Guild member receives Australia Day Award

ISSN 2207-001X

DAWN HOLLINS has been named  BEGA VALLEY’S SENIOR CITIZEN of the YEAR

Photograph provided by Bega Valley Shire Council

While following the Bermagui Surf Life Saving project we’ve read much about Dawn’s “abundant enthusiasm” and dedication to making a difference in the community.

An article in the Bega District News – “A Lifetime of Service Spanning the Globe” gives an instight into Dawn’s early family life and her involvement with orphaned and abandoned children throughout Asia, increasing her own family of 3 to 6 with adoptions from Thailand, Sri Lanka and South Korea and her work with the Adoptive Parents Association.

How, after moving to the Bega area 20 years ago, this background as an organizer saw her become an active member of the Rural Women’s Network and a key member of the Bega Valley team hosting the 2005 Rural Women’s Gathering.

As reported in the Bega District News article, Dawn’s passion for learning and teaching led her to the Bermagui and District Branch of the University of the Third Age – a group that looks to create and foster educational opportunities for people in retirement. In this group Dawn helped broaden the variety of courses to 80 subjects available through local presenters.

One very active Bermagui and District U3A group, the rug hookers created seven amazing rug panels now hanging in the Bermagui Surf Club.

Dawn Hollins and Bermagui & District U3A Rug Hookers with Bruce McAslan President, Bermagui Surf Club.  Photographer Ben Smyth Bega District News

After the hanging and dedication of the hooked panels on the 15th December, 2016, we decided to create a Guild Video of this impressive project.

On learning Dawn was to receive the Australia Day award, it was decided to wait until 26th January, Australia Day, to publish the video – to honour Dawn’s leadership on the day of the award.

Bermagui & Districts U3A Rughooking Group members describe Dawn as a shining example of the ideal that one person can make a difference.

Congratulations Dawn

from the members of the Australian Rugmakers Guild

 

 

Tokyo Exhibition with an Aussie Connection

From the Editor:    I received this invitation from Fumiyo Hachisuka who, like many of the Australian rugmakers,  is a member of The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers (TIGHR). Fumiyo first visited Australia in 2012 for TIGHRs Triennial Conference in South Australia.

26th_rug_hooking_exhibition_tokyo_japan_image_jacqui_thomson__fumiyo_hachisukaThe 26th Rug Hooking Exhibition at Gallery K, Tokyo 29th September to 4th October, 2016.

As soon as I saw the image on the Invitation I recognized Jacqui Thomson teaching Fumiyo how to spin.  Jacqui and Miriam Miller are both keen spinners and knitters so it’s not unusual for rugmakers visiting Miriam’s Studio at Narrawilly to be shown how to spin.

I’d seen the photo on the Invitation, it was taken at Narrawilly during the 2014 Milton Retreat. At that time I had posted a Blog  about the Retreat, but do you think I could find this image on my computer today.  It’s not on Fumiyo’s computer either as she tells me it was taken by one of her Japanese friends who accompanied her to the Milton Retreat.

However she did send me this photo she took of Jacqui spinning

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Jacquie Thomson, Milton, March 2014  – Narrawilly Proggers Rughooking Retreat

and a sumi drawing (painted  in black ink) from which she drew the pattern for her rug aptly titled  Friendship”.

sumi_version_of_fumiyo_hachisukas_friendship_rug_design

Fumiyo also used this “sumi” approach to draw up the patternrhm-sep-oct_29-016

for her entry to

Rug Hooking Magazine’s Celebration 26.    

Chateau de Chenonceau”   Another photo, one of a castle in France, was Fumiyo’s inspiration for her entry which is a finalist in the competition. You can cast a vote in the “Readers’ Choice” section of this competition. In fact, you may vote 5 times – a good thing because there are so many wonderful rugs in different categories. To vote go to this  RHM Celebrations page

celebrations-26_entry_hooked_from_photo_by_fumiyo_hachisuka

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Chateau de Chenonceau – sumi by Fumiyo Hachisuka

and here are the directions to Gallery K in Tokyo   directions_to_26th_rug_hooking_exhibition_tokyo_japan

Fumiyo, your friends in Australia wish you well and hope you have many visitors to the Exhibition.

Jo Franco, Editor