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Rug Hooking and Travel

My overseas travels are usually taken with a fellow rug hooking friend to attend the Triennial Conferences of The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers (TIGHR).

This trip I’m in the USA with my husband visiting family, so my rug hooking tools were left at home and I’m doing my best to keep our trip family focused, but somehow rug hooking still creeps in.

I couldn’t resist an invitation by Susan Feller, to lunch at the home she and husband Jim Lilly built themselves in West Virginia.

Ruckman_Mill_Farm_Augusta_W_Virginia

Their log house is amazing – Jim who had no prior building experience, taught himself all he needed to know as he went along, including, how to handle the long timber beams by himself. It took him 6 years with help from Susan who “chinked” (the white spaces) between the logs, to complete this two story house with basement studio.

From 2006-2009, with half a world between us and a 12-hour time difference, Susan and I worked together on The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers (TIGHR). We cemented our friendship as she continued to manage the TIGHR website for the period Australia was host country, 2009-2012. During this time Susan also mentored Judi Tompkins and myself as we struggled to learn how to set up this Australian Rugmakers Guild website.

When it came to passing on TIGHR’s Founders’ Cup, awarded in South Australia 2012, to Judith Stephens and myself, there was no doubt as to who it should go to – Susan had given TIGHR so much of her time as historian and virtually taking the organization into the digital age by herself. The cup’s now prominently displayed in Susan’s studio.

In our many Skype conversations I caught glimpses of the room around Susan so it was great to finally to see her actual workspace. What a wonderful studio she has – places to exhibit her work,

all manner of storage, a dye kitchen and even a “behind a screen” messy work area.

I could have stayed all day studying and admiring Susan’s creations which I’d seen illustrated in Rug Hooking Magazine. They look good on the pages of the magazine, but seeing them hanging, they look so much bigger, brighter and the detail, WOW!

This group, each a combination of different techniques.

In their previous life Susan and Jim were in business, owners of a picture framing gallery – The Church Door Gallery.

Susan now describes herself on her blog as, artist, educator, author, farmer. Jim is also an artist so it’s easy to see how there can be so many interesting and unique pieces decorating the walls of their home, even door frames with quirky collections of door knobs. In fact, there’s just so much to look at, it’s easy to be distracted from the conversation.

I took time to admire Susan’s current work but missed the opportunity to photograph it. As an educator, Susan shares her thoughts about this project on her blog as well as blog and follow-up about her 2015 project.

All in all it was a great day, we sat over lunch and talked the afternoon away – reluctantly leaving late afternoon as we knew there was a long drive ahead of us.

Goodbyes were said, (above Ted, Jim & Susan) and Susan introduced me to Nora and “the girls”; chicken image is for Judi Tompkins, creator of the “Chook Folly”

This visit in W Virginia, wasn’t my first rug hooking diversion on the trip. While visiting friends in Asheville, North Carolina, I mentioned how rug hooking had basically taken over my life and my friend thought she might like to learn to rug hook.

We googled rug hooking teachers in her area and came up with the name of Sara Beth Black of www.mountainwool.com

I was disappointed I didn’t have time to either teach my friend or go with her to visit Sara Beth, but was pleased to see a good “how to” video on Sara Beth’s website. With Sara Beth’s permission, I have copied a link to it here and will attempt to post it on the Guild Facebook page.

The video can be seen on her website or found on YouTube along with the following description –

Rug Hooking Tutorial with Sara Beth Black, fiber artist and owner of Mountain Wool: http://www.mountainwool.com/ Sara Beth’s rug hooking supplies and kits are also available for sale at the Friends and Fiberworks store in the Biltmore Mall in Asheville NC; at the Boarding House of the Historic Johnson Farm in Hendersonville, and at The Design Gallery in Burnsville. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I am working at Friends and Fiberworks from 2pm to 6pm. The first Saturday of each month will find me at the Historic Johnson Farm doing a “study group” for anyone interested in hooking. If you are already hooking on a project and have some questions, or are a beginner, or just want a social area to meet other fiber artists, come join us. The cost of attendance is $5.00, payable at the class. To sign up for a “study group” please contact Ruth Howe @ (828) 458-0738 or by e-mail at Ruth272nc@aol.com. If you have any questions, just send me an e-mail at sarabethblack@mountainwool.com.

Sara Beth’s description of her rug hooking activities indicates, that as we do in Australia, she too spends much of her time sharing her knowledge of rughooking in an informal, inexpensive social setting in an attempt to create more interest in this craft …… and it’s working! Jo Franco; Editor

A travelling Aussie Rugmaker

Recently published on the Guild Facebook page

a post showing images of a rug being hooked by Irene Bruninghausen from Darwin.

In case you didn’t see them on Facebook I thought I’d include with this post about rug hookers encountered in my travels in the USA.

In April 2016, Irene took a rug hooking workshop with Miriam Miller in Milton, NSW and was obviously keen to keep working on her rug as she sent Miriam these images taken as she was traveling by road back to Darwin.

Tenterfield_NSW

Blue_Heeler_Pub_Kynuna_central_west_QLD

I asked Irene for some background on her travels and rug. Anyone who has travelled in the uninhabited vastness of outback Australia will know what a feat her journeys are!

For those in the USA a translation; an “esky” is an insulated cooler.

I’m so impressed with both Irene’s rug hooking and her mode of travel, I think I’ll feature her and save my travel blog for another time.

Irene said ……

I have been living in Darwin for 28 years but grew up in Sydney and for the past 8 years have been dividing my time between the two. I commute in a station wagon. My dog was my travel companion but he died last year so the rug has taken his place in the back along with the tent, esky, mattress and whatever else – plenty of room for rug and frame so no unrolling needed.

It’s a tree! Massive river red gum in Ormiston Gorge near Alice Springs. I did a couple of sketches of it last year during an artists camping trip.

When I did the rugging course with Miriam I was totally clueless as to how long these things took to make so when it came to preparing my very first project I drew it up in about 5 minutes (approx 850mm x700) and figured it would take a few days to knock over. In fact, I have a horrible feeling that I told Miriam that I would get up early the next morning and be so advanced with it by breakfast that we could do the first rollover. HAH! Scores of hours later and am about 2/3 done.

I am a slow tortuous hooker and many of my loops leave much to be desired I’m sure, but I do find the whole process meditative and have been enjoying it immensely.

Here’s a progress pic.

Designed_&_hooked_by_Irene_Bruninghausen_NT_&_NSW_Australia

One little tip. For those who might be travelling up to Winton/ Longreach or thereabouts, the Blue Heeler pub at Kynuna (a tiny town) is a great place for a spot of rugging with whopping big tables to sprawl and clutter with no people about.

Editor’s Note:

WOW! congratulations Irene – what an inspiration you will be to the many rug hookers who travel Australia in caravans. Please keep us in the loop with your progress. Jo Franco

News from WA

Who is this? And why is this image on the rug hooking blog? read on………

The Saturday morning sessions of the Rughooking group at the Wanneroo Library have been very interesting. The group is growing and becoming very creative, there’s hardly time to take off your coat when you arrive before everyone starts sharing their latest creative idea.

Saturday_mornin_Wanneroo_rugmakers

The mystery person in the photo is Kath, “wrapped up” by Barb who had just returned from a visit to Morocco where she learned much about textiles and nomadic weaving and also how to tie a headscarf. The “how to” steps are described here.

Since we’re involved in recycling and upscaling in our craft and often are given, or come across, pieces of fabric/scarves etc. that either won’t work in a hooked project or are “too nice” to cut up – this is another idea for “what to do” when you make a discovery that you’d like to keep…..and maybe cut up later!

Closer to home, Rhonda has “wrapped up” a new great-grandchild (only 3 months old) – in a footy Finn_3_months_old_in_Melbourne_footy_jumper jumper!

She was knitting what looked like a dolls jumper one Saturday morning – it wasn‘t easy to photograph on the needles because it was so small. She said she’d bring it the following week finished.

Well the family saw it finished and it went straight onto the little guy – so here is Fin sporting “Melbourne” colours.

Speaking of small things – our resident felter has been at it again – this is one of Margaret’s recent creations, a felted flower “growing” from a felted over pebble.

Felted_flower_by_Margaret_Stuart_West_Australia

It was on show last week in our mini exhibition.

Items were being gathered to send to the Exhibition and Challenge in Canberra,

Saturday_morning_rugmakers_meeting_at_Wanneroo_West_Australia

Wanneroo_Rugmakers_West_Aust_Yvonne's_hooked_ collage This is a hooked collage by Yvonne – a transplanted New Zealander – it’s her interpretation of the Australian landscape. Current projects underway by the group were also on show.

The “exhibition” was timely, as the Mayor was due to visit – a date she kept, even though recovering from a leg injury.

Mayor_Tracey_Roberts_talking_with_Jo_Franco_at_Rugmakers_meeting

Mayor Tracey Roberts is very supportive of community groups in the city – she is shown here talking about the 200 purple & yellow Chiffon Flowers the Wanneroo Rugmakers made a few years ago for all the contestants in the “Relay for Life”, a Fund raising event for Breast Cancer co-sponsored by the Mayors of the adjacent cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo.

Mayor Roberts, who also participates in the event, said she still has her flower and has worn it each year, as do those returning entrants who received the flowers. Mayor Roberts says they wear them with pride on their current T-shirt. It’s good to know the flowers were appreciated, as the group members were pretty sick of purple and yellow proddy flowers by the time they’d finished creating that many.

The Mayor and I also had a long discussion about the TIGHR Conference in 2018 at Reeth – the TIGHR Newsletter was on the table, she flipped through it and saw the map – it turns out she’s from that area and was most intrigued with the concept of The International Rugmakers Guild (TIGHR) having a change of country/administration every three years, giving members a chance to “see the world” as they travel to attend.

Several of our local members are from the UK – Kath, who you wouldn’t recognise from her “wrapped” state, is also from the Yorkshire Dales. I think come 2018 there might be several rug makers from Wanneroo making a trip back to see their families – with a side trip to Reeth.

I’m off to the USA to visit family and some of the North American rugmakers who are known to the Aussie Guild – so will keep you up-to-date with Guild news along the way.

I’ll be returning in September via Strathnairn in Canberra where I hope to catch up with many of our members. Until then Happy Creative Hooking Jo Franco, Editor

More on BIG rugs

Have you ever thought about hooking a BIG rug?

Miriam Miller, of Milton, NSW has, and shared with me images of her beginning project . Here is what Miriam has to say……….

“I’ve started a huge rug, 1m65cm by 2m65cm (105inches by 65inches) to go in front of my sofa.

I will move the present rug which does not go with my slate blue sofa to under the dining room table.

As backing I am using primitive linen that I bought when in America. I bought three yards, and had to cut some off the length and sew on the side to make wider.

I overlapped the material about two inches and then machined down each edge. It means I have to hook through a double piece, but it is not causing any problem.

I am using recycled fabrics, T shirts, track suits, wool skirts, and dyed blankets and yarn, whatever I can find.

I’ve dyed wool yardage and yarn using “Landscape” dyes.

Miriam_Millers_dyed_wool

Here are some pictures of the design – the whole rug showing the border started and a close up of the border and centre pattern.

Rug_design_by_Miriam_Miller_Border_started _1m65cm_x_ 2m65cm_or_105inches_x_ 65inc

Rug_design_by_Miriam_Miller_Border_pattern Rug_design_by_Miriam_Miller_Part_of_the_pattern_in centre_of_rug

Miriam has promised to keep me up-to-date with progress on her rug which I will post on this blog. In the meantime you can leave a comment for Miriam below or contact her through her Narrawilly Proggers website.

It’s Winter in Australia – a good time to take on such a project.

Good on you Miriam! Jo Franco, Editor

Members Rughooking Videos

11 and Beyond,

Bec Anderson’s Artist in Residency project,

teaching rug hooking in school, is featured in the latest issue of Rug Hooking Magazine with a link to a video on Bec’s website.

While on the Guild Facebook page, there’s now two videos featuring the work of guild members, Judi Tompkins and Robin Inkpen.

Bec’s “11 and Beyond” project was launched on December 4th, 2014, 2_punchneedle_hooking_chair_pad the inaugural International Rughooking Day. During 2015 at Tamborine Mountain State School in Queensland, Bec took a class of 11 year olds through the process of learning how to design their own patterns and to use a punchneedle to hook them.

Members of Bec’s rug hooking group, the Happy Hookers, assisted Bec with these sessions in return receiving punchneedle lesson themselves.

The local Men’s Shed also took part, building the frames for the students to use.

7_punchneedle_chair_pads_in_frames

The project “11 and Beyond” was inspired by the shift in Queensland in 2015 12_QLD_Government_logo when Year 7 students became the first year of high-school and Year 6 (11 year olds) became the leaders of the 11_Becs_Project_header primary school.

This special issue of Rug Hooking Magazine features article focused on children and rug hooking from Australia, Canada, Japan, England and the USA.

There’s an article by Gene Shepherd (Calif. USA) Education Chair of ATHA featuring young rug hookers and an easy and safe dye experience designed by him especially for kids.

As always, this edition is packed full of interesting articles. The magazine is available in Australia by subscription. I’m always delighted when my copy shows up in the post box as it did today.

Jo Franco, Editor/Membership Chair

A Hooked Chook

otherwise known as “Judi’s Folly”

Everybody!

Created by Judi Tompkins, 2016 “Palimpsest” Landsborough, QLD

According to Wikipedia : In architecture, a folly (French term folie – meaning foolishness) is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or appearing to be so extravagant that it transcends the range of garden ornaments usually associated with the class of buildings to which it belongs. 18th century English gardens and French landscape gardening often featured mock Roman temples, symbolizing classical virtues.

1 800px-Castle_Howard_-_Temple_of_the_Four_Winds[1] 1 cb418c88b3138e5e8285b9afda332aa8[1]

1 images[3] 1 Sculpture_à_Parc_de_la_Villette,_Paris,_France_juillet_2010[1]

In English, the term began as “a popular name for any costly non-functional structure erected to enhance the natural landscape”.

Hence the terms use for Judi’s installation which to date, has not stopped growing in the middle of her living room!

4 IMG_4318[1] Having made several wall-hangings using the 3D Waldoborough technique (in the extreme)

Judi had a desire to make a full size 3D hooked project.

This ladder no longer in use, and her interest in birds and fowl, was the catalyst for the chook project.

First the pattern for the chook (Bertha) was drawn onto hessian

Then begain the hooking using novelty “Eyelash” yarn, the finished shape was stuffed with wool.

6 IMG_5132[1]

The ladder was bought into play and the chook perched upon it.

7 Hooked_Chook_by_Judi_Tompkins_QLD_Australia

At this point Judi’s creative sense went into over-drive; the chook needed a nest and if it was going to have a nest shouldn’t there be some eggs?

8 Chook on nest

8 IMG_5150[1]

And as eggs tend to do – they started to hatch

Chick with a face only a mother could luv!

Members of Judi’s rug hooking group who’d seen this installation starting to take shape felt they too wanted to be involved.

Bea showed up with a two specimens of fowl she’d created in a pottery class

11 IMG_5181-001[1]

and along with Judi Owen and Ann Naisworth (NSW) they started to collect feathers for the project

Who laid the Golden Egg

… by this time it had grown to include a mat beneath the ladder into which realistic grass and plants had been hooked and other birds and birds nest from Judi’s collection had been placed.

The circular mat is a massive art work in itself 15 feet (458cm) in circumference and weighing over 6kg.

A video of this huge rug hooking effort was made by Kira Mead using the outline of my blog, with voice over by husband Warren. With the addition of some funky Chicken song music, it created something that made us all smile.

So the video, even though it was only a trial effort, was posted on the Guild Facebook page. For those of you who may not have seen it, here it is the link

https://www.facebook.com/australianrugmakersguild/

Congratulations to Judi on such a creative effort and to Kira for being clever and persistent and conquering the digital battle of learning how to bring it all online.

I have certainly enjoyed being Judi’s sounding board through the construction of this installation. Jo Franco, Editor

Rughooking Demonstrations in Queensland

First Annual Kingaroy Winter Craft Festival at the Kingaroy Art Gallery Opening night 7th June, 2016

Judy Brook will demonstrate rug hooking for a week in Gallery 3 at the Kingaroy Art gallery during the WINTER CRAFT FEST. Visit her rug room set up as RUG MAKING PARAPHENALIA AND OTHER VINTAGE EPHMERA showcasing various types of rug making, collections of books and tools and rugs and other vintage craft.

When asked about this rug – Judy said…

I made it for my first grandchild after he was born, and being a boy I put all the roads around it and, car parts, heli-pads etc and yes the New Zealand fern, as I was living in Cromwell, Central Otago, New Zealand when I made it.

I had so many colours going into it that I put them in piles around the lounge room behind the couch so I could have easy access. I have it in his room in my house and he plays on it every time he comes to visit.

The Red Earth Ruggers will meet at Judy’s home for their next Rug Day on Monday 13th of June – for details [read more] under QLD on the Rug Groups page.

An Ambitious Community Project

Surf Club & Rughooking?

An update from Bermagui on the south coast of New South Wales

The Bermagui & District U3A Rughooking Group meets every Friday afternoon to work on an ambitious community project.

The twelve women involved are hooking seven large wall panels (1m wide x 1.4m high) to hang in the local Surf Club to beautify it and to absorb sound.

The design is based on a panorama of the area drawn by artist Rona Walker and then transferred to the hessian panels.

The rug hookers have added personal touches such as birds, surfers, vehicles and even a hot-air balloon!

Bermagui_panel_5

The project was conceived by Dawn Hollins, who organises the group, and instructed by Lin Potter, the only experienced rug hooker when the group formed almost two years ago.

Work on the panels began early in 2015 and several have already been completed.

_Bermagui_panel_2

(The retreating figure gives an indication of the size of these panels)

Bermagui_panel_1

Editors Note: Miriam Miller and her group in Milton continue to be interested and supportive, and recently visited the Bermagui Surf Club to see the progress. I am told the group is well advanced with this project and expect to have the panels up on the wall by the end of the year.

Canberra Retreat and Exhibition

Call for Entries :

It is now less than 4 months before the Australian Rugmakers Weekend Retreat & Exhibition in Canberra, ACT at the Woolshed in Strathnairn. Planning is now well under way.

There will be a Guild General Meeting on Saturday 3^rd Sept and the Exhibition will be opened by Nancy Tingey on Sunday 4^th Sept.

I am sure our members are busy making amazing rugs, big and small. (Entry Forms).

It is going to be a very special event with talks by guest textile artists and how-to demonstrations, plus meeting up and enjoying the company of rug makers from around the county.

I can’t wait to see all my rug friends and their work very soon. Maggie

Maggie Whyte, Curator, CANBERRA, EXHIBITION AND RETREAT,

SEPT 4th to 25th, 2016

Pod in old gum tree Strathnairn Editors Note: Maggie’s already had work on display at Strathnairn; this hooked pod was photographed in the grounds. Maggie made the felt, dyed it and then cut the felt into strips and hooked the strips into hessian.

Look for more or Maggie’s very creative works on the Guild Facebook page.

Jo Franco, Editor/Membership Chair

Events Calendar update

The Yarra Valley Rug Makers had a meeting with a difference on the 9th April.

It was a busy day for them. Here is what Chris Noobergen had to say …….

Only three of us were present at the Westernport Craft Fair, run as a yearly fundraiser by the local Hastings Uniting Church. Many people came passed the Yarra Valley booth where Anne (pictured below) and I demonstrated the genteel craft of making a hooked rug.

Anne_Schafer_demonstrating_rughooking_at_Western_Port_VIC_Australia

Some had a go a pulling loops, two young girls just loved it and got the hang of it very quickly. Children were a delight to teach and catch on quickly.

Western_Port_Vic_Australia_rughooking_demo_by_Yarra_Valley_Rugmakers

Anne’s lovely sunflower proggy rug attracted a lot of attention with it’s colour contrasts. Proggy_Sunflowers_designed_and_created_by_Anne_VIC_Australia

As most of us rug hookers have discovered many people confuse what we do with latchet hook rug making. It was a long day and we were glad to go home at the end of it. Chris

Editors Note: It would have been a very long day for the Yarra Valley Rugmakers, as Westernport is about a 140k round trip from the Yarra Valley. You can read more about the Yarra Valley Group on their blog where you’ll see more images of their work, like this rug designed and hooked by Chris,

Bird of Paradise-[Strelitzia]_rug_designed_and_Hooked_by-Chris_Noorbergen_VIC_Australia

and a proggy rug being created by Robyne, a member of the group, on a frame purchased on a visit to Miriam Miller’s Rug Room in Narrawilly, NSW.

Proggy_Fluer_de_lis_on_a_Miriam_Miller_frame

Robyne says: I’m really enjoying doing this rug. It’s slow work, takes tons and tons of cloth, is terribly messy, gives me a sore neck but it’s fun! Obviously, it will need some trimming later. I bought the frame via Miriam Miller at Narrawilly Rugs. It sits on a couple of old trestle legs in my sewing room so I can pop in and do some every day. I signed up for a ’10 minute a day pledge’ on Rug Hooking Daily, which is good because you invariably do way more.

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Recently published on the Guild Facebook page

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Who is this? And why is this image on the rug hooking blog? read on………

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11 and Beyond,

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otherwise known as “Judi’s Folly”

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First Annual Kingaroy Winter Craft Festival at the Kingaroy Art Gallery Opening night 7th June, 2016

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Surf Club & Rughooking?

An update from Bermagui on the south coast of New South Wales

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Call for Entries :

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The Yarra Valley Rug Makers had a meeting with a difference on the 9th April.

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