RugCrafters australia – Page 14 – Rughooking Australia

Dyeing experiments in the kitchen and the garden

Western Australia: Kira Mead’s Natural Dye Sampler

Kira dyed woolen blankets for her earlier Quillie rugs using food colouring – the results were colourful and bright.

Hoping for some more muted tones she headed to the garden and the pantry.

Below in her own words are her notes about these experiments: –

Notes : Natural Dye Experiments

This started out as being a small venture into natural dyes. I purely wanted to break up the plant material, put it in a jar and cover with hot water to see if dye would release. They all did this, but some of the liquid samples were too small to do any dyeing. But I was so encouraged by the colours released I went further to see how they would dye my 100% Wool Blankets.

I started with Plumbago, Agapanthus, Red Geraniums, Passionfruit Skin, Red Rose Petals, Eucalyptus Tree Bark, Eucalyptus Leaves and Bracken Leaves. On the day of the dyeing experiment I also made up some Coffee Dye from Coffee Pods, Tea Bags and a good sploosh of Red Wine.

All natural materials showed great promise, but some of the samples were too small to do justice to the natural dye experiment, but I will certainly be revisiting them when more material is available.

The dyes were extracted by cutting up the samples, putting them in a glass jar and pouring over boiling water and leaving for a day and night.

The Plumbago was a lovely light violet, but not enough to dye with. Some of the others like Agapanthus and Red Geranium I proceeded with, but there wasn’t enough dye liquid to do any kind of justice to it. Next time I will get greater quantities and simmer on the stove top.

In the morning I soaked the off white wool blanket in a mixture of quite hot water and citric acid for an hour. I had a sink full of hot water and added two large teaspoons of citric acid. I have found from dyeing with food colouring, that this holds the colour well.

Material contents have been drained from the glass jars and liquid put in a saucepan on the stove. Small sample strips of wool have been added to the liquid. I have only simmered until the liquid ran dry.

Normally I would simmer for 45 minutes and then proceed with washing, but for the natural dyes I would like to try leaving overnight to get a deeper colour.

Wool sample has been taken from the stove and pictured in a wet state.

Wool samples have then been hung to dry outside.

When dry wool samples have been washed in lukewarm water with wool wash and once again hung outside to dry.

A lot of the samples lost a lot of colour, I think due to them not having enough time on the stove to soak in the colour and not enough sample liquid. Below is wool dyed and dried.

I’m a little disappointed nothing turned out Green or Blue. I thought Bracken was supposed to produce Green. Mine turned brown. I was hoping Agapanthus would give me Blue, but this needs further exploration and more liquid dye.

The stand out winners were the strawberry Tops, Tea Bags, Red Wine and the Eucalyptus Leaves.

I would like to add that the Strawberry Tops caused the most amazing smell to waft through the house.

Even though this was a quick experiment and I didn’t initially intend to dye any material, those four came out with good colours which will only get better with a bit more time in the pot.

+ + +

Queensland: New Year Updates

Judi Tompkins has started the New Year by updating a project from a previous year.

“Costa’s Hummingbirds” was created by Judi for a Portuguese friend whose surname was Costa. Judi had found the Costa’s Hummingbird (from Mexico/SW USA)

and hooked this (originally unframed) piece for her friend featuring the hummingbird among the cactus flowers of the SouthWest, USA.

Judi wasn’t really happy with the original finished piece so took it back from her friend and framed it using Cholla wood (Cactus), as if the viewer is seeing these SW USA/Mexico hummingbirds through a “forest” of dead Cholla.

The wood frame was a creative project in itself. Judi imported the wood and sliced the pieces to create the unusual shaped frame, using metal plates to join the odd-shape.

The frame is “lashed” to the hooking. To see Judi’s work in progress just click [Costa’s Hummingbird] this link will take you to her album of images.

The actual fibre piece, hooked and prodded with recycled fabrics, is 18″ x 19″ (45cm x 47cm) but with the frame, the overall size is 28″ x 29″ (72cm x 73cm).

Judi said while she was not happy with the piece originally – she finds it a bit more interesting now the it’s in this frame; although she would make changes to the background now if she could, says she has learned a lot in the last 3 years!

Click here for Judi’s website to see more of her adventures in rughooking .

Another Judy in QLD –

Judy Owen, a member of the Sunshine Coast Rugmakers Group started by Judi Tompkins, has finished the ambitious and creative wall-hanging which she is working on here – hooking without a frame!

below is the wall hanging in progress,

and here it is completed

“A Unicorn in My Garden”

designed and hooked by Judy Owen

This piece is relatively heavy so Judy is going to use Kira Mead’s “Grid Back” method of framing to give the piece support and keep the edges of the wall-hanging from curling under.

Leaving the Sunshine Coast Rugmakers in the north and heading south of Brisbane to Mt. Tamborine –

Bec Andersen – has already planned her rughooking year;all the way through to the 2nd International Rugmaking Day on 4 December, 2015.

On 16 January Bec will hold Free Punchneedle Hooking lessons in lieu of Support work, with the “11 and Beyond” Artist in Residence project with TMSS. This project is supported by the Queensland government through Arts Queensland, part of the Dept of Science, Information Technology Innovation and the Arts.

The Happy Hooker Support Crew will teach in the classroom in March.

To see full details of Bec’s events through 2015, click

Date Savers – 2015- Creative workshops and gatherings

2015; First Get-together

Happy New Year

from the Strath Matters rug group of South Australia

The group held their first meeting for 2015 in a coffee shop at the seaside village of Pt. Elliot.

Instead of taking up a lot of space with rughooking paraphernalia, they took tools and material for a naarlbinding (toothbrush rugmaking) session.

Group members have previously made rugs and baskets, so on this occasion they were branching out and making bags like the ones shown below made by Judith Stephens

Although a simple technique, it does take a lot of material but colourful sheets and doona covers can be sourced from your local Op Shop. Look for for those that have colour on both sides of the fabric and tear or cut into strips 1.5″ wide, then with your toothbrush or naarlbinding tool just blanket stitch.

You can find many videos on how to make these rugs on YouTube or contact Judith at studioblue20@gmail.com

See more of this groups activities on their blog.

Seeing the old year out with Memories – in a rug

“The Ties that Bind Us”

designed and hooked by Robin Inkpen, Donnybrook, Western Australia.

Christmas has come and gone, gifts have been opened and now the story and these images of a special rug (54cm x 87cm) created by Robin Inkpen can be shared.

In her own words – Robin says …….

There is a story behind this rug that I hooked as a present for my son-in-law Sandy.

His father had a large collection of neckties, collected during his life in business. Sadly, he died a few years ago.

My daughter gave me a bag full of these neckties saying

“Mum you can probably use these in your rug hooking”.

I thanked her and put them away in my stash of fabrics and yarns.

Well, recently I pulled out the bag of ties and decided that I would hook a memory rug for Sandy for Christmas.

It has been a very interesting project as the ties are made from so many different fabrics. I unpicked each one, took out the lining and label and cut them into strips about 1/2 inch wide.

I drew a simple geometric pattern for the rug on a piece of hessian and started hooking.

One tie to each triangle and any left-over hooked into the smaller triangles.

Some ties were fine patterned silk and some were woven wool. I had no idea how each one would hook. Some had spots, some had stripes, some were patterned and some plain with a logo. It is difficult to determine which is which in the rug. I was initially amazed at how dark they were but then I thought “well, he probably always wore them with a white business shirt and dark suit”.

It has been a fascinating project both for me as the hooker and others who have seen me doing it.

Finally after I had whipped the edge, I attached all the small tie labels over the whipping (well, not all. I hadn’t kept all of them)

I gave it to Sandy for Christmas and he loves it!

Hanging odd shaped rugs?

Kira’s “Quillie” (standing wool rug)

Rose Gelato

weighs approximately 3kgs the dimensions of the work are approximately 85cm x 77cm and it’s odd shaped

– so how does one hang such a creative piece – especially something that should be “standing”?

In a light-bulb moment Kira came up with an idea and raced off to that big green n red hardware warehouse and purchased some PVC garden trellis and a section of “Clever Closet Hang Track” !

Here’s what Kira Mead from Western Australia says about creating and using her hanging technique “Grid Back”

“What I liked about the Clever Closet Hang Track is you can use the holes for wire or art track hooks under the track.

I am planning on making the mesh a permanent fixture, but a quick unpick would make easy work to remove it all without damaging the rug. With the backing I can see it being used hung or as a floor rug. I would put something non-slip underneath for use on a hard floor.

Please excuse the lighting and background on the hanging image – it was the only wall I trusted to take the weight.

The two other rugs I have made are for the floor and I used a fabric appropriate liquid nails to attach to vinyl.

The backing makes the whole work more stable, but this rug (Rose Gelato) was never made as a high traffic area rug. My purpose was as an artistic object. The original “Accidental Carpet” was made to decorate a very large concrete floored building for epileptic children to cheer up their surroundings.

The most comments I received from people on seeing my work was that they would like to see it on a wall, hence my exploration of different ways of hanging without compromising the work e.g. I didn’t want it falling apart because of the weight. I could see this being a problem if the work is stitched or glued.

I used blanket or button-hole stitch with doubled thread because I wanted it to be very secure and to cover the PVC trellis, also as it would look more attractive as a permanent fixture, not that it’s the side anyone will be viewing.

I didn’t go down the Velcro route as I was concerned it would not be strong enough to hold the work, but I could see that you could make a Velcro sheath that could slip over the Clever Closet Hang Track and it could easily thread through the back. The Clever Closet Hang Track just weaves through the trellis, so easy removal, unless you have hung with wire. That would need to be removed first.

For a thinner and lighter rug, I could see that slip stitching would work and would stop rug curl down the bottom. Possibly just slip stitching a strip of PVC trellis across the bottom would be enough.

One last handy dandy hint – Picture triangles can be screwed into the holes of the Clever Closet Hang Track”

An Accidental Rugmaker

From Western Australia –

Kira Mead’s post on the Guild’s Facebook page has gone viral.

In just a few days there have been over 3,000 views and 30 shares –

but it’s the number of comments that have really been interesting.

Usually a Facebook post goes up on the Guild page after a Blog has been published on the Guild website; but this time, it’s the other way around.

The image shown above was posted on Facebook because it was interesting, creative and different. There’s been such a fantastic response and so many comments, it warrants further explanation and more images of quillies (standing wool rugs) by Kira.

Kira was unaware she was using an ancient technique to create her rugs. She didn’t know about “standing wool rugs” or the term “quillie” which comes from Quilling (or paper filigree) an art form involving the use of strips of paper, rolled, shaped and glued together to create decorative designs. Quilling was also combined or married with other techniques such as embroidery and painting……and rug hooking.

I checked out the term on Wikipedia after remembering having read about quillie rugs in American rug hooking newsletters and also the quillie brooches I’d been given, made by Canadian friends, with strips of wool fabric left over from their rug hooking projects,

Quillie brooches b Peigi Fairs & Sheila Mitchell, Canada

Kira explained that she was researching up-cycling wool blankets online and found “Accidental Carpet” and just had to give it a go.

Quillies can be created by stitching or gluing (there were many comments on Facebook about the different methods)

The technique Kira discovered made use of a hot glue gun and strips of blankets.

Kira said :

” I absolutely fell in love with them, but wanted to put my own spin on it, which is what you can see in this rug. (above)

It was made from a couple of very old off-white, stained blankets. The owner couldn’t bear to donate them to the op shop because she knew they’d be used as dog blankets. They were sentimental to her because they were her late mothers. When I told her what I had planned, she happily let me have them and is delighted with how they have been used. They have been dyed with food dye and have a tie-dye look to them.”

Here are more of Kira’s rugs :-

Rose Gelato

International Rug Hooking Day

…. 4th December 2014 ….

This inaugural event was organized by TIGHR

(The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers)

Events around Australia – starting on the East Coast …….. and finishing in the West

Queensland:

Here are some happy snaps of Judi Tompkins group (Sunshine Coast RugCrafters) who met at her Studio on Dec 4. The group celebrated International Rughooking Day and worked on setting up some new projects so they can stay busy over the holidays.

More about the Sunshine Coast Rug Crafters on Judi’s website Rug Crafting Australia.

Still in Queensland …… Project “11 and Beyond”

Bec Andersen (Artist in Residency Jan-May 2015) held her Project Launch

Dec 4th at 10am at the Tamborine Mountain Library

to celebrate International Rughooking Day

Bec is collaborating with Tamborine Mountain State School to work with Year 6 children to develop a fibre project from digital design to production.

This project is inspired by the cultural shift that occurs in Queensland in 2015 where Year 7 children will become the first year of high school and Year 6 children will be the leaders of the primary school.

and in Kingaroy, QLD …………..

Judith Brook, long time member of TIGHR, is originally from New Zealand, and is a founding member of the Australian Guild. Judith is part of a local arts group in Kingaroy with access to exhibition space where she promotes rug hooking. She also has pieces in the local craft gallery and says the rugs always make a hit. There are a number of people in the area eager to learn this craft so she will be organizing a rug making workshop in the New Year. For information email judylbrook@gmail.com

Earlier this year Judith exhibited this wall hanging to commemorate

“100 Years of ANZACS”

names from the Roll of Honour at the local war memorial of all the men from the area who died in the 1st World War are hand-written on the flag which is the backdrop for this piece. Your can read more about how this piece was created in an earlier post.

New South Wales:

The Narrawilly Proggers celebrated International Rughooking Day at their Christmas Lunch on Dec 5th at Miriam Miller’s Rug Room in Milton.

Bev Latta, Sheila Lucas, and Christine Alexander catch up on the verandah outside Miriam’s Rug room. Sheila came up from Bermagui (south of Milton) with Dawn Hollins and Kathy Cannirs members of the Bermagui & Dist. U3A Rug Hookers.

The Narrawill Proggy Rugmakers also held their annual Fashion Parade – where members of the group model a selection of garments from those given to them by a local Op Shop to cut up and use in their rugs. After a rather hilarious fashion parade compered by Jacqui Thomson, the guests then bid on the garments. According to Jacqui “it was load of fun, as always, with temperamental models, at great expense”

Bidding is spirited as they all know the money raised goes to support Heather Ritchie’s Rug Hooking School for the Blind in The Gambia.

This year Jacqui’s actions were somewhat curtailed, as a few weeks ago she slipped, fell and broke her ankle. However being the trooper that she is, she filled her usual role decked out in her “moon boot” complete with Christmas bow.

Jacqui talking here with Maizie Bennett, said “Carol Treloar did the great boot decorations. Nothing escapes her”

ACT :

Maggie Whyte from Canberra and friends from Braidwood & Milton, New South Wales, celebrated International Rughooking Day on the 22nd & 23rd November while exhibiting rugs and demonstrating rug hooking at the Airing of the Quilts in Braidwood, NSW (approxiately an hours drive from both Canberra and Milton). (Pictured here are Maggie’s proggy Christmas trees.)

Read more about this annual event on June Weatherstone’s website – June, the founder of this event in Braidwood, is a member of the Narrawilly Proggy Rugmakes and the Australian Rugmakers Guild.

The “Coffee Shop” rug below was hooked by Maggie Hickey, who is shown here demonstrating rughooking

Despite sweltering heat over the weekend, the event was a great success with members of the public showing much interest in the rugmaking techniques and having a try at both hooky and proggy.

This colourful “Beach Huts” rug was hooked by Janet Walker.

There was truly an international connection at this event with a visit by Ruth Hassall who has been living in Switzerland. Ruth helped to hang the rugs – below is an unfinished cow rug designed and hooked by Ruth.

Victoria :

Living in country Victoria, at least an hour apart, the Yarra Valley Rugmakers travel a long way to get together. Some of their faithful members were missing at their Nov meeting and with Christmas fast approaching they decided to make their 13th Dec meeting a special Christmas celebration day and to also celebrate International Rug Hooking Day.

They’ll share with each other their personal and internet experiences with rugging friends around the world. As well, they’ll talk about how they can spread the word about rug hooking to other Victorians.

Click here to read more about this very enthusiastic and hospitable rug hooking group.

(Left) Katherine, a Canadian rug hooker, was headed for Australia – she searched the net for rughookers and found Miriam Miller in New South Wales and with husband Alan, visited Miriam at her Rug Room. Their travels were taking them on to Victoria so Miriam gave them Chris’s address –

and Chris invited Katherine & Alan to spend time with her family.

In 2012 at the TIGHR Conference in South Australia, Chris took a class from Heather Ritchie, learning how to adapt a hooking design from a photo. Chris has since created some wonderful wall hangings of hooked faces inspired by photos of her grandchildren.

Last October Chris returned to Strathalbyn to the 2014 Rumaking Expo as a teacher of this technique.

Below are images of the latest “Grandson” rug in the planning and hooking stages:-

Tasmania:

The Happy Hookers will be celebrating International Rug Making Day at their Christmas luncheon on Thursday 11th December at the British Hotel in Deloraine.

They have been hooking together for a decade in the Deloraine community and welcome new members and visitors to meet them over a cuppa at the British Hotel in Deloraine on Thursdays (10am – midday). Find them on Facebook.

South Australia :

On Dec 4th, after arriving home from an overseas trip on Dec 3, Judith Stephens gave a presentation on the craft of rag rug making to a huge (300+) craft group . She had to do the talk twice because the group was too big for one venue. Next year Judith will be giving rug making classes to people from this group.

While their leader was away, the Strath Matters had a change of venue and view – they held their meeting and celebrated International Rughooking Day in advance at Jenny A’s house

Marion is hooking a Stuart Pea (State Flower of South Australia);

below – Irene’s proggy rug, Jenny A’s crocheted rope bowl and Maggie’s cushion with the hooked frogs leaping around the proggy waterlilies.

At the October 2014 Rugmaking Expo in Strathalbyn, Trish Carter of the Strath Matters, purchased an old SEMCO pattern from Faye, who was selling off her stash of rug patterns on Scottish Hessian. Faye must have stored her rug hooking supplies well, because the Hessian patterns were in excellent condition even though some were at least 30 years old. Jo Franco purchased one with a “Rittemere” only on the label – that is going back a ways.

You can tell Trish is a “horse person” – although there was no accompanying photo with this pattern Trish has done an excellent job depicting movement and the anatomy of the horse.

Western Australia:

Jo Franco also returned from overseas on the 3rd Dec and on the 4th, joined members of the Wanneroo Rugmakers at the Burns Beach Cafe for their Christmas Lunch and to celebrate International Rughooking Day, at a rug hooking session in the sunshine on the beach.

Members of this group recently entered their rugs and wall hangings in competition at the Wanneroo Show (County Fair for our US readers). The organizers of the Show have now created a separate category for Rug Making – and pieces are judged depending on the rugmaking technique used.

INTERNATIONAL :

Susan Feller, TIGHR Webmaster,

was instrumental in setting up this global event

seen here Skyping with Jo Franco (Western Australia) & Judi Tompkins (Queensland) on the evening of 4th Dec (USA time).

Events around the Globe were captured on TIGHR’s Facebook.

A big “Thank You” to Deb Smith, Editor, Rug Hooking Magazine, and her crew for promoting this event and setting up a Facebook page where events could be posted by rughookers themselves.

Lead up to International Rug Hooking Day

In Western Australia ……..

Robin Inkpen demonstrated rug hooking last weekend at a “Pop Up Market” at the annual Gourmet Food & Wine Fest in Donnybrook, a town of orchards in Western Australia. All who took part in this venture were artisans of the first order. Many came from far and wide to this gala event. Robin was not selling handmade rugs from recycled fabric and yarn, instead was promoting her workshops in rug hooking and locker hooking.

Robin said they had a great supporter in their local book shop, “Donnybooks”. The owner welcomed them with open arms and let them have the Pop Up Market in the undercover area outside her shop, which is in an old fruit packing barn and nearby to the Food and Wine Fest.

There was a constant queue of interested and curious people who were interested in both the technique of rug hooking which Robin was doing at the time and also keen to know that she was using recycled fabric and yarn.

Robin lasted about 5 hours before her voice gave out! She said it was a great day and she collected a long list of email addresses of those wishing to come to a workshop and gave out masses of business cards to others who were interested and said they would email her.

It is just 3 weeks before Christmas and we are about to be plunged into the heat of summer, so her workshops won’t happen until March or April.

Anyone interested can contact Robin at robin.inkpen22@gmail.com or view her work on her website

End of Year News Round Up

November/December – a busy time of the year !

In Western Australia – the Wanneroo Rugmakers Group have been involved with 5000 Poppies – a nationwide project which aims to display handmade fabric poppies in Federation Square in Melbourne for the centenary of ANZAC Day 2015.

Communities across Australia were asked to donate their creations in commemoration of those who served in World War One. The Wanneroo Museum has supported those in the community who wished to be involved, by gathering together locally made poppies.

In recognition of the Wanneroo community’s contribution, a selection of the poppies (knitted, crocheted & prodded, attached to a section of WWII camouflage netting) is currently on display in the atrium in front of the Museum at the Wanneroo Library and Cultural Centre.

Appropriate timing since the display will be up for Remberance Day (11th Nov).

Another Melbourne Connection: – The Melbourne Cup

At their meeting on Saturday 1st November – the members of the Wanneroo Rugmakers were busy creating proddy flowers which were turned into stunning “fascinators” to be worn to Cup Lunches the following Tuesday.

While in the South West – at Donnybrook

Robin Inkpen is getting ready for Christmas and has created yet another colourful hooked bag.

Robin has patterns for these bags available for sale in a kit which includes the paper pattern, instructions on how to put it together and a coloured picture. You can contact Robin at robin.inkpen22@gmail.com and read more on her website.

South Australia;

While our rug hooking friends in the northern hemisphere are rugging up for winter – it looks like South Australia is in for an extremely hot summer!

According to Jenny Anderson of the Strath Matters group, weather conditions at their meeting on Friday 7th November were extremely uncomfortable. However the very hot temperatures didn’t deter their group from enjoying a show and tell of recent projects –

Jenny’s tea cosy, a commercial pattern, (Willow) hooked in 12ply wool from Bendigo Woolen Mills, was purchased at the Strath Rugmaking Expo from Faye, a South Australian rug hooker who learned to hook from Pam Whitehead in 1972. Pam was from England and had lived in Canada before migrating to the town of Elizabeth in SA in the late 1950’s. Faye also knew Joyce Emery, a member of this Guild until recently, who was one of Pam’s first students, Pam and Joyce taught rughooking at a local girls high-school. Joyce went on to teach rug hooking in country areas around SA when Pam no longer could. Joyce was also a member of The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers; she was the first of the featured Australian Rugmakers during Australia’s term as Host Country 2009-2012.

Faye, Joyce and members of the Elizabeth Rug Group who were all Pam’s students, gathered at Pam’s home one Sunday each month for show & tell, afternoon tea and encouragement on projects. Faye said a lot of information and fabric was shared and Pam held a stock of rug patterns and fabric dyes (imported). Pam also imported cutting machines, hooks and other tools to sell to the Rug Group. It was some of Faye’s 40 year collection of rug hooking supplies that was being sold at the Expo.

Many of the Expo participants purchased patterns and went home eager to start hooking. The one I purchased had an original tag on it from Rittermere in Canada. The company is now Rittermere, Hurst, Field (RHF – http://letshookrugs.com/).

Having met Jeanne Field at TIGHR Conferences and heard how she came to be connected with Rittermere, this was a special purchase for me. Jeanne is now retired from the business and RHF is being run by her daughter Andrea Sheppard. It is truly amazing how rughooking spans the globe and links us to friends and other times.

It will be interesting to see images of the old patterns appear on this blog as they are finished – it will be a trip down memory lane for some of our rug hooking friends overseas.

Trish Carter drew up her own pattern on Hessian for the Koala – hooked with Judith Stephens’ hand-dyed carpet wool – it’s destined to become a cushion cover.

Trish’s dragon rug was also hooked using Judith’s hand-dyed wool yarn.

Expertise Events Quilt & Craft Fair

http://www.craftfair.com.au/wp/Adelaide/

13th – 16th November in Adelaide.

As Christmas is not far away, the Strath Matters will feature Christmas Trees on the Guild Stand

Pictured right is a prodded Christmas Tree by Judith Stephens

VICTORIA:

Below; Chris Noorbergen, a member of the Yarra Valley Rugmakers, with Marion Nefiodovas of the Strath Matters, at the Strathalbyn Rugmaking Expo. Chris is explaining her colour plan for the Canadian rug pattern she purchased from Faye. After the event Faye was able to provide Chris with a photo of this rug completed by one of the members of the Elizabeth rugmakers group. You can see the photo and read more about Chris’s experiences at the Strathalbyn Expo on the Yarra Valley Rugmakers blog

NEW SOUTH WALES:

Members there are also thinking Christmas –

in March this year Annette White’s “Three Wise Men” rug was featured as a work in progress in a news report of the Narrawilly Ruggers weekend rug retreat at Milton – here it is again.

…..and now, here is the finished wall hanging. It is 57cm x 57cm and Annette hooked with all recycled silky materials; velvet, wool and ribbon with pieces of broken jewelry added to give the crowns some sparkle.

INTERNATIONAL:

International Rughooking Day – Thursday 4th December 2014.

The TIGHR web manager would like to hear of any specific events Australian Groups have planned for this Celebration which is to be featured in Rug Hooking Magazine.

Please send “who, what, where” to Susan Feller (email: rugs2wv@yahoo.com) so she can post on the TIGHR website. If you’ve got something happening ahead of time, please send her images and a description of the event.

OR….. members can send an image/s of any events happening on the 4th December to Susan on the day – there is a 12 hour difference between Perth and where Susan is, (so 15 hours from Sydney) she will post your Aussie 4th Dec images on the Rug Hooking Magazine page in the wee hours of the morning on the 4th December in the USA thus Aussie events would be the first to show up.

Two events are already scheduled in WA –

The Wanneroo Rugmakers will meet at an ocean-side restaurant on the 4th of December for their Christmas Lunch and then adjourn to the beach for an afternoon of rughooking show and tell. The location is a popular one, so they will probably draw a crowd.

South of Perth in Donnybrook – apple country – rughooking will be celebrated ahead of the December 4th. On November 29th there will be a Gourmet Food and Wine Fest in Donnybrook, a town not far from the the vineyards and wineries of Margaret River.

A small group is having a POP UP MARKET during the Festival where Robin Inkpen will be promoting rug hooking and her workshops. As well as demonstrations, she will also display a few rugs, but is not expecting to sell them. Robins says people always love the rugs but are much keener to know “How did you make them?” Robin says people love watching you ‘do something’ so she’ll sit hooking a rug and is expecting to be a draw-card for the event.

, –

ArtFest Exhibition

Milton-Ulladulla Artfest 19th Sept – 5th Oct

The following report was forwarded by Annette White of New South Wales.

As part of the annual Milton-Ulladulla Artfest, the Narrawilly Rugmakers entered a substantial variety of rugs made by members of the group for Exhibition in Miriam Miller’s rug room and picturesque surrounds. The Proggy banners made by Coral Christina, were a great help in directing people there.

The beautiful spring weather couldn’t have been more favorable. Even the setting up of the venue was fun to do; rugmakers equipped with hammers, nails and string, decorated the timber walls of Miriam’s cottage in vibrant colours, patterns and pictures hooked and progged into beautiful rugs.

Rugs were hanging from trees, flowing in the breeze on the washing line, and draped over the kitchen garden fence.

As one stepped into the famous rug room, they would be greeted by ever more rugs, including two rugs made and donated by Canada’s Karen Kaiser. A couple of items made by blind people in The Gambia were also displayed.

People had a chance to see some rug making in progress, and also give the craft a try on a stretcher frame set up outside. It was a pleasure to see how keen and interested our visitors were, especially some young boys who showed considerable talent.

Your couldn’t miss the sign to the tea & coffee stall. Delicious homemade cakes were served and then enjoyed on the veranda; decorated with more beautiful creations of the rug making trade, together with a stunning view over the surrounding landscape. It was nice to see happy people lingering and relaxing over their refreshments. A nice amount of money made from selling these and the raffle tickets recovered the cost for entry of the Expo into Artfest and a donation to the Blind Ruggers in The Gambia.

The flow of visiting people was steady, and it seemed every one was impressed with what can be produced with up-cycled discarded clothing, old blankets, yarns, never ending resources. The atmosphere was great, and hopefully people went home inspired to be creative.

Before the “big rush” on Sunday morning, Miriam drove a small group of us to Granite Falls to admire the lush abundance of the Boronia flowers and the spectacular view of the water falls. A much appreciated treat.

We are very grateful to Miriam for initiating such wonderful events and opening up her beautiful home and surrounds for all to enjoy.

Miriam Miller, rughooking instructor, NSW Australia_photo, Gillian Lett Milton Ulladulla Times

Western Australia: Kira Mead’s Natural Dye Sampler

Notes : Natural Dye Experiments

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Judi Tompkins has started the New Year by updating a project from a previous year.

Another Judy in QLD –

and here it is completed

“A Unicorn in My Garden”

Leaving the Sunshine Coast Rugmakers in the north and heading south of Brisbane to Mt. Tamborine –

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Happy New Year

from the Strath Matters rug group of South Australia

The group held their first meeting for 2015 in a coffee shop at the seaside village of Pt. Elliot.

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“The Ties that Bind Us”

designed and hooked by Robin Inkpen, Donnybrook, Western Australia.

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Kira’s “Quillie” (standing wool rug)

Rose Gelato

weighs approximately 3kgs the dimensions of the work are approximately 85cm x 77cm and it’s odd shaped

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From Western Australia –

Kira Mead’s post on the Guild’s Facebook page has gone viral.

Kira said :

Here are more of Kira’s rugs :-

Licorice Labyrinth

Rose Gelato

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…. 4th December 2014 ….

This inaugural event was organized by TIGHR

(The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers)

Events around Australia – starting on the East Coast …….. and finishing in the West

Queensland:

Still in Queensland …… Project “11 and Beyond”

and in Kingaroy, QLD …………..

New South Wales:

ACT :

Victoria :

Last October Chris returned to Strathalbyn to the 2014 Rumaking Expo as a teacher of this technique.

Tasmania:

South Australia :

Western Australia:

INTERNATIONAL :

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In Western Australia ……..

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November/December – a busy time of the year !

In Western Australia – the Wanneroo Rugmakers Group have been involved with 5000 Poppies – a nationwide project which aims to display handmade fabric poppies in Federation Square in Melbourne for the centenary of ANZAC Day 2015.

Another Melbourne Connection: – The Melbourne Cup

While in the South West – at Donnybrook

South Australia;

VICTORIA:

NEW SOUTH WALES:

Members there are also thinking Christmas –

INTERNATIONAL:

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Milton-Ulladulla Artfest 19th Sept – 5th Oct

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