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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 29/09/2026

Final preparations are underway for my exhibition, "The Nature of Rag Rug Weaving", as I attach D-rings to all the hanging clamps. The exhibit opens at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center on October 27, 2026.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 26/09/2026

Light and shadows dance between the warp threads at the back of the loom as I weave another rag rug. #BlueSkyArtShow #Lights

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 24/09/2026

As a poppana weaver who favors upcycled fabrics I try to be mindful of the waste generated by my practice. I save a lot of fabric strips that are leftover or too short to work into other projects. Fusing the random little patches of color together on the loom is brightening my day. #FiberArt #Happy

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 23/09/2026

All those little piles of scraps are weaving up into something quite beautiful! 😍 #Handwoven #FiberArt #upcycled

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 21/09/2026

Sorting the bits from my scrap buckets this morning because I don't know what else to do. I've spent most of the last 2 years thinking about and weaving pieces for my upcoming art exhibit. Now that preparations are mostly complete, I don't know what's next. It feels a bit like empty nest syndrome.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 19/09/2026

Ridge and Furrow is my handwoven representation of growth, from tender green seedlings to #Golden harvest. #BlueSkyArtShow #FiberArt #handwoven #ragrugweaving #upcycled #poppana

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 15/09/2026

It's photo shoot day as I prep my inventory list. My first solo exhibit, "The Nature of Rag Rug Weaving", opens six weeks from today at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center in Decatur, AL. I'm so excited to share my handwoven art with the community!

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 19/08/2026

Today's rag rug weaving, some ridges and furrows. This will be a moderately large wall hanging, approx. 25x40 inches at least 15 hours standing at the loom. #FiberArt #SciArt #homedecor #upcycledhome

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 16/08/2026

Studio life... Finally got my thrift store sheets organized on proper shelving. Now I need to figure out how to keep my bits of leftover poppana strips tidy until I'm ready to weave a rag rug with them. 🤔 #FiberArt #upcycled

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 10/08/2026

I never expected that being a weaver would force me to become a woodworker as well. 🤣

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 08/08/2026

Riverfront - 25x39 inches Handwoven tapestry wallhanging made with upcycled, post-consumer textiles on cotton rug watp. #BlueSkyArtShow #Water #FiberArt

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 11/07/2026

A #Quiet moment collecting flowers from the yard before my special friends come over for knitting and homemade ice cream. #BlueSkyArtShow #bloomscrolling

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 11/07/2026

Surprisingly, my su-purr-visor is a good cat who is never tempted to play with dangly string in the studio. #weaving #studiocat

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 23/06/2026

I have to wedge a doorstop under Grandpa's rug loom when I weave so it doesn't walk across the floor. I replaced my boring plastic one with this ADORABLE 😍, cast iron mouse doorstop that I got at the antique store last week. What little thing is making you happy today?

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 19/06/2026

Waking up with happy midsummer memories! ❤️🇫🇮 #Juhannus

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 18/06/2026

Started weaving a new piece last night. I'm experimenting with a tapestry technique known as hatching. I won't be able to see the full effect until it's off the loom. #FiberArt #handwoven #ragrug #poppana

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 13/06/2026

On the loom today, a handwoven rag rug tapestry featuring sharp peaks. This piece is coming together even better than I imagined when I sketched out the concept. #BlueSkyArtShow #Sharp #FiberArt #upcycled

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 11/06/2026

It's one of those magical days when the colors are coming together on my loom even better than I expected when I selected the fabric for my poppana strips. #FiberArt #weaving #upcycled

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 10/06/2026

I don't enjoy the Alabama humidity this time of year, but I sure love picking bouquets from all the stuff growing in our yard. The gladiolus popped up unexpectedly last summer and I think they're my favorite. ❤️💐 #bloomscrolling

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 08/06/2026

Time to stitch labels onto a batch of freshly handwoven pieces. Seems like a good rainy afternoon task.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 01/06/2026

You might be surprised to learn that nearly a third of the hands-on time I spend creating a handwoven art piece happens away from the loom. Hand stitching the hanging sleeve on the back of my weaving is one of the final steps in the process.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 31/05/2026

Here's a peek at what's currently on the loom. This week I've been weaving a piece called "Growing Seasons". Like most of my work, it's handwoven with poppana (bias-cut fabric strips) hand cut from thrifted bed sheets, curtains and/or tablecloths. #BlueSkyArtShow #Growth #FiberArt

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 30/05/2026

A smallish handwoven study that helped me make some decisions before I began the larger "Growing Seasons" piece that's on my loom right now. #BlueSkyArtShow #Growth #FiberArt #ragrug #upcycled

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 26/05/2026

One thing I really enjoy about being an art weaver is it allows me the space to examine and study a concept (repeatedly if necessary) until I am fully satisfied with the relationship of design elements used to express my ideas. I'm no longer a slave to the masses, constantly churning out content.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 10/05/2026

A cheery, #stunday arrangement of blooms and herbs from my garden. #bloomscrolling

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 04/04/2026

Another happy weaving day! The shed is opening on the loom next to an open window in the studio so I can feel a gentle breeze and listen to the birds sing as I work. #fiberart #Openings #BlueSkyArtShow

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 03/04/2026

Yes, weaving in every warp end to completely conceal them takes time and patience, but I've decided the tidy finish is absolutely worth the effort. Craftsmanship matters. #creativity #fiberart #slowstitching

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 01/04/2026

On the loom today I'm playing with geometry and colors that don't "go together". #WIPWednesday #weaving #creativity #inspiredbynature

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 24/03/2026

It's opening day of the Embracing Art exhibition at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center in Decatur, Alabama. I stopped by this morning and got a quick pic with my handwoven piece, "Steep Creek Trail". Really impressed by the diverse artistic talent in north Alabama!

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 14/03/2026

Waver - 29"W x 32"L wall hanging #Horizontal ripples and reflections waver across the surface of the water. Handwoven with upcycled home textiles on cotton rug warp. #BlueSkyArtShow #fiberarts

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 12/03/2026

Grandpa used ropes for the front apron of his rug loom, but this system is less than ideal for my style of artistic poppana weaving. A canvas apron would work better. Out of respect, I'm always hesitant to make major structural changes to Grandpa's loom. 1/2

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 11/03/2026

I read one book featuring a turn of the century, immigrant seamstress for the metropolitan opera and then this happens! My table is covered with sewing patterns and tissue so I can start making myself a dress. 🤣 If you're curious, the book was "The Shoemaker's Wife". Sweet love story. ❤️🧵🪡🎭🇮🇪

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 07/03/2026

Go With the Flow - 32"W x 52"L wallhanging Handwoven with upcycled home textile fabrics on undyed cotton rug warp #BlueSkyArtShow #Flowing #fiberarts

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 06/03/2026

Today on the loom, reflections of a stormy sunset. This project has been in my sketchbook for awhile, but I didn't have the right colors in my stash. That's one of the downsides to weaving with upcycled fabric. I can't add colors to my pallette until I find them at a thrift shop or garage sale.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 02/03/2026

Happy Monday! This handwoven rag rug is heading to its new home in University Place, WA, but there are still plenty for you to choose from in our shop, kylmakoira.square.site. #handmade #upcycled #homedecor #ragrug

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 27/02/2026

There's nothing like tying on a brand new warp to get those creative juices flowing. This is the weaver's version of a blank page or canvas. So many ideas!

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 22/02/2026

Winding the first warp onto my rebuilt sectional beams was a breeze! Weaving on Grandpa's loom is going to be so much more enjoyable now that the warp will have a nice, even tension.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 16/02/2026

Today I built new rakes for Grandpa's loom. The old ones were bowed and creating tension problems when I wove. When you become a weaver, nobody tells you eventually you'll also become (or become friends with) a woodworker. 🤣

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 14/02/2026

Under the loom it's clear that I've almost reached the end of another warp. Only a few strings left between each of the wooden pegs. #BlueSkyArtShow #Wood

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 13/02/2026

I know spring is on the way when I can start enjoying "magic hour" weaving again. The golden light in my studio has been just beautiful in the late afternoons this week!

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 09/02/2026

Hi, it's time for a quick introduction. My name is Ellen and I'm a textile artist, weaver and knitter currently based in north Alabama. If you like me on BlueSky and want to see more studio happenings, head over to my website, www.thechillydog.com, to flip through my journal and subscribe for news.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 07/02/2026

Pier - 24.5"W x 36.5"L Wallhaging handwoven with upcycled home textile fabrics on undyed cotton rug warp A pier extends across the sand, into the water and towards the #Sunlight. #BlueSkyArtShow

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 06/02/2026

Aha! I have a screw loose (on the loom 😉). More than once actually. This explains why my weaving has been skewed and it has been difficult to maintain an even warp tension. Time to get out the toolbbox.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 06/02/2026

#TBT to when I was strictly weaving floor rugs with wide rag strips cut on the grain and using really big shuttles. My how things have changed around the studio.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 03/02/2026

Of all the books I have that show how to do a handwoven edge, none specify the angle at which you should hold the bundle of ends you are weaving across. I've been experimenting and it seems like this is it. Trial and error is slower than having a mentor to explain these subtleties.

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 31/01/2026

Wake - 29x32 inches Handwoven with upcycled home textiles on cotton rug warp #Clouds #BlueSkyArtShow

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Kylmä Koira | The Chilly Dog @thechillydog.com · 26/01/2026

Experimenting with weaving a diptych. Since the two, separate pieces are meant to be displayed side by side, I'm trying to weave them side by side so they are the same length. I've temporarily laced them together with a removable mattress stitch so they don't skew or draw in more than necessary.

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