage yard items. It's amazing what you can do with a little imagination.

I also have a childcare out of my home that I've been doing for 17 years! You can check out her website at www.primdecortips.com
Here is Dianne’s first segment. She will be telling you how to make rag rugs.







Prim Talk Radio is hiring for a co-host and staff members who would like to share any primitive patterns, tips, tricks or anything else you think you can offer to our show. If you become a staff member you will receive a 125 x 125 banner on our front page plus you will get exposure for your website. If you are interested in becoming a staff member please email me and I will give you all the requirements. I also wanted to mention that when a search is done on prim talk radio through google or yahoo our web site is the first search that comes up. That is because we have been around for several years and have many followers. Not to mention we receive new friends all the time who listen to our show. Stop by check us out and send us an email just to say hi.

Rug Hooking

Rug hookers refer to rug hooking strips by a number that represents 1/32” increments. This system was developed by the original strip-cutter manufacturers. However based on American made cutters the sizes can vary.
Remember that all cutters may vary so read the information that comes with the cutters.

Strip sizes Strip Width
2 2/32” or 1/16”
3 3/32”
4 4/32” or 1/8”
5 5/32”
6 6/32” or 3/16”
7 7/32”
8 8/32” or 1/4”
8.5 10/32” or 5/16”
8.6
9 12/32” or 3/8”
10 16/32” or ½”

Wool is one of nature’s best products. It is soft, strong, supple, and very resilient.
I would suggest using 100% wool for rug hooking. New wool is better than older wool
Look for flannel weight wool. Like wool skirt fabric we used to wear. A yard of flannel weight wool weighs about 12 ounces.
A couple of tests you can use to determine if the fabric is 100% wool. The burn test requires that you take a couple of threads one from each direction in the weave and put a match to it. If it is wool it will smell like burned hair. Then there is the bleach test. Place a small piece of wool into a glass dish and cover it with liquid bleach. If it is 100% wool it will dissolve within 24 hours. If any fibers are left then it is a wool blend. If you are shopping for wool for primitive rugs, look for wool with texture such as plaids, herringbones, heathers, checks, and paisleys. Textures add charm and character, which will make a new rug appear older than it really is. Textures can also add shading and movement.
Remember to wash your wool first. Mainly because wool is like any other fabric it has sizing in it. During the washing process the fibers tighten and fluff. We refer to this as fulling or felting. Depending on the weight of your wool I would suggest washing it on a 6 to 12 minute cycle. If you have doubts on how to wash your wool just try washing it on a 6 minute delicate cycle. Dry wool on a permanent press cycle with fabric softener sheets.
Store your wool on open shelves but out of direct sun light. Do not store wool in plastic bags or containers you could get condensation on them from sun light or too much warmth in your home. Also watch out for moths by putting your wool in a clean storage area for your clean wool only.



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You can find all these tips tricks, crafts and recipes on our website at www.primtalkradio.com

Feel free to email us with any questions, or suggestions that you feel would help us improve our show. We welcome all our listeners input.

Until next week
Blessings to everyone