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.

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

Narrawilly Rugmakers Celebrate 20 Years 1994-2014

The following report was submitted

by Jacqui Thomson

of the Narrawilly Proggers:

They came from near and far;

43 women devoted to the art of making beautiful but practical rugs and wall hangings from recycled fabric.

They came despite the wind and rain – nothing would prevent them from making this occasion memorable, and it was.

(Maggie Whyte besides the huge tractor we needed to pull a car from the boggy paddock. Many inches fell this day while we were inside the Rug Room having a great time.)

It all began in September 1994 after an advertisement was placed in the local paper. Seven women gathered in Miriam Miller’s home to be shown “how it’s done”, and left very keen to continue on with a meeting on a monthly basis. Who would have thought then, that 20 years later we still meet on the first Friday of the month and only a few years ago included the third Friday. We have never missed holding our rug day since inception. Our meetings are held on the Miller property, in Milton.

When thanking all for coming, Miriam outlined our brief history and where rug making has taken us; from small beginnings to being able to invite International Rug teachers to our shores. Members have been enriched by their visits as they impart new ideas and techniques. Australian rugs have their own individuality and from slow beginnings the enthusiasm for making rugs has spread to every State, with healthy groups in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, ACT and New South Wales. We can now boast an Australian Rugmakers Guild formed on 11 October, 2008 with Board members from each State, and meetings held using Skype. We had “Show and Tell” following Miriam’s talk and saw some wonderful examples of our members’ expertise.

Miriam Miller, teacher, Emeritus of the Australian Rugmakers Guild., Past President of The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers, is a driving force in the promotion of rugmaking in Australia; she is the author of Australia’s first rug book “Proggy and Hooky Rugs”, and has recently brought forward a revised edition.

Her students have traveled from every corner of our country.

Since inception we have diligently kept a record of every meeting and the rugs made by our members. These books were on display for members to look back on and to reminisce – how some of us have changed.

Maxine Keys, who was unable to make the reunion, sent a hand-knitted rug for us to raise funds and the charity we chose was The Gambia School for the Blind in West Africa. This was hugely successful, and the winner was Florence Smart from North Turramurra.

It’s amazing isn’t it; from little things big things grow. Who would have thought that the small advertisement in our local paper 20 years ago led us to where we are today.

Canberra Craft & Quilt Fair

Craft&Quilt_2011

Expertise Events Canberra Fair.

The Australian Rugmakers Guild was represented for the first time at Expertise Events Craft Fair in Canberra last week. Maggie Whyte was responsible for organizing friends and local rugmakers to demonstrate rughooking.

Maggie said it was a great success – they talked and demonstrated to so many, there was hardly time for a coffee.

Rughooking_Canberra_Australia_2014

Maggie said she heard so many times….. “my mother or grand-mother used to do this or they did it as small children”. She’s wondering what happened to the interest in rughooking in the meantime?

Hopefully these demonstrations, follow-up local workshops and national events, like the South Australian Rughooking Expo, will generate more interest in this craft.

Look for a group in your area or an Instructor on this website.

Yarra Valley Rugmakers

Say Hello to Josh

this portrait was hooked by Chris Noorbergen of the Yarra Valley Rugmakers, from a photograph of her grandson.

Chris has hooked portraits of several members of her family, and has the ability to capture their personality in the hooked loops. Chris will be teaching classes in this style of rug hooking (How to hook an A3 sized facial portrait from a photo) at the Strathalbyn Rughooking Expo on 11th & 12th October 2014. For more details on the Strathalbyn Expo click on the Calendar of Events.

Below Chris shares news and images of the Groups April meeting.

Our Yarra Valley rug makers group was small, as we met in one of our members homes in Warrandyte, Vic in April, but the atmosphere was definitely warm. What a wonderful time we had. As usual Anne greeted everyone with a smile and a cup of coffee.

As we don’t see each other from month to month, there was a lot of catching up to do. Leanne knitted, Joy hooked, (on her houses rug) Robyne chatted; and Anne and Chris chatted, tried out various punch needles and hooked all at the same time. Chris had a lesson in punch needle hooking from Jacqui while she was in Milton and she was keen to show off her newly purchase punch needle. Anne then brought out her stash of punch needles and we talked about the pros and cons of each model.

Anne (left) had needles for both embroidery and rug making. What a handy little tool that can be, used in such a variety of ways adding a different dimension to our hooked rugs.

We then had the fun job of dividing up our beautiful, made in the US [that’s what it said on the invoice], wool fabric which had arrived at Anne’s while she was away enjoying the retreat with the Narrawilly Proggers in Milton, NSW. Yards and yards of soft, beautiful wool dyeing to be changed into beautiful works of art.

The day went much too quickly, and after a lovely lunch we packed up our tools and left for home.

Cheers from the Yarra Valley Rug Makers, until next month, Saturday 17th May in Lilydale,

http://www.victorianrugmakers.blogspot.com.au/

Common Threads Wearable Art Showcase

Rughooking meets Wearable Art

Ebb & Flow, photographer Michael Kelly, Star Creations

Western Australia:

“Drift” – the theme for “Common Threads” the City of Mandurahs 2014 Wearable Art Event, open to local, national and international entrants. Finalists to Showcase at the Mandurah Performing Art Centre on 4^th May 2014.

Wanneroo Rugmakers entry, “Ebb & Flow” has been chosen as a finalist in the Eco Category.

Ebb & Flow hooked by the Wanneroo Rugmakers

Turquoise waters and white sand beaches of the local coastline inspired the swirling pattern on the group’s creation, representing the incoming tide drifting onto the shore.

The challenge for the Rugmakers: How to create a garment using a rughooking technique for making floor mats that was —

a) not too heavy to wear and

b) created an appearance of floating or drifting water, and

c) could be made by a team who “drift in” as an informal group to create items for the community using rug hooking techniques and recycled materials. This group brings community members together, teaching them rughooking techniques in a revival of the traditional art/craft form.

Colour planning design of Ebb & Flow dress back panels — Colour planing dress pieces to be hooked

An old net curtain was chosen as the backing (foundation cloth) and a Vogue dress pattern with multiple panels in the bodice and skirt, for the base garment. Pattern pieces and the design were drawn onto sections of the curtain. Colour planning entailed tying pieces of fabric in the appropriate areas. This meant when the design pieces were shared around to be hooked, everyone would know what colour/fabric to use and the design would match up when it came to attaching to the dress form.

During “construction” many ideas were tossed around by the group – from a mermaid costume with beaded train – to encrusting the creation with shells and driftwood and other found objects.

To hold the extra weight of the hooking, the undergarment was made up with the wide straps shown on the dress pattern. After much discussion as the garment was taking shape, it was decided that less was more when it came to representing the drifting swirling theme.

Kath Smith assembling the rug hooked entry.

It turned out weight wasn’t a problem. The backing and fabric used was so light – plus the dress was constructed per the instructions using boning in the bodice, which molded it to the figure. Straps seemed unnecessary so were eliminated creating a more ephemeral look.

Jo Franco & Kath Smith hooking sections of Ebb & Flow

The group didn’t have a model, so work progressed on a mannequin making sure pattern pieces came together to create a seamless effect. What a thrill the morning of the judging to have a lovely young model step into the finished creation, pull up the zip and have it fit her like a glove.

Wanneroo Rugmakers Saturday morning meeting

The Challenge of Colour

What a great way to start the New Year – an impromptu visit to Victoria to view Isabel Foster’s – The Challenge of Colour Exhibition – at Burrinja Gallery in Upwey, VIC.

Isabel Foster Retrospect, Burrinja Gallery

and to meet up with members of the Yarra Valley Rugmakers who are also members of the Australian Rugmakers Guild.

Isabel’s exhibition was mentioned in a recent Yarra Valley blog with links to a YouTube video of the opening. Seeing the gorgeous colours and textures of Isabel amazing collection of work completed over 50 years, we just had to make the trip. So there we were, myself from WA and a group of Australian Rugmakers Guild members from the Strath Matters in SA. Judy Stephens, Noreen Wendleborn, Ann Johnston and Marion Nefiodovas.

With no formal training in textiles (Isabel was taught embroidery by a ‘perfectionist’ grandmother) over the years her curiosity with colour and texture became her passion. Works in the Exhibit represent her creative interests of spinning and weaving, tapestry, applique, crazy patchwork and rugs made with wool and rag and hand spun and hand dyed thread. The colour and textures of the woven, embroidered, knitted, and crocheted surfaces of Isabel’s creations are amazing.

Arriving early at the gallery our group was delighted to meet Isabel, who was chatting with her daughter and some friends. Isabel was quite surprized to learn that we had come from so far away to view her work and delighted in showing us around describing her creations and then joined us as we gathered in the gallery café to spend the rest of the day getting to know each other and discuss the different rug making techniques.

Isabel Foster (centre) at Burrinja Exhibition — Isabel (centre) at Burrinja Exhibition

This chance meeting with Isabel was very special for Robyne Melia from the Yarra Valley Group who, as a student at Melbourne College of Textiles in 1974, had glimpsed some of Isabel’s work, in particular a garment woven in one piece in an abstract design both wild and colourful, to be worn in Gown of the Year 1974. It was this garment that opened a new way of thinking in fashion to this young student and there she was all these years later talking with its creator.

This Exhibition is open until 16 March 2014, don’t miss it!

For more information click on Burrinja Gallery

Rughooking on Exhibition in Western Victoria

Judi Tompkins of QLD recently submitted her hooked creation “Caught”

for exhibition, until 25^th August, 2013, at the Red Rock Gallery in Victoria,

Judi’s piece is now up on their website! If you’d like to see it “hung”, and learn more about their upcoming exhibitions and view previous exhibitions go to: http://www.redrockarts.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=13

Newsletter Issue No.2 now online

The current issue of the Guild’s newsletter is now available in the Member Area. Log-in and read Miriam Miller’s article “Inspiration for Making Rugs”.

and …… just so you don’t miss any items of interest before the next issue of the Newsletter comes out in September; scroll down to the “Subscribe” box (half-way down the screen on the right-hand side) add your email address and click [Subscribe]. Then anytime there is a blog update you will be notified by email.

REMEMBER – to get information out to other Guild members through this website – email text to me at rugcraftersaustralia@yahoo.com.au – Cheers Jo

Mandurah Stretch Arts Festival

On the 4th & 5th May (2013) rugmaking was again represented at the Mandurah Stretch Arts Festival in Western Australia.

Read more about the weekend and the workshop to be given in Mandurah on Monday 27th May, on the expanded Blog in the Member Area. You must be a Guild member and register to “log-in” to access the expanded Blog in the Member Area

…. 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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Milton-Ulladulla Artfest 19th Sept – 5th Oct

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by Jacqui Thomson

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Expertise Events Canberra Fair.

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Rughooking meets Wearable Art

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