It’s a Wrap

ISSN 2207-001X – December 2018

Jo Franco, Editor & Membership Chair, Australian Rugmakers Guild

This is the time of year for reflection and planning – looking back 2018 has been a busy year for many of the members of this Guild. Workshops given, new rug groups formed, solo exhibitions and travel – Miriam Miller and Jacqui Thompson from New South Wales take the award for most distance travelled!

With so much happening where to start? ….. By State – on the East coast, North to South and across to Western Australia.

QUEENSLAND:
In July, two Judiths from Queensland (Judy Brook and Judi Tompkins) along with another Judy and gave workshops at the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery’s Winter Craft Festival .

In October, Judy Brook travelled to the UK to attend The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers (TIGHR) 2018 Triennial in Reeth.
Below, Judy shows a piece  she started in Reeth as she tells members of the Sunshine Coast RugCrafters group about the Triennial and her travels, at the first of the “Palimpsest Studio Days” to be held in Judi Tompkins’ new Studio in Landsborough, on International Rug Hooking Day.


Much of Judi Tompkins time was taken up this year with “Re-imagined” a virtual online Exhibition co-convened with Jo Franco – but that’s another story (Blog).
The “Re-imagined” Exhibition includes works by several members of the Sunshine Coast Rugcrafters.

Judy Owen embraced the Brief, with embellishments required in the Call for Entry, with her original design “Memories of my Father” 

 Annette White has a way with animals. Her Exhibition entry was a hooked elephant hand puppet –  she also hooked and prodded this “bear rug”.

Bea Nitschke added to her butterfly collection with this blue butterfly. Her “Re-imagined” entry was sculptural, a 3D gold butterfly on driftwood.

and Stella Edmundson did more than rug hook in 2018 –  entering “Re-imagined” and completing several commission pieces (her own designs)

Stella won first place in the sport of Tae Kwon Do in both traditional and creative patterns for female black belts over 60 years of age at the Pan Pacific Masters’ Games held on the Gold Coast, in Queensland.

Trees were popular subjects as Exhibition entries – Cynthia Nicklin, Mt. Glorious, QLD entered “The Mother Tree”.  (Mother tree – timber getters’ parlance for a large old tree whose seed resulted in the surrounding forest)

The subject for Cynthia’s original artwork, an ancient flooded gum, stands outside her kitchen window. Cynthia’s artist statement read “It is thought she saw Captain Cook sail along the southern coast of Queensland in 1770. She survived cyclonic winds and rains, droughts, hail storms, severe lopping, insect infestation. She has been a tent support, a cubby house platform, a rubbing post for cattle, a holder of swings and a haven for birds, marsupials, creepy crawlies and native orchids. And yet she still stands, the last of her kind in this area.”

In Brisbane Claudia Forster-Purchase was busy working on an original tree design, embellished with paper bark found in the area where she lives. Unfortunately preparation for a trip to Canada prevented her from finishing it in time to enter. We look forward to seeing this piece finished and framed.

Bec Andersen from Mt. Tamborine held a Solo Rug Hooking Exhibition at Under the Greenwood Tree Bookstore and Contemporary Art Gallery (Aug 10 – Sep 2) and a Make Do & Mend crafting workshops and installation – this link will tell you more about the project created during a series of workshops spanning over three months across Scenic Rim.

These images of Bec and her work were taken at the end of year gathering of Bec’s group, Happy Hookers  posted by Janis Bailey, were reposted on Rug Hooking Magazine’s Facebook coverage of International Rug Hooking Day.

 

 

 

 

 

NEW SOUTH WALES:

Jilliby: Guild Member, Clare Thornley,   www.feltfine.com.au , offers everything for people to start their rug making journey; Oxford Punch tools, three types of backing fabrics, hand-dyed rug yarn and frames. You can contact Clare online or arrange a visit to her studio not far off the M1.

 

Sydney : Martha Birch – represented ARG at this year’s Sydney Craft Fair in Darling Harbour – members of the Narrawilly Proggy Ruggers came up from Milton to assist. There was much interest in the colourful display and Martha has formed a Facebook rug hooking group open to the public,  From Rags to Rugs, Sydney Rug Hookers https://www.facebook.com/groups/387146415123046/

Martha has also given well received beginner rug hooking workshops and started regular group meetings in the Sydney suburb of Epping 26 Stanley Rd at the Epping Creative Centre .

In 2019 the group will meet on the 2nd Saturday from February to November – from 10.00am to 4.00pm – Tuition is available.   Here are images from those first workshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milton is home to a couple of intrepid travellers Miriam Miller & Jacqui Thompson who in 2018 travelled the Australian East coast then around the world. In July they drove north on the west side of the Great Dividing range to Cairns and back down the coast – catching up with family and rug hookers along the way. A distance of approximately 2,652k (almost 1,648miles)

Miriam Miller, Judi Tompkins and Jacqui Thomson at Judi’s new home in Landsborough, Queensland.

Immediately after their return they went up to Sydney and helped Martha talk rug hooking to people at the Sydney Craft Fair in Darling Harbour.

Then began their BIG trip – starting in Milton at the local bus stop – where at 6.00a.m. they caught the bus to Sydney – flew to the UK and visited with family in the south of England – sharing in daily journal entries, emailed to interested family and friends by Miriam’s daughter Robyn,  many images of places, rug hookers and their impressions of the different countries they visited.  Many of the images from their travels were shared on the Guild Facebook page.

Their itinerary went like this – from Brighton, UK, to the Isle of Guernsey – across to France to stay with the family of a rug hooker – back to the UK to attend the TIGHR Triennial in Reeth where they stayed with Heather Ritchie. Miriam and Jacqui couldn’t get over how much was planned during the Conference, they will be recounting stories from this event for months to come.

There were new friends to be made at the TIGHR Triennial in Reeth as well as many old friends to catch up with – including Marg Arland and Susan Sutherland who have visited Miriam and Jacqui at Narrawilly in Milton.

On the return trip they were Artists in Residence in Corris, North Wales – then travelled to Ireland to met up with Neville Smith the maker of the Irish (Hartman) Hook and his family.

From Ireland they flew to Iceland to take a knitting tour in the company of Heather Ritchie, back-tracking through the UK to Canada. First visiting Newfoundland, then Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, staying with rug hookers who introduced them to members of their groups and their many rug hooking friends, generally touring them all over, even though the weather had definitely turned to winter.

While staying on Cape Breton, NS, Cathy, their hostess, took them on a special tour of Les Trois Pignons – Museum of the Hooked Rug and Home Life in Cheticamp – here is just one of the many large finely shaded rugs hooked by Elizabeth La Fort, click the link above to see all the rooms filled with amazing rugs in this museum.

The travellers arrived back home to Milton just in time for the Narrawilly Proggy Ruggers annual Fashion Parade with group members modelling and purchasing the garments donated by a local Op Shop to be cut up and used to hook with. Proceeds from this event goes to Heather Ritchie for her Rug Aid project.

With much work, from this pile of donations evolved a Fashion Parade

BERMAGUI:   Early in the year members of the Narrawilly Proggy Ruggers visited Dawn Hollins to see her new craft room and from Dawn comes the following news;

“The Bermagui & District U3A Rug Hooking Group held its Christmas lunch gathering in my craft cabin in Cobargo on Wednesday 12 December. We have been meeting once a month during term time at the home of Lindsay Potter, our teacher. Since completing the wall hangings for the Bermagui Surf Club two years ago we have been working on our own projects and have welcomed new members. A new cafe in Bega dedicated to using recycled materials has asked us to make hooked covers for all their stool cushions – a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our craft!”

BRAIDWOOD:  Gail Nichols has had a very busy year – beginning with her entry “Stepping Out” on exhibit in the  “Re-imagined” virtual Exhibition

Followed by  “Rug Up for Winter” a Workshop given with Maggie Hickey to the Braidwood Regional Art Group.

 

 

 

 

 

and an Exhibition –  “In transit” at the Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and yet another Exhibition “Landscape”, which opened 17th November at Narek Gallery in Bermagui featuring “Wallace Street”


Gail was also a finalist in Rug Hooking Magazine’s Celebrations 2018 – this work “Temple fish” was published in the Celebration of Handhooked Rugs 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

ACT – CanberraMaggie Whyte was one of nine Guild members from five Australian States, who attended The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers (TIGHR) 2018 Triennial held in the UK at Reeth in the Yorkshire Dales.

Earlier in the year Maggie gave a Braided-in Workshop at Narrawilly in Milton and was on hand to help with the recent Narrawilly Fashion Parade filling in for Jacqui Thompson who due to ill health was unable to attend and was missed by all at the event.

VICTORIA:  Warrandyte – Anne Schafer also attended the TIGHR Triennial in Reeth and along with Maggie Whyte, Canberra and Janet Tayler-Henry, NSW visited Miriam & Jacqui at their Artists in Residence in North Wales.

Anne Schafer snuggled up under a rug knitted by Miriam Miller

Anne will be entertaining the Victorian group, the Yarra Valley Rugmakers, for some time with tales of her travels ….  the knitting tour and sightseeing in Ireland as well as all the wonderful events she took part in at the Triennial in Reeth, UK.

In her absence Robyne demonstrated rug hooking at the Melbourne Show where she started this rug. You can see what inspired her, how she planned the “No name” proggy rug and follow her progress from start to finish on this link

 

 

 

 

Yarra Valley Group members take turns to gather in each other’s homes, travelling between Lily Dale (Post Code 3140) a suburb 35k NE of Melbourne to Loch (Post Code 3945) in South Gippsland, 106 k SE of Melbourne and Warrandyte (3113) 27k NE of Melbourne.

For those wanting to learn rug hooking who live West of Melbourne in the Ballarat (3350) area you’ll find an instructor 30 minutes away, in Lal Lal (3352) Marcia King is a solitary rug maker who also gives workshops, locally and further afield.

Marcia will be teaching an Intro to Rug Hooking at Opendrawer, 1158 Toorak Rd, Camberwell  Opendrawer.com.au

on January 22nd, 2019 – 10am to 4pm

 

Marcia enjoys recycling – this work in progress, a floor mat, is being hooked using T-Shirts some she has re-dyed using Procion dyes to get some nice vibrant colours. The backing is a piece of wool fabric, found in a discount bin at the Creswick Woollen mill many years ago.

TASMANIA:   Deloraine – A rug hooking group meets every week on Monday morning at Art as Mania; a Shop, Studio and Gallery space located in the heart of Deloraine Tasmania showcasing the works of talented artists, craftspeople, wood and metal workers and artisans.

Art as Mania, is at  20-22 Emu Bay Road, Deloraine – you can also find them on Facebook.

 

Hobart:   Hobart Rag Ruggers         a new Facebook group – open to all –

you’ll find them here .

Emma Gunn is the administrator, and in August organized a get together at the South Hobart Community Centre (in the D’Arcy St Playground).  Emma has also been travelling this year,  checking out rugs and rug makers in the USA and Canada.  For more information about meet ups, contact her  via the Facebook page or this Blog.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA;  Strathalbyn
The StrathMatters  rug group started 2018 in a new home  and have been busy since, with a trip to the Australian Tapestry Workshop in Melbourne to view the Gordian Knot – these photographs by Malcolm Edward-Cole.

Outside the Law – Hookers and Police?

 

 

 

 

 

They also visited the National Gallery of Victoria to view the large interactive rug installation acquired by the Gallery – “Santa Cruz River” by Alexandra Kehayoglou, a Buenos Aires–based artist and designer who uses hand-tufted wool rugs to draw into focus landscapes under threat of irreversible change.

Their Annual weekend retreat, held  this year at the Normanville Jetty Caravan Park from Friday 26 to Monday 29 October, involved surprise workshops. The main event was a demonstration and try-out of Tapestry Weaving with guest craftswoman Betty Wolf.

A surprise workshop – button necklaces
Results of the button necklace workshop

 

 

 

 

 

The StrathMatters also entered rugs in the Adelaide and Strathalbyn shows.

One of the members travelled even further afield – Kathy Saint went to the TIGHR Triennial in Reeth like all the visitors, carrying a rug for display. The small town of Reeth was covered in “hooking” with over 100 members arriving from around the world bringing hooked items to be displayed along with the work of the UK members. The interior of the church and buildings throughout town were “adorned”. The  rug, shown below, that may have put Kathy over her airline baggage limit, was designed by Judith Stephens and hooked by both of them. On the way to the Conference Kathy took a textile tour in  Italy where she was introduced to an unusual lace making technique

SAVE THE DATE!    1st weekend in Oct 2019   –  It’s over 10 years since the Guild was formed in Strathalbyn and more than 2 years since the last Guild meeting was held at the 2016 Coast to Coast Exhibition in Canberra

 its time for a coming together of Australian Rugmakers!

Information on the event will be published early 2019 – it’s mentioned here so you can plan holidays and time off.
Suggestions for workshops or events to take place on this weekend are welcome.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA:  The Wanneroo Rugmakers meet at the Library and Cultural Centre in Wanneroo every Saturday from 10.00am to 1:00pm to work on community projects and their own hooked creations and share many different textile techniques including felting … here are some of Peta Korb’s delightful Aussie critters

Robin Inkpen  visited from Donnybrook in the States South West and showed how she made the coils for her entry in “Re-imagined” the virtual Exhibition

“Warning! Bleached coral in a plastic sea” 2018 by Robin Inkpen 68cm x 65 cm Photograph by Skip Watkins

after Robin’s visit Kath Smith created a wrapped rope basket to go with cushion covers she made using the Canadian smocking technique.

Beanies were made, entered and sold in the Alice Springs Beanie Festival

Tricia Thacker wearing a beanie 10 years in the making – a circular weaving project put away as a UFO and finally finished this year!

The main focus for the group this year has been on the construction of rug hooking frames. The current models are being made of PVC pipe and started with plans kindly made available by Judy Taylor of Little House Rugs(USA) who has also featured as rug maker of the month on her website two Australian rugmakers Judi Tompkins and Judith Stephens. Images of their rugs are shown in Judy’s new book “T-Shirt Treasures”

Wanneroo group members continue to re-design and refine the frame design and have finally come up with a way to keep the backing drum tight without having to import metal gripper strips not available locally.

This year, travel was on the agenda for several of the groups members.  Peta visited her son in Canada and took the opportunity to take more textile workshops, sharing some of her new found knowledge on her return. She is currently traveling in Europe with her other son sending back inspiring images of extraordinary architecture and works of art.

Sharen Smith is back in the fold after a trip to some interesting places in Europe – while the weather was cold, the decorations for the Christmas season made for magical photo opportunities.

Jo Franco gave up on her planned trip to TIGHR when she was invited to attend the Opening of  the virtual Exhibition “Re-imagined” at the annual Rug Hooking Week in Sauder Village, Ohio USA – a huge event with several featured Exhibitions, many vendors, and open to the public – think Australian Craft Fairs on a bigger scale. Workshops – daily and residential are booked out as soon as they open at the beginning of each year.  “Re-imagined” the virtual was seen on a big screen TV by many, as over 4,000 people go through the event during the week. There was much interest in the “virtual” concept, and the “Textile Tessera” installation, with visitors wanting to know why only  work from the Southern Hemisphere was featured – wishing they’d had a chance to participate. They will – there’s to be another virtual exhibition in 2021, coinciding with the next TIGHR Triennial in Newfoundland, Canada, and that virtual exhibition will be open worldwide.  Watch this space for more to come!

From the Editor:  This is an extremely long post but it doesn’t begin to cover all that’s happened this year in the rug hooking world in Australia.   I hope you will take the opportunity to follow the links to read more about the different groups and events. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year to All. 

 

 

International Rug Hooking Day

TIGHR Logo RS Rug Hooking events are being planned across Australia to celebrate  International Rug Hooking Day on 4th December

 Rug Hooking Magazine will post photos and brief descriptions of rug hooking events from around the world on the RHM Facebook page. To accommodate different time zones the page will be monitored from 3rd to 5th December with images posted on the 4th December – USA time.

So send in your photos, even if it’s just you and a friend getting together to hook rugs or talk about rug hooking.

Judi Tompkins from Queensland will be in Western Australia giving a workshop (3D Rughooking) on the 5th of December (the 4th in the USA) so her group the Sunshine Coast Rug Crafters had their own special celebration ahead of time.

The group lunched at Secrets on the Lake, a rainforest resort, in Montville, Queensland, not far from Judi’s home.

Sunshine_Coast_Rugcrafters_End_of_Year_Lunch_Montville_QLDNo rug hooking took place, but just look at the inspirational surroundings.

Garden_sculpture_Secrets_by_the_Lake_Montville_QLDMontville_QLD_Secrets_on_the_Lake

Secrets_by_the_Lake_Montville_QLD_1
Photos taken by Judi Tompkins

Also in Queensland

Bec Andersen, is planning a morning tea and a Bec Andersen - Gypsy Wanderings by the SeaRughooking Show and Tell

on Friday the 4th December   10:00am – 12:00pm

at theTamborine Mountain Library,

Cnr. Main & Yuulong St

Works by The Happy Hookers are on exhibition.

Members of the public are welcome

RSVP Essential  55405473

1 Narrawilly ProggersWhile in New South Wales, the Narrawilly Proggers will be holding their annual “Fashion Show” on Friday the 4th of December.

This is a popular event held at Miriam Miller’s Rug Room. The Narrawilly Proggers receive donated garments which are cut up for rug making.   Miriam says “All year we save anything unusual or interesting and the after the parade, some are used for rugs, others worn.”

After_fashion_show_at_MiltonGarments are modeled by members of the group and sold in an unusual manner amid much hilarity.

Narrawilly_Proggers_Fashion_ShowFunds raised go to support Heather Ritchie’s Rug Aid – a rughooking school for the blind in The Gambia.

Visitors are most welcome on this day – for details of the event contact Miriam Miller Tel: (02) 4455-6870 or

email: narrawillyfarm@shoal.net.au

 In Western Australia, on Saturday 5th December,

 Proddy_Christmas_Tree_2    the Wanneroo Rugmakers will hold their Saturday meeting in the main hall of Alexander Park Craft House, Cnr Elstree & Clyde Sts, Menora and will demonstrate various rugmaking techniques and Robin Inkpen will be visiting from Donnybrook

Robins locker-hooking with sari silk
Robins locker-hooking with sari silk

Invitations have gone out to Guild members and those who’ve expressed interest in learning about the craft, to bring their hooked creations for show and tell, or their rug making projects in need of help, and to share in a day of exchanging rugmaking and textile ideas.

Dont have a rughooking project to work on?

Frames will be set up and material available for you to try several different rugmaking techniques.  Tools and kits for small projects will also be available for sale.

Bring your friends and join the fun

any time between 9:30am and 4:00pm

If you’re coming for the day bring some lunch for yourself – tea and coffee will be available.

The Hook-In is a FREE event

Click here for a map – full details are available on the ARG Calendar of Events.

"Bitzer" Designed & Hooked/Prodded (incl. a range of techniques) by Judi Tompkins, Queensland
“Bitzer” Designed & Hooked/Prodded (incl. a range of techniques) by Judi Tompkins, Queensland

Judi Tompkins will be giving her 3D Rughooking Workshop in the adjoining Studio at Alexander Park Craft House. (click here for details of time and cost)

Visiting Rugmakers

After visiting Guild members in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia and thinking about rugs hooked by members in Victoria and Western Australia, I realized just how differently members of this Guild approach design and the creation of their rugmaking projects.

The question often asked  –

“is rug hooking an art or craft?”

is hard to answer because it depends entirely on who you’re asking and what they’re aiming to express through their rugmaking.

The simple techniques used in the past to create floor coverings, are now used artistically to create wall hangings, home decor items and wearables; to make social commentary; express inner feelings; bring groups together to work on community projects;  promote well-being or just provide an outlet for a person to relax while making something they feel is attractive and useful.

While staying with Jacqui Thomson in New South Wales I was thinking about this as I admired the art work and rugs on her walls, particularly a large 4ft (122cm) square wall-hanging on the wall of Jacqui’s study hooked by Ilka Landahl, a member of the Narrawilly Proggers.

Unfortunately this photo,  taken with my phone (permission given by Ilka & Jacqui)  kept turning sideways in this blog. No amount of editing would prevent that happening,  so I resorted to printing and scanning it back to my computer and in doing so lost the high resolution of the original image.  My apologies Ilka, the detail in your rug, traditionally hooked with recycled fabric is truly amazing.

Tiger_designed_hooked_by_Ilka_Landahl_NSW_Australia

Social Commentary features in many of Judith Stephens (South Australia) hooked wall- hangings. Her work below, traditionally hooked using 100% wool yarn (photographed by Malcolm Edward-Cole), is for an exhibition later this year or next, concerning immigrants and Australia’s double standard.

Fair_Play_designed_and_hooked_by_Judith_Stephens_photography_Malcolm_Edward-Cole

Artistic expression: Judi Tompkins (QLD) has taken the rug hooking technique of Waldobrough to another level in wall hangings of her own design that represent something unique and full of meaning for the recipient of the piece.

Judi also pushes the envelope when it comes to the shape and framing of her hooked creations, as in Costas Hummingbirds which is framed with cactus wood.

Baron ready to come home_hooked_by_Judi_Tompkins_Qld_AustraliaCostas_Hummingbirds_designed_hooked_framed_by_Judi_Tompkins_QLD_Australia

 

 

.

 

 

Community Projects:   Bec Andersen (QLD) has promoted several community projects using various rug hooking techniques in her fibre installations.

Below are pieces hooked by school children (11 year olds) using the Oxford Punchneedle hook. This was a special project of Bec’s which she shared with me and has given me permission to write a full report on in a future magazine article.

photo 3

Expression of feelings:   Our plans changed and I wasn’t able to visit Victoria (Aust) and meet up with Joy Marshall and Chris Noorbergen however they’d previously forwarded me photos of their rugs shown below.

Joy entered the work below in an exhibition which included works that depict loss, love and hope by those who have/are experiencing grief and depression.

Joy describes her Glimmers of Hope as

My first rug using a linen backing and is approx 4 feet long and 1.5 feet wide. It uses recycled hand dyed blanketing and is my own design. It is a graphic representation of a phrase I woke up with in my head one morning a few years ago. “Glimmers of hope pierced the gloom” I then finished it with “like stars in the night sky”. After googling this phrase with no results I can only put it down to inspiration. I have long admired Van Gogh’s work and this piece is strongly reflective of Starry Sky. After the recent loss of my youngest son, this rug brought together the hope I have in God’s love that shines in the darkness of grief, Starry Night, and a hankering to try a design with cats paws.

Glimmers of Hope sharp

Chris Noorbergen   has used her creative rug hooking talents and the experience gained from a workshop with Heather Ritchie to hook a wall-hanging from a photograph of each of her six grandchildren, as they were completed, all have been featured on the Guild’s Facebook page. Chris has also lovingly created a hooked wall- hanging depicting members of her family and family events.

Yarra Valley, VIC

Marion Nefiodovas (South Australia) – subsequently took a Hooking a Portrait from a Photo workshop from Chris. Marion hooked a remarkable likeness of husband (George). Marion displayed the finished project at her visit to the Perth Craft and Quilt Fair when she and George were in Western Australia last May.

Marion and George Feb 2015

Chris also traveled to Western Australia at the same time and she visited Elizabeth (Lies) van Beem who lives in the South West  of the state, and took this photo of the wall hanging Lies is working on. It’s Lies’s life story since arriving in Australia which  she plans to enjoy on the wall of her home and hopes will become a family heirloom.

1_Windows_of_my_life_designed_and_hooked_by_Elizabeth_van_Beem_West_Australia

Wearables   Robin Inkpen who also lives in the south west of Western Australia is creating more of her unique hooked bags.  These one of a kind bags are now offered for sale in a high-end gift shop.

Carpet_bag_designed_and_hooked_by_Robin_Inkpen_Western_Australia

Community well-being: I (Jo Franco from West Aust) have been instrumental in bringing together a community group and teaching them to teach others.

Sue Gilmartin from the UK stayed with me after the 2012 TIGHR Conference and when she heard me talk of an idea for a hooked installation to depict the coming together of an inter-generational, multi-cultural group who are passing on the knowledge of a simple craft and using it to create artistic pieces, she encouraged me to enter a local sculptural exhibition we’d just come across online – it was closing day for entries, so we brainstormed a title  Handing It On and I emailed my entry minutes before closing time.

After Sue returned to the UK I was pleased to be able tell her my entry had been accepted and then came the interesting part – putting it together.

For the base I utilized an old rug of unknown origin, probably made in the 1920 or 30’s from recycled clothing; connected to my new rug, made also with recycled fabrics however these were brightly coloured recycled sari-silk off-cuts and novelty yarn.

Circles made using an aboriginal basketry technique taught to me by Judith Stephens were incorporated in my rug and the same technique was used to make a group of arms and hands to represent the women from the community group. The hands were also were made of fabric representing old and new and from the same “coiling” method as the circles on which they sat. The hands held hooks from my collection of old and new rug hooking tools. The installation was the only textile exhibit and very colourful among sculptures of metal, iron and ceramic in a white gallery!

Handing it On, Walking with Totems Exhibition Blender Gallery J

This same community group in Wanneroo worked together on an entry for a  Wearable Art competition in 2014, and in 2015, a wall hanging in commemoration of the ANZACs.

Ebb & Flow hooked by the Wanneroo Rugmakers. Photographer Michael Kelly of Star Creations
Ebb & Flow hooked by the Wanneroo Rugmakers. Photographer Michael Kelly of Star Creation

2015ANZAC Commeration designed & hooked by Wanneroo Rugmakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norma Hatchett (West Aust) has been  teaching rug hooking with the use of a Rumplestiltskin tool, for almost 30 years, to blind and disabled members of the community.  Over the last 10 years she has successfully run programs with residents suffering from dementia living in aged cared facilities.

Below Norma is shown giving a presentation at WAFTA about facilitating these projects and the benefits received by the residents as they sit together hooking.  Norma designs the piece and transfers it onto the backing in 16inc x 11inc segments (the size of her frames) then each person hooks their individual piece of the wall hanging and when all are complete Norma sews them together. You can see this in the second image which I photographed from the back – this image also gives a good indication of the overall size of the piece.

In a nutshell; Norma said this program is successful because while residents are “together”  no interaction is needed between the rug hookers each one has their own carer to help them with their part of the project. This provides an enjoyable social activity in a non-threatening environment. There is much more involved in setting up and facilitating the project and I have visited one of Norma’s sessions to see how it all comes together – it is amazing. One of her successes was a resident who wasn’t to be part of the group because she hadn’t spoken for 2 years – Norma encouraged her inclusion and at the conclusion of the 12 week rug hooking project this same lady had begun to talk again.

Norma_Hatchett

 

Wall_hanging_created_by_Norma_Hatchett_West_Australia

While I was traveling, Kira Mead from Albany West Australia whose quillie wall-hangings created such a stir on the Guild Facebook page, sent me an image of her latest rug. She is experimenting again!  this rug was hooked with a traditional hook using chain stitch on the wide open-grid backing used for locker hooking.

Ranunculas_Designed_hooked_chain_stitch_by_Kira_Mead_West_Australia

The local Wanneroo group also sent me images of a new member’s work.

Margaret is new to the group and likes to work, not necessarily on miniatures, but on small pieces. Below is her first piece of “toothbrush” rugmaking finished after returning home from her first day with the group. Not quite sure how to overcome the fact that her rug was curling up, Margaret turned it into a birds nest. With some further instruction from the group the following week, she made a rug base for the nest and her bird,  that I’m guessing is a Blue Fairy Wren from the south west of WA.

Judith Stephens and I will be teaching this Toothbrush rugmaking or Naarlbinding technique at the Conference of The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers (TIGHR) in Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada in a couple of weeks.

Eight members of the Australian Rugmakers Guild who are also members of TIGHR will be traveling to this year’s Conference. Miriam and Jacqui have already left and have visited a rug hooking friend in Israel. They were thrilled to see Pamela’s hooked rugs, which will undoubtedly feature in Miriam’s next newsletter on her return home.  Their travels will take them through Europe, to the Outer Hebrides and across the USA before we meet again in Victoria.

A few weeks ago when I was in New South Wales we talked about how amazing it is that this simple, old-fashioned craft has taken us on journeys across Australia and around the world and bought us in contact with so many interesting, sharing and caring people.

I have just realized that Miriam will be giving a talk on this very subject at the Conference; the different techniques of rug making in Australia, and has taken  some samples to show. Hopefully she will include an article about her experience at the Conference in her newsletter at the end of the end of the year.

Now I must away and pack my bag, as I too will soon be leaving for Canada.

Judith Stephens and I have planned a short road trip in British Columbia prior to the Conference on  Vancouver Island. The scenery will be vastly different from what I recently drove through on my trip across Australia – we definitely won’t be seeing any road signs like these……..

I just had to include this image which I took on our return trip as we approached the West Australia border having driven across the Nullabor Plain. This part of the  coastline shows on the map as the Great Australian Bight.

We’ve made this trip before on Eyre Highway the southern East/West road but have never pulled off to at any of the vantage points to take photos. It wasn’t far to drive from the main road and I was glad we took the time the view was spectacular!

Well this blog started with a rug hooking image on a grand scale – ending with almost a miniature,

and here I am finishing with my own personal travel pics.

I feel fortunate indeed to be able to travel and enjoy my craft through meeting other rug hookers and seeing their creations.

Jo Franco, Editor/Membership Chair

 

 

Colour! Colour everywhere –

Following a post featuring the colourful works created by the Sunshine Coast Rug Crafters, these images of recent creations from Western Australia reflect the use of colour in Aussie rug making.

Australian rughookers have an affinity for bright colours  – it must have something to do with the climate, wide open spaces and blue skies plus the number of hours of sunshine each day, especially in Western Australia, even though it’s winter here.

Robin Inkpen has just finished designing and hooking another wonderful carpet bag, destined for sale in an upmarket boutique.

Carpet_bag_designed_and_hooked_by_Robin_Inkpen_Western_Australia

Carpet_Bag_Labeled_for_sale_designed_and_hooked_bag_by_Robin_Inkpen_Western_AustraliaRobin’s carpet bags are unique, each is “personalized” with it’s own identifying name and tag (shown above) which contains a description, i.e.

My name is Belinda, I am a carpet bag.

Robin decided to name me because I am unique. I cannot be reproduced or mass produced. The designs, colours and yarns Robin hooked into me are totally random and inspired as she works;

I am a totally hand made piece of art. 

Robin hopes that you enjoy me as much as she enjoyed making me.

* * * *

Kira Mead has taken the product of recent workshops where she demonstrated the making of her quillies and participants “had-a-go”  –  and created this colourful chair cover

“le tourbillon derrie’re”   (the swirl behind).

Chair_Top_Finished_created_by_Kira_Mead_Albany_West_Australia - Copy

A close up of the chair pad surface

Chair_Close-Up_created_by_Kira_Mead_Albany_West_Australia

The images below show how these small demo swirls grew into this wonderful chair pad.

Starting with swatches of recycled wool dyed with food colour ;-

1_hand_dyed_recycled_wool_by_Kira_Mead_Albany_West_Australia2_Start_of_Chair_pad_by_Kira_Mead_Albany_Western_AustraliaAbove – the beginning swirls

Below – Some of the swirls created in the workshops

3_some_demonstration_pieces_from_workshop_by_Kira_Mead_Albany_West_Australia* * * *

Lost & Found

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????This wall hanging Ties that Bind was destined to be shown at the Western Australian Fibre & Textile Assn members’ exhibition ????????????????

“Memories & Commemoration”

at Expertise Events Craft & Quilt Fair, Perth May 2015

it was lost in the City of Wanneroo on Saturday 7th March, 2015.

Robin Inkpen hooked this piece from ties collected by a family member over a period of 40 plus years and was bringing it along with several of her other large creations to a talk at the Wanneroo Library.    When Robin arrived home and realized Ties that Bind was missing, calls were made and a search of the building was begun – to no avail.

Karen the Librarian authorized a “Lost” poster I’d made to be displayed in the library and suggested since there was such a human interest story related to this art work, the local newspaper be contacted and asked to publish an article about it in case someone found it in the street.  Thanks to Lucy Jarvis this article was run the Wanneroo Community News the following week.

Ties_that_bind_Lost_and_Found

Someone must have found the piece of fibre art in the street because it was finally located across the road from the Library in the foyer of the City offices; a building which Robin did not go into as it was not open on the weekend.   From there it was returned to the Library and is now waiting to be exhibited stored safely with me.

If only this piece of textile art could talk – what stories it could tell – from the original ties collected over so many years to its latest adventure in the city of Wanneroo.

   Jo  Franco, Editor