Yarra Valley Rugmakers – Rughooking Australia

Unusual Times

ISSN 2207-100X 14th April 2020

This surely must have been THE most unusual Easter holiday period ever!

People confined to their homes but connecting with friends and family online in so many creative ways.

Easter church services given in empty churches but seen around the world! TV images of parishioners in the USA, sitting in cars to attend services held at drive-in theatres.

Drive-by Easter egg drop-offs. The Easter Bunny designated as an essential worker in Western Australia and given permission to cross closed regional boundaries preventing travel to areas traditionally a big draw for holidaymakers on the Easter 4-day long weekend – normally a weekend of church services, visiting relatives, sporting activities and that last trip to the beach to soak up the Autumn sun. Except this year in Perth, Saturday was the hottest day on record for this time of the year.

This year “backyard camping” was the big deal. Friends who were looking forward to holidaying in their new travel trailer – moved it off the driveway onto the front lawn so their 10-year-old twins didn’t miss out on a camping weekend.

For those with children this period of isolation has had the benefit of time to spend together. In our area, apart from leaving home to shop for food and visit the Doctor/pharmacy, you are allowed, while maintaining social distancing, to exercise with one other person or members of your household. For those of us lucky enough to live by the beach the forced break in our busy schedules has been a positive – especially with the warm weather, making a daily swim really enjoyable.

However, most Nanas and Poppas are missing being with their grandchildren especially over the holidays and some who live alone and are not connected digitally, are desperate for company and contact with the outside world. This is where screen time, usually to be limited, has becomes so important. It seems all organizations are going digital – from local sewing groups to national museums and art galleries …… We’re stuck at home, but have never been so connected to the rest of the world.

So I’m sharing, images and information about, or from, Guild members, starting with ……

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: These images were posted in a Facebook group by Yvonne Dalton and are shared here with her permission.

Yvonne said – These are the result of a forgotten pot of dye…. forgot I had put cloth into dye…….found pot and felt elated. Cleaning cloth may take some time. Third wash with small scrubbing brush to remove stuck vegetation. Lots of oxidation….cloth scrunched, not tied or bound.

NORTHERN TERRITORY – Finke : Shared by guild member Sue Ware

Tjanpi Desert Weavers

March 27 at 3:08 PM

Ever wanted to learn to weave?? Our brand new tutorial is now live and we could not be more excited!!

While we’re all couped up at home, we thought it’d be the perfect time to share our knowledge and bring some joy into your lives. Our artists often speak about the power of weaving as a form of meditation, calming the mind and allowing stress to melt away. Learn-to-Weave Kits available at

https://tjanpi.com.au/collections/sculptures/products/learn-to-weave-kit

Huge thanks to the talented Mimi Catterns for creating this beautiful little video. We can’t help by smile every time we watch it!! NPY Women’s Council

NORTHERN TERRITORY: The Alice Springs Beanie Festival like everything else, had to be cancelled this year but from their Facebook page we learn that the Beanie Festival organizers are planning an online competition in June… and need to know how many Beanieologists are willing to take part. Maximum 2 beanies, they can be for sale or not. The Festival organizers will share images online and have voting for people’s choice. They’re looking for enough entries to keep going so are saying – go ahead keep creating!!! pass on this message and keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates !!! As of 15^th April the “Head Beanieologist” says

“I’m not sure of the format yet just meeting with the techs. There will be a form to fill in for each beanie, they won’t need swingtags. 2 photos of each beanie anyway you feels best to show the workmanship of the beanie”.

Margaret Stuart a member of the Wanneroo Rugmakers in Western Australia has images of her felted beanie (in Easter Egg colours) ready to go.

Then there’s this from ArtWear Publications – (publisher of Embellish, Textile Fibre Forum, Yarn, Felt and Vintage Made)

Embellish magazine has a great themed postcard swap in each issue, with a $100 AUD prize up for offer.
The current postcard swap is themed “Layers” – you don’t need a Facebook page to enter this. It’s a matter of using any technique or combination of techniques to create a textile postcard. Postcard size approximately 4”x 6” (a quarter of A4 size page). Click here to read full details about this “swap”.

Something fun to create while you are staying at home? Especially something for Mothers Day. Click this link for free patterns in the ArtWear Publications April 2020 Newsletter.

NEW SOUTH WALES – Epping; the group From Rags to Rugs Sydney Rug Hooking were disappointed when the Sydney Craft Fair was cancelled as they had a table booked to show their work and demonstrate.

Expertise Events intocraft newsletter shows it has been rescheduled, Oct 29-Nov 1 – see more

Still in New South Wales – Newcastle: Feeling like you’d like to go somewhere? take a virtual tour through the Newcastle Art Gallery.

VICTORIA – Melbourne: the National Gallery of Victoria can also be visited virtually – take a free Drop by drawing class with visual artist Lily Mae Martin – a how-to series on sketching.

VICTORIA (Australia): Trish Johnson’s Australia Diary;- Earlier this year Canadian textile artist Trish Johnson visited a meeting of the Yarra Valley Rugmakers. Trish submitted a journal entry from her Australian trip to the Ontario Hooking Craft Guild and she and Maureen McIlwain, OHCG Multi Media Advisor, have given permission for it to be shared here in the Australian Rugmakers Guild blog.

Maureen, a Member of OHCG, ATHA, RHGNS and The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers says – We’re happy to have our OHCG news travel around the hooking world! OHCG’s 50th Anniversary in 2016 Ontario Hooking Craft Guild and Ontario Hooking Craft Guild/OHCG, on Facebook.

Trish (left in floral shirt) lunching with the Yarra Valley Rugmakers Group, Victoria, Australia.

See more about the Yarra Valley Rugmakers on their Blog and Facebook Group

Washinton State, USA: Stuck at home Michele Johnson Wise shared this in Contemporary Rug Hooking Group – Busy trying my hand at punching wool strips and making face masks –ta-da! I was in a hurry so I will perfect my technique. Definitely will block out the virus..maybe even breathing behind the mask. I will try it out and let you know. Maybe I will do animal noses and mouths like the eyes of Judy Carter. I have been at my shelter maybe a little too long. Boing! Aussie TIGHR members will remember Michele’s creative workshop from the weekend after the 2012 International Guild of Handhooking Rugcrafters, Triennial in South Australia.

CANADA – Newfoundland; Winnie Galvine RHGNL Certified Teaching Instructor offering another avenue to mental wellness through rug hooking – says; I had a large bag of white t shirts that friends and family donated for my rug hooking. I rarely use white. So I reached out to a nursing friend and offered to make scrub bags for her and her coworkers. So simple. Cut off the sleeves. Round out the neck and machine sew the bottom. 40 plus gone off today! Whats a scrub bag? Winnie’s answer; the medical personnel have to change out of their uniforms before leaving their place of work. They can put their scrubs in this bag and throw the whole thing in the washer when they get home.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA – Perth: Speaking of “scrubs” – some of my sewing friends in Perth really wanted to help the healthcare workers and they are sewing scrubs and caps and bags for them. Volunteers join a private Facebook group and are given sewing patterns to create the items and instructions on where to deliver. The group is in need of more people with sewing skills – if you can help click this link “Get Scrubbed”

TextileArtist.org community stitch challenge; TextileArtist.org – Arts & Humanities Website

Why not try the FREE TextileArtist.org community stitch challenge? For those guild members who don’t “do” Facebook you can still take part watch the video and just click the link above to read more about it.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA – the team at Vancouver Arts Centre, an active community arts centre and gallery and home to many local arts and craft groups, is staying in contact with the community in Albany through their newsletter advising the closure of the Vancouver Arts Centre due to the COVID-19 restrictions and posting links via Arts Hub of what to do while staying at home – webinars – online courses – gallery tours.

Guild members Jo Franco from Western Australia and Judi Tompkins from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, team members of the Global Textile Hub Team, have been recording “deskside chats” online.

While Judi and Jo were figuring out the “mysteries” of recording their chats about the virtual exhibition “Re-imagined” a Collaboration with a Difference; Kira Mead, the third member of the GTH Team, as part of her “paid” job at Radio Station Triple M, was interviewing business people and community members about how they were handling the COVID-19 situation.

From the Editor: For all those feeling isolated during this time of stress, I hope some of these links will help you to feel connected. Sharing my afternoon beach walk – solo exercise allowed 🙂 I hope you and yours are safe – keep hooking on the creative side.

Connecting with Guild Members and friends

ISSN 2207-100X 4^th April 2020

2019 Susan L. Feller presenting Global Textile Hub’s Global Rug Hub webinar at Sauder Village, Ohio, USA

Connecting locally, nationally and with our rug hooking friends overseas …………

In the USA on 4^th April, Susan L. Feller and Gene Shepherd shared Facebook posts in advance of 4^th December, International Rug Hooking Day.

These two rug hookers from East and West of the USA have worked together before on projects. This time, to brighten the day in this time of pandemic and despair, they asked rug makers to flood their Facebook pages all weekend with images of their works in progress with the emphasis on hands working and tools used and the hash tag #InternationalHookin

Rug makers in Australia were invited to take part – so even if you’ve missed the 4th of April, if you have a Facebook or Instagram account share your images with #InternationalHookin

Gene’s studio, where he holds rug hooking group sessions, dyes wool fabulous colours and weaves – is a stone’s throw from Disneyland in Anaheim California. Gene works with community groups and is keen to pass the traditional craft on to young people. This image is from Gene’s website, where you can see more images of works by his students and groups that meet there.

Gene also facilitates an online, Internet Rug Hooking Camp and generously makes “How To” videos available free online. Here is an introduction to rug hooking for beginners. More tutorials can be found on Rug Hooking Magazines website.

Judith Stephens and Gene Shepherd in Gene’s studio, Anaheim, California, USA – 2009

Here’s a blast from the past – in 2011 Judith Stephens, then Vice President of the Australian Rugmakers Guild and me (your Guild Editor, Jo Franco) visited Gene Shepherd at his California studio – which I believe was relatively new at the time. I took this photo of the two of them inspecting the rug that was currently on Gene’s rug hooking frame. To answer a question from many rug hookers – Yes, you can hook a large rug on a small lap frame or a small frame on a stand as Gene was using.

It’s a far cry from the busy freeways of Anaheim, a city which seems like a suburb of Los Angeles when you drive from one to the other, to where Susan lives on the US East Coast, in the mountains of West Virginia.

Unfortunately, development is having a huge impact on the natural beauty of her surroundings. Susan’s work acknowledges the impact while showing the natural beauty in her artwork which invites the viewer to think.

Both Susan and Gene visited Australia for the 2012 TIGHR Triennial (The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers) and are well known to rug makers here.

News from another “Northern” rug hooker who has visited Australia several times, most recently last year, attending the General Meeting in Strathalbyn South Australia ……. Karen Kaiser, from Canada.

Karen has produced a series of videos on how to cover a footstool with a hooked pattern, along the way, creating a set of coasters in the empty spaces of the foot stool pattern. You can see more of Karen’s work on her website.

WHILE BACK IN AUSTRALIA ……….. I’m hearing from Members who are really missing the physical contact of their groups in this time of social distancing.

Painted by Heather Ritchie, UK & sent to Miriam in Australia because she knows Miriam loves sunflowers.

In New South Wales; Miriam Miller is receiving many images and articles from rug makers around the country and the world, for her newsletter “Connecting Us” (archived on this website). Here are some excerpts – first from Queensland …..

Kingaroy, QLD – Judith Brook’s response to bushfires in the Narrawilly area – the piece depicting Mollymook Beach is edged with colours of fire and framed by burnt sticks. This framing technique was shared with Judith by Judi Tompkins who often uses this framing technique on her large 3D hooked wall hangings.

From Coolum Beach, QLD – Annette White says:

“Over the last two month I made two little mats (or wall hangings) for my two young grandnieces in Germany, Annette is nine and drew a lion, Johann, seven, drew the penguin. I had promised them I replicate their pictures in a little rug. As a bonus I printed out the Aesop fable about the lion and the mouse and fabricated a little mouse attached with a tiny strip of Velcro and an invisible nylon thread so it can be moved around.

For the penguin I found a story about the penguin and the fish, therefore added the fish in the same manner. So these will be story rugs. These girls are very creative kids and will appreciate something crafted. There are two more younger kids in that family, I will have to think of something for them as well.”

Annette also made something for herself – creating these containers using the toothbrush rugmaking technique.

From NSW – Bermagui – this piece was submitted by Dawn Hollins – it was created by a visitor from out of the area who was house-sitting in Bermagui and attended one of their groups gatherings.

Dawn said “It’s a great feeling to know that we helped launch such a prodigious talent. One lesson and she was off! We’ll see her again this winter when she and her husband return for more Bermagui-time.”

Unfortunately, with projections for social distancing going late into the year they may not be able to make their winter trip.

NSW – Milton: With events being cancelled across the country – the Narrawilly Proggy Ruggers were lucky to have made it to exhibit their work in the Milton Show and also give rug hooking demonstrations there on 7th March.

Miriam Miller might be staying at home, but she’s keeping busy, along with her garden and newsletter, she has started another BIG RUG – yes she is also using a small frame.

Miriam says “I am starting a new rug inspired by a book Maggie Whyte lent me called “Rug Money” authors Mary Anne Wise and Cheryl Conway-Daly about rugs made by groups of women in Guatamala. They are so colourful and wild, it inspired me to do something more colourful, I hope. This is the start. As we older people are advised to stay home and avoid mixing with people because of the Coronavirus, it is good to have a project I am keen to work on. (Below my rug progressing.)”

Also a member of the Narrawilly Proggy Ruggers, Leith Brandt sent this piece to Miriam for inclusion in Miriam’s newsletter. Leith says – “I am sending you a photo of some stitch work I have done. It is an abstract impression of the hills around Gundagai, done with recycled fabrics- stitches and needle felting.”

Still in NSW – Milton; Narrawilly Proggy Rugger, Elke Smith-Hill keeps to the social distancing rules enjoying a walk on this deserted beach.

As an avid photographer, it’s not just the chance to exercise for Elke, a bonus is finding fossils in the rocks.

On to Victoria – Loch; where Chris Noorbergen has put aside her rug hook and taken up a crochet hook – to complete this wonderful free-form crocheted jacket.

Chris is a member of the Yarra Valley Rugmakers – who travel to each others homes to hold a meeting once a month. With everyone having to stay at home they have formed a Facebook Messenger Group and for their last meeting they all gathered together their hooking and clicked into the Facebook Messenger Group and were able to chat to each other throughout the day as they hooked – sounds to me like the main disadvantage was they couldn’t all take part in the delicious food that usually accompanies their get-togethers. Here’s a couple of their projects.

Bobby La said “Just doing the dotted edges. First with one colour, spaced out to allow for the next. Listening to ABC radio Conversations, on the verandah.”

By the end of the day Joy had her stair tread finished.

Even with social distancing, they are still open to welcoming new members – you can read about their group here.

Western Australia – Wanneroo – members of the Wanneroo Rugmakers who usually meet every Saturday morning are really missing their time together – I know, as I’m one of the group. We had so much planned for this year. We’re still working on one of the projects and as I make my quick safaris to pick up groceries I’ve been stopping by to pick up sections of the finished work from member’s mail boxes. The pieces will be delivered to Peta Korb’s mail box on another excursion, as she has volunteered to finish them off. The “D” was hooked by Kath and Anna’s “T” is now a block. Recycled T-shirts are being used for this project.

This Blog started with news of rug hooking friends in the Northern Hemisphere so it’s fitting we finish off with News from CANADA – Newfoundland;

Pat Parsons, in Gander, is the TIGHR Communications Chair – Pat sent Miriam news and images from the annual Central Regional Hook In hosted by the Happy Matters Group;

Pat says: it was a terrific success with 70 rug hookers from all over the island attending. There was a delicious lunch served by the Church Ladies, prizes given away, loads of locally dyed wool for sale, and much merriment all around. Below you will see all of us hard at work on various beautiful mats. We are fortunate here on the island to have several active groups from east to west and north to south- and we don’t mind driving 2 or 3 hours to spend the day with our likeminded crafters and support the local rug shops that pop up.

As members of the TIGHR planning team for the next Triennial, I hope that we see as many Australians rug hookers as we can in 2021. Meanwhile, stay safe everyone and Happy Hooking. Pat

Click TIGHR to learn more about The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers.

From the Editor: This started out to be a quick recap of what’s happening with our rug hooking groups – but like Topsy, it kept growing – there’s still more images and news to share …… in the next Blog, as I need to work on the Global Textile Hub’s Call for Entries to “Re-imagined” a Collaboration with a Difference: Make the Ordinary Extraordinary launched this past week. You can click this link to read all about it and complete an Expression of Interest. You’ll also see on the GTH Facebook page an explanation of a “virtual” exhibition – featuring the pilot virtual online exhibition “Re-imagined” a mixed media exhibition, the Opening of which took place at Rug Hooking Week in Sauder Village Ohio, USA August 2018.

Even with social distancing you can collaborate with others (phone,post,Skype and online) – so stay safe – stay home and get creative.

Updating the EVENTS page for 2019

ISSN 2207-001X – 2nd April 2019

The Calendar page of this website is being updated as news comes in from rughookers around Australia … it looks like 2019 will be a busy year!
Continuing the recent coverage of news from Queensland and New South Wales, scroll down for reports from Tasmania, Victoria, Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.

TASMANIA: Emma Gunn from Hobart came to my attention in 2018 when I discovered this rug she’d posted as “inspiration” in a public online group she’d started, to bring together those keen to use up-cycled materials in craft projects. It’s a public Facebook group anyone can join; https://www.facebook.com/groups/hrootas/

Emma said this vintage rag rug, probably made in the 1930s at a guess, is made from old jumpers and has lasted pretty well. It belongs to a friend but lives in her spare room

Emma’s second rug. Recycled wool from old clothing cut into wide strips with scissors and hooked through latch hooking canvas – before she discovered and moved on to “proper” hooked rug backing!

Emma was invited to join the Guild, she did so and then went off to visit a relative in Canada also traveling to the USA. On this trip her interest in rug hooking increased – she’s now definitely hooked! Here is what she had to say ….

In late August last year, I was fortunate to travel to Canada to visit my daughter who was completing an internship at the University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Whilst in Canada, I was keen to further my interest in rug-hooking, which I had experimented with over the last few years. Researching online before I booked my itinerary, I found very few contacts for rug-hooking in Quebec and realised that rug-hooking was a lot more common in Nova Scotia.

So, my itinerary included Halifax in Nova Scotia and on one of my days in that lovely city, I hired a car and drove down to Mahone Bay, admiring the wonderful scenery on the way. Mahone Bay is a picture-perfect town and while there I visited both Encompassing Designs and Spruce Top rug studios in both of which I was warmly welcomed. I couldn’t indulge myself too much as I would have liked as I was travelling by plane, train and bus for 2 months in total but managed to stash three patterns and a new hook at the bottom of my suitcase.

On the way back to Halifax I also visited the Hooked Rug Museum of North America and viewed the amazing collection of rugs that is held there, some of which were room sized. All in all, it was a dream day for a novice rug-hooker!

Back in Montreal I was longing to start hooking, but as I usually repurpose old woollen clothes and blankets for this purpose this didn’t seem practical given that I was travelling. Then inspiration struck – maybe just this once I could hook using wool yarn! I looked up knitting shops and found that there was one within walking distance – a very pleasant riverside walk too. Once there, a very helpful lady helped me find appropriate wool to at least hook the design part of the pattern and so I could start. I think I may have been the only person to ever come into the shop looking for wool to hook a rug.

By an amazing co-incidence, shortly after this I saw a notice on one of rug-hooking websites about a book written by US rug hooker Judy Taylor about hooking with yarn, so I looked up her website for some reassurance that what I intended would work.

The resultant cushion cover was hooked on the train across Canada, in Calgary and Canmore in Alberta as snow fell outside, in Seattle, Washington, Flagstaff Arizona, Yosemite and San Francisco, California. It was finished at my home in Hobart, Tasmania where I hooked the background with wool that I bought locally. The backing is, true to my usual practice, an old felted sweater sourced from an op shop.

It now sits on my Jimmy Possum chair, which I made at a workshop using recycled timber to copy vernacular furniture made by an itinerant craftsman from northern Tasmania at the end of the 19th Century.

Every time I look at the cushion, I remember my travels and the colours of late summer and early fall on the other side of the world.
Emma Gunn

VICTORIA:
Melbourne; There’s a new Guild member in the metropolitan area, Anna Martin from The Studio in Camberwell.

Anna gives Punchneedle hooking workshops to adults and children. Anna learned the technique from Clare Thornley, Jilliby, NSW who sells raw materials and tools to fibre artists through her online shop FELTFINE. Beside Oxford Punchneedle tools/backing you can purchase lovely yarn and spinning and weaving supplies.

Yarra Valley; The Yarra Valley Rugmakers are still taking turns traveling to each other’s homes to meet up once a month. Their last meeting was in Warrandyte on 23rd March. Visit their Blog to check out when/where future meeting will be held and to see what they’re currently working on – here’s Robyne’s Magpie rug being used as a chair pad on one of her Hubby’s willow chairs. She says, the fox pelt was road-kill.

NORTHERN TERRITORY: Rughooking in the Outback

Sue lives and works in an Indigenous community in the Outback, north and west of Alice Springs, off the Larapinta Dr, close to Papunya. You can see by these images shared from the Facebook page of Empowered Communities – the NPY Region, is really isolated.

However not all the area is flat – a couple of hours drive away is Haasts Bluff, also known as Ikuntji, another Indigenous Australian community in the West MacDonnell Ranges. Read more

Sue made contact through the Guild Facebook page to say she was interested in rug hooking so I sent her a copy of Miriam Miller’s book Proggy & Hooky Rugs – she’s now definitely “hooked” and is going to introduce rug hooking as a craft to the people in the community but is waiting on some supplies of material. They have some Hessian backing but need fabric and would welcome any donations as they do not have money for this resource. If you or your group could help out you can contact me through rughookingaustralia@gmail.com and we can arrange to get the fabric to her.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:

The Strath Matters have a new meeting place – their previous meeting place, the Little Red Hen, a converted railway carriage, was just not big enough to accommodate the numbers of the growing group. You’ll find them now in the CWA Building, behind the Town Hall which is located on the High St. in Strathalbyn.

Much interest has been shown by the group in tapestry weaving, so a tapestry workshop is to be given on 12th April by Betty Wolf – it will run from 10:00am to 3:00pm – This article introduces Betty, who has a background in social sciences and education and a diploma of visual arts, specialising in tapestry weaving, and is an active member of the local arts community in the near by town of Murray Bridge. There are a couple of spaces still available – if interested contact Judith Stephens studioblue20@gmail.com

Here are a couple of members of the group with their finished projects –

An Op Shop Find, rug pattern designed by Claire Murray, USA and hooked by Judith Stephens, South Australia is to be raffled.

A celebration of the founding of the Australian Rugmakers Guild in Strathalbyn, October 2008, will take place in October 2019 with an event hosted by the Strathmatters group

Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th “Rugmakers Revelations – out of the past, into the future” will take place at the Town Hall on High Street in Strathalbyn.
This event will be FREE and open to the public with hands on demonstrations and conversations about different forms of rugmaking and the global travels of rug hookers.

SAVE THE DATES – more information to come.

On Saturday 5th October after the days events, there will be an Australian Rugmakers Guild General Meeting in the Town Hall, Strathalbyn. It is a long weekend in South Australia and on Monday 7th, the StrathMatters group will have their rugs displayed in the Strathalbyn Show.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA:

The Wanneroo Rugmakers continue to meet in the Library at Wanneroo every Saturday morning from 10:00am to 1:00pm. New members come and go, joining a core group of ruggers who have been together since 2010. The group works on a community project each year as well as bringing their own projects for show and tell. Meeting in a space open to the public creates much interest, with passers by stopping to see what’s happening. Newcomers to the group are taught proggy(proddy) and started off being shown how to make a Christmas tree – examples of these can been seen on the group’s website.

Most of the “regulars” also belong to other textiles groups – knitting, various forms of crochet, lace-making and felting are represented so there are often impromptu demonstrations given. This explains the knitted and crocheted beanies being prepared for the Alice Springs Beanie Festival. I had such fun volunteering there in 2017 other members of the group are headed to the Festival this year.

Sharon found this picture, but no instructions. She liked the beanie and asked one of her knitting friends to create the pattern for her and was thrilled with the result.

Sharing their own works creates many learning opportunities when problems arise, or someone just wants to add something extra to their current work. A Waldoboro session was given recently using one of Judi Tompkins(QLD) teaching examples – a ladybird. Brenda has finished her ladybird and when asked what would be hooked alongside it, she said she didn’t know – she is going to let her 9-year-old grandson draw something? It’s to be finished as a hooked cushion to go in his room. He has shown an interest in other crafts she’s worked on so I think she has an ulterior motive – there may be a future rug hooker in the family.

Editors note: Some interesting contacts have been made through this website – besides helping people find rug hooking supplies, groups and instructors, a couple of our members have repaired rugs and I answered a call right before Christmas from someone wanting a rug kit hooked up – here is the end result –

it’s a Claire Murray design from the USA. The kit was purchased 20 years ago and can you believe the various “tagged” colours were all still there – wouldn’t have happened at my house – they would have been raided for other projects along the way. It came with a numbered colour chart; I didn’t think I’d like “hooking by numbers” but it was actually a bit of a challenge and fun and much easier than having to colour plan and then source the right fabric – besides being wool yarn there wasn’t any cutting involved. I’m pleased to report, the owner is pleased with the result – Happy Hooking

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 – Canberra – Maggie 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.

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.

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.

Australian Rug Hooking Events

ISSN 2007-001X March 2018

2018 – off to a good start – locations of the growing number of Rugmaking Groups around Australia were updated and are now detailed on the Current Events page.

A Tyger by another name – girl washing the stripes of a tiger. Designed and hooked Waldoboro style by Judi Tompkins

“Murphy” designed & hooked by Judi Tompkins QLD Australia

At the Winter Craft Festival June/July 2018 to be held at the Kingaroy Art Gallery, Judy Brook from the Red Earth Rugmakers and Judi Tompkins from the Sunshine Coast RugCrafters will demonstrate rug hooking and Judi T will give a “Waldoboro” rug hooking workshop.

Waldoboro is used to describe rugs hooked in a sculptured or 3-dimensional style. It’s a traditional technique named for the town of Waldoboro, Maine, on the north-east coast of the USA where rugs hooked in this sculptured technique (usually with floral designs) date back to the 1870-80s. Using the same technique and different materials, Judi has used this 3-D effect on many of her rug hooking projects depicting animals.

News from the Sunshine Coast RugCrafters …. Claudia from Brisbane recently visited a Sunshine Coast Group meeting at the Beerwah Library, seen here showing Stella her Emma Lou Lais pattern hooked on Monks cloth, and a “Memory Rug”.

Hooked by Claudia for the 8 yr old daughter of her nephew, whose sister, Lacey (Claudia’s niece) was killed in a car accident two weeks from her 20th birthday. The rug is designed to include Lacey and all the things she loved. This was a special rug hooked with love.

Speaking of “special rugs”

Gail Nichols from New South Wales has had EXCITING NEWS …. notification from Rug Hooking Magazine that her rug, ‘Temple Fish‘ was selected as a finalist and will be published in Celebrations 2018. See more of Gail’s amazing tapestries here

Temple Fish 2017 – new & recycled fabric hooked on hessian backing 164x115cm by Gail Nichols NSW Australia

Also from New South Wales; Maxine’s group in Bellingen was featured in Miriam Miller’s recent newsletter, “Connecting Us”.

Phornthips starting a rug for her grandson

Ann with one of her many large rugs hooked using recycled blankets.

Closer to home …………………… Miriam reports the Milton Show was held on 2nd & 3rd March – The Theme this year was “Milk and Meat”.
Janet and Elke, were stewards in the Proggy and Hooky Rug Section and arranged a roster of Rugmakers to demonstrate rug making and talk to the public during the two days of the Show.

Sheila Capel, Christine Alexander, Judy Thurecht, Bev Latta, Elaine Kitchner, Ilka Landahl and Jacqueline Thomson were all awarded prizes in the various rug hooking categories.

All issues of “Connecting Us” can be found on the Guild website

Also, in New South Wales;

Margaret hooked images of her two Granddaughters from photographs of the girls. Margaret said …….
“FINALLY FINNISHED! these are my beautiful granddaughters. I have included the photos which inspired me to hook these pieces. I hope my work shows how beautiful the girls are, both inside and out – I love them very much.”

BIG rugs seem to be all the rage in New South Wales – in Braidwood Maggie Hickey finished hooking this large rug (2metres x 2.2 metres) comprised of eight separate pieces sewn together. The rug was designed and commissioned by artist Alison Alder, to fit her living room. Alison requested it be made in wool for durability.

Maggie said: “I planned it in 6 pieces but subsequently we decided it was going to be too short for the space. It was decided to add strips of lime green to either end. I used some wool yarn and some strips of wool blanket, dyed to obtain the required colours”

ACT – Canberra: Maggie Whyte, Australian Rugmakers Guild Vice Pres & Secretary, will be one of a group of Aussie Rugmakers traveling to Reeth, UK, to attend The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers’ (TIGHR) 2018 Triennial in the Yorkshire Dales village of Reeth, home of well known rug hooker Heather Ritchie, current President of TIGHR.

Maggie, a felter as well as a rug maker, is interested in many textile techniques.

Examples of her creations using a “Chunky Rugmaker” are shown with Maggie’s permission in the Technique pages of “Re-imagined” a Challenge with a Difference.

All 12 rug making techniques can be seen here. (Images are shown with permission of artists and photographers.)

Swap n Sell – this website page has been re-arranged so it’s easier to compare items. If you’re looking for wool fabric to hook with, a new member from Victoria has a huge stash which she’d like to sell. See more of the wool fabric available on this link.

Victorian Guild member, Marcia King, and rug hooking instructor, will be demonstrating rug making on the 28th April at the Off the Grid Living Festival
in Eldorado, a town in the foot hills of the Alpine Ranges, between Wangaratta and Beechworth, just 3 hours from Melbourne and a little more from Canberra.

Also in Victoria, the Yarra Valley Rugmakers continue to meet in each other’s homes and hook rugs even on the hottest days of this past summer.

Chris said …. “Joy finished her third Psalm 23 stair tread ‘In the Valley’ and started whipping her rugs, being 3/4 finished on one rug by the end of the day. It’s amazing what you can achieve in a day.” You can read more about this group and contact them through their Blog

Tasmania: The Happy Hookers have been posting some interesting latch hooked rugs on their Facebook page The group has a new meeting place; ART AS MANIA on Emu Bay Road, Deloraine

We’ve also been following artist Alyson-Jean’s progress creating a large latch-hooked rug of her own design – shown here with the artists permission.

“Magic Carpet” Click this link to see Alyson-Jean’s video.

South Australia; the Stationmaster’s Red Hen is the new home of the StrathMatters rug group in Strathalbyn. The Red hen is a renovated train carriage sitting on the tracks next to the Stationmaster’s Art gallery housed in an historic railway building.

The Rug Group meets on the 1st & 3rd Friday of the month. All look very comfortable in their new home – you can see more of their rug work on their blog

Currently showing in the Stationmaster’s Art Gallery, is “Threads” – a fabric exhibition which includes furniture, wall hangings, AND rugs – this one designed and hooked by Judith Stephens, Guild President.

Gail shared a successful mending project ….. her rug made of polar fleece strips on latch hook backing had been damaged by a chair leg. A new piece of backing was spot glued onto the back and rehooked, mainly with the old strips. Gail was disappointed she couldn’t use recycled polar fleece but wanted specific simple colours; the blue/green – throws from Ikea and the yellow bought by the metre from Spotlight. All sliced with a rotary cutter.

Designed & hooked by Gail, a member of the StrathMatters Rug Group, Strathalbyn, South Australia

Western Australia; Learning a new technique at the Wanneroo Rugmakers group – Melissa who’d lived in Japan for many years showed how to make Kanzashi (folded fabric) flowers, Margaret, the crafty gardener, caught on quickly (shown here) similar flowers are to be added to a “Re-imagined” Challenge creation.

Robin Inkpen, visiting from Donnybrook in the South West of WA, demonstrated how to make coiled mats and vessels and displayed some of her creations. She also gave the group a punch needle hooking lesson on the newly constructed large punch needle frame with “plastic teeth” – both a #9 and #10 Oxford Punch needle were successfully used. It was thought that maybe the frame is too large? Amy Oxford has provided us with some helpful information which you can see on her FAQs page.

Sharon introduced the Wanneroo Group to the Uthando doll project supported by knitting and sewing groups across Australia and showed a basket of dolls made by a group of teenage girls she supervises – helping others helps the girls. These images posted on the Guild Facebook page have created interest from as far away as Mexico.

“Re-imagined” a Challenge with a Difference update …… 30 April 2018 is the deadline for submission of images of completed entries. Participants will be emailed a link through which they can upload their large images or videos, rather than send as email attachments ……… please make sure your email address is on file with rugcraftingaustralia@gmail.com to receive further emailed information.

There have been many inspirational posts on the “Re-imagined” Facebook page including images of examples by guild members, of the different rug making techniques listed on the Call for Entries.
A question asked recently “what techniques can be used in this Challenge?” the following answer was posted on the Facebook page ….

“Your entry can be created using whatever textile technique you desire, however, it must in some small way, include; have attached to; sit on or hang from; one of the rug making techniques listed in the Call for Entries.”

To refresh participants memory all 12 pages featuring examples of; braiding, quillies, coils, toothbrush and chunky rugmaking, proddy, stick weaving, traditional, punch needle, latch and locker hooking and tufting were shown together and can be seen on this link.

From the Editor: Because of increased rug making activity across the country, this report was lengthy – I do hope you took the time to scroll to the end. In the future, Blogs will be shorter about specific groups or events. It’s hard to not mention all the groups rug making activities and gratifying to see where this traditional craft is taking members. Keep on sharing your creativity.

International Rug Hooking Day 2017

ISSN 2007-1X 6th December, 2017

An actual “day” for rughooking, how did this come about?

The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers was formed in England on 4th December 1994. On the twentieth anniversary of the formation, the Guild declared December 4th to be International Hooking Day in celebration of the anniversary and to further their mission statement –

“to come together in friendship to share ideas, and to explore the different techniques of the art of rugmaking using a variety of fibres”

Rug Hooking Magazine supports the International Guild and each year dedicates a Facebook page for rug hookers and rug making groups around the world to post pictures of their activities on, or connected to, this day.

It’s been a busy time in rug hooking circles around Australia and images of Australian groups activities were posted on Rug Hooking Magazines Facebook.

In NSW – there was an International connection as the Narrawilly Proggy Rugmakers gathered at Miriam Miller’s rug room in Milton to hold their annual Fashion Parade – members model garments from the Op Shop where they source the recyclables for their rug work.

Maggie Whyte, Canberra, ACT – Vice President Australian Rugmakers Guild

Maggie-Mother of the Bride, Christine-Bridesmaid, Jenny-Bride, Elke-Bridesmaid, Vivienne-2nd Mother of the Bride

At the end of the parade the garments are auctioned, and the money raised sent to Heather Ritchie in the UK to support her “Rug Aid” project, a rughooking school for the visually impaired in The Gambia.
From Heather Ritchie, UK ….. “Rug Aid is so grateful for your wonderful support, we are planning on buying talking watches and white canes to take with us in January. we will never forget the first time we gave a talking watch to one of our blind friends. the response was “this Is the first time I know what time it is to pray ” your support means so much. A huge thank youxxx”

Heather is the current President of TIGHR, The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers.

The 2018 Triennial Conference will be held in Heather’s home town of Reeth, in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.

Miriam has made many rug hooking contacts through her international travels with Jacquie Thomson, rug hooking friend and co-founder of the Narrawilly group and shares letters and images from these friends in her monthly newsletter which you can find archived on this website.

Still in NSW – when Gail Nichols from Mongarlowe, a tiny village near Braidwood, NSW realised it was International Rug Hooking Day on Monday she posted this image of the rug she is currently working on.

Gail worked for 30 years as a professional ceramic artist and when her friend and neighbour Maggie Hickey introduced her to rughooking in 2014 she became “hooked”. Both friends were encouraged by Miriam Miller and the Narrawilly rug makers group in Milton. Gail said by 2016 rug making was dominating her studio work, ……..

“I enjoy the tactile hooking process and the immediacy of hooking with colour. My designs are abstracted from landscape photos I’ve taken. Rughooking has allowed me to see the world in new ways. I have already collected more ideas than I could complete in a lifetime! I use new and recycled fabrics, predominantly stretch knits such as T-shirt material, hooked on hessian or polyester backing. Working with fabrics has led me to also experiment with textile collage and stitch drawing.”

It has been a successful year for Gail who won awards for her rug work in Australia and travelled to the USA to participate in a panel presentation on ceramics at Stanford University.
There’s also an international connection here ……. through contact with the Guild’s Communications Chair Judi Tompkins, both women originally from the USA, discovered they were from the same State and went to the same university – it is truly a small world. Who knew rug hooking – a traditional craft would have such a reach.

In Victoria, on Sunday 26th Nov just prior to the celebration of International Rughooking Day, two of the Yarra Valley Rugmakers, Anne and Robyne, promoted rug hooking on a warm day at Buda House, an old homestead in Castlemaine, talking to people and demonstrating rug hooking while working on their own hooking projects.
They toured the homestead which has been donated to the Castlemaine Art Gallery. Robyne says it holds a fabulous collection and is well worth a visit. Here are a couple of Robyne’s photos – read more about their visit and the interesting story about the family on the Victorian Rugmakers blog.

In Western Australia, the Wanneroo Rugmakers celebrated the day over their Christmas lunch at the café in the Library and Culutral centre, bringing with them their own table decorations – prodded Christmas Trees.
Here are some images taken during this lively event – including “Persephone” – the life-size hooked figure that stands at the foot of the stairs with information about the rug group’s meetings upstairs in the Library every Saturday. Their community project for this year is coming to an end more on that in a couple of weeks.

Some of the members of the Wanneroo Rugmakers

Christmas trees are simple to make – it just takes some backing and a selection of small pieces of fabric and a simple proddy tool. Kits are available from Judith Stephens in South Australia Email: studioblue20@gmail.com

In Queensland Judi Tompkins and the Sunshine Coast RugCrafters are working on pieces to be displayed in the library where their meetings are held twice a month.

Designed and Hooked by Sally Randle, Brisbane, in appreciation of the Shed Days. Framed by Judi incorporating siding from the Shed and her antique tools.

Several entries for “Re-imagined” a Challenge with a Difference have been received from this group.

Besides setting up the Challenge, Judi has been busy – selling her house and packing up – so unfortunately there’ll be no more shed days – not until the new house is finished – a ways off yet …….

Judi standing in the location of her new studio

Judi recently had an international visitor, also to do with rughooking in a round about way. Tom, a relative who lives in Belgium and has made several voyages on SV Tenacious which recently sailed the Queensland coast headed for Melbourne where Sailor Tom was to pick up the ship and sail from Melbourne to New Zealand. The ship’s departure was delayed a few days due to unseasonably wet weather, even for Melbourne. You can read more about Tom’s voyages on the SV “Tenacious” here

This 3D hooked representation of the SV Tenacious, one of two Jubilee Sailing Trust vessels fitted out to take a mixed-ability crew, was hooked by Judi from a photograph and now hangs in Tom’s home in Belgium.

Tall Ship “Tenacious” docked in Belgium (ship photo and rug); 26 x 28 recycled wool blankets, alpaca/mohair yarns, sari silk, sculpted, hooking Adaptation with image of original ship

South Australia: More international connections – Judith Stephens, Guild President and leader of the StrathMatters rug hooking group in South Australia, recently returned from a trip to Japan where she met up with Fumiyo Hachisuka also a member of TIGHR.

Fumiyo Hachisuka and Judith Stephens in Tokyo. Photograph courtesy of Malcolm Edward-Cole.

Fumiyo has attended many TIGHR Conferences including the 2012 TIGHR Conference in Strathalbyn, South Australia and the 2015 Conference in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, BC.

Here Fumiyo shows Judith a hooked wall hanging inspired by a photo taken by Fumiyo at the last TIGHR Triennial Conference in Victoria, BC.

Fumiyo Hachisuka, Tokyo, Japan. Photograph courtesy of Malcolm Edward-Cole

Members of the Strathmatters Rughooking Group work on projects using varied rug making techniques.

Judith Stephens, ARG President, demonstrating rugmaking at Adelaide Craft Fair 2017

StrathMatters weekend rug retreat at Robe, South Australia 2017

More of their activities, various project and information about their meetings can be seen on their Blog.

I’d like to take this opportunity to invite members, non-members and all text artists in the Southern Hemisphere, individually or as a collaboration, to enter “Re-imagined“ a mixed media challenge. Send your Expression of Interest now, images of your completed work is not due until next year – 30th April, 2018.

Happy Rughooking & Best Wishes for Christmas & the New Year.

More on Australian Rugmaking History

ISSN 2207-001X

Have you noticed the number in the top right-hand corner of the Rug Hooking Australia blogs? This number was assigned by the National Library of Australia and means Blogs can be deposited in the National Gallery of Australia archives.

Speaking of archives, information gathered by members about Australian Rug hookers prior to the formation of the Guild in 2008, is now posted in an Australian History Section on the Guild website. Readers are encouraged to contact us to add, or correct any of the information shown.

Included in this Section you’ll find information about Australian Rugmakers, listed by Name and State; information on museums with collections of early rag rugs (hooked or prodded) and articles about and by, Australian rugmakers and in some cases a link to the article.

With the publishers permission, there is a link to the full article written by an Australian and published in a 1990 issue of Rug Hooking Magazine(USA). The author comments on the history of rug hooking in Australia from early settlement, describing how the craft was carried into modern times and mentioning contemporary rughookers, in particular, Textile Artist, Isabel Foster of Victoria.

As I write this, I’m reminded of the first (new format), Rughooking Australia Blog which featured Isabel Foster and told of several guild members, myself included, who travelled from Western Australia and South Australia to Victoria in January 2014 to meet a Victorian group, the Yarra Valley Rugmakers, and attend The Challenge of Colour, Isabel Foster’s 50 Year Retrospective. What a wonderful experience that was.

Isabel Foster (centre) at Burrinja Exhibition — Isabel Foster (centre) at the Burrinja Exhibition, Victoria, Australia

Judith (SA), Robyne (VIC) and Jo(WA) listening to Isabel tell of her love of colour and textiles.

Leanne, Joy, Jen & Renate – all of Victoria, Australia

Sarah Squire Todd – Hobart, Tasmania (1861-1959) and her granddaughter Mary Ransom, were mentioned in the same magazine article.

Sarah Todd, a famous Australian wood-carver, was forced to give up wood-carving in favour of embroidery, needlework and rug-making in her advancing years. More details of her life and art can be found [here]

The Wool Centre, Ross, Tasmania, Australia — Courtesy of The Tasmanian Wool Centre, Ross, Tasmania, Australia

The Tasmanian Wool Centre in Ross, Tasmania, has a rag rug in the Museum’s collection made by Mary Ransom born in Tasmania c 1915. It is not currently on display but can be viewed by appointment.

The list of places where rugs are found to be archived is growing.

Added to the Pioneer Women’s Hut in Tumbarumba and the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, both in New South Wales, is the Migration Museum in Adelaide, South Australia.

Corinne Ball, Curator of the Migration Museum, provided images and has given permission to show these rugs which she thinks were made in the Depression era or thereabouts:-

Courtesy of Migration Museum, Adelaide, South Australia HT90-143 — Courtesy of Migration Museum, Adelaide, South Australia HT90.143

Courtesy of Migration Museum, Adelaide, South Australia HT90.141

Courtesy of Migration Museum Adelaide, South Australia HT90_142 — Courtesy of Migration Museum Adelaide, South Australia HT90.142

Courtesy of Migration Museum, SA HT86.404 - Community Banners project 1986 "Memories & Dreams" — Courtesy of Migration Museum, SA HT86.404 – Community Banners project 1986 “Memories & Dreams”

The Museum is located in Adelaide, South Australia at 82 Kintore Ave (08) 8207 7570 …… Open Daily 10am-5pm Mon-Fri and 1pm-5p Weekends, Admission is Free.

More information on this Banner is available on the Museum website and there’s also an image, provided by Faye Godfrey of South Australia, of the Banner along with the group who made it, in the Guild’s History Section.

If you would like to include information about an Australian rugmaker, please email rughookingaustralia@gmail.com with details and permission to publish.

This history project is like a giant jig saw puzzle – it’s interesting to fit the pieces together as information comes to light. Who knew there was so much to report about rug hooking in Australia.

I encourage you to read the History section and look forward to your feedback. Jo Franco, Editor

Events Calendar update

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

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

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

Anne_Schafer_demonstrating_rughooking_at_Western_Port_VIC_Australia

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

Western_Port_Vic_Australia_rughooking_demo_by_Yarra_Valley_Rugmakers

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

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

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

Bird of Paradise-[Strelitzia]_rug_designed_and_Hooked_by-Chris_Noorbergen_VIC_Australia

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

Proggy_Fluer_de_lis_on_a_Miriam_Miller_frame

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

Guild Newsletter & Benefits of Membership

The question often asked – “What are the benefits of Guild membership?”

From the Editor:

The first issue for 2016 of the Guild’s newsletter “In the Loop” is almost ready to be sent out to Members. As I look at the articles included, one of the main benefits of membership is obvious, that is, members can advertise (free of charge) on this website their events, projects and any rug hooking items they may want to sell.

For example a Guild Member from Victoria (Aust) has found a very creative way, using the etsy.com online website, to publicise the Chris_Noorbergenhooking_rug_Design_by_Rittemere work she does to raise funds for a charitable organization and to sell the tools needed for the project.

Chris has combined her love of rug hooking with a fund raising opportunity and as a member of the Guild, Chris also has coverage of her project and sales on this website.

Here in Chris’s own words , as posted on her etsy.com site, is how her project came about :

From Rugs to Rug Tools

I became a ‘Rug Maker’ about five years ago. I fell in love with wool, but being an Australian resident, there were no workshops in the whole of Victoria. So online I went and what a treasure trove of websites, YouTube videos, online classrooms and blogs I found.

I soon learned how to hook rugs, dye my own wool and make some of our much needed tools, for example I needed a table frame for my current project – an oriental rug and an ambitious project to say the least and since the postage from the US was far too expensive I had to make my own, with the help of hubby off course.

Cheticamp_style_frame_made_by_Chris

In 2012 I attended a Rug Making Expo in Sth Australia and met some like minded women and before you know it we started a group, now known as the Yarra Valley Rugmakers, member of the Victorian Rug makers and the Australian Rug Makers Guild.

Tools are not too easy to find in Australia and us Victorian ladies had to send for them either from interstate or overseas.

This year I have started giving Rug Making workshops from which all the fees will go to overseas missions, namely Uganda and India. I therefore needed hooks, so this lead me to look into importing hooks from overseas and I now sell beautiful handcrafted hooks, made in Ireland but sold from Australia, thus “Rughooks for missions”

Irish_rug_hooks_from_Australia_to_the_world_rug_hooks_for_missions

With our Australian currency being low, it is very viable for rug hookers from overseas to buy my hooks. I hope you will support me and leave favourable reviews and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Comments or questions for Chris can be added below, or if you’d like to send her a personal message you can contact her through this website –

email: rughookingaustralia@gmail.com and your message will be forwarded.

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.

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

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An actual “day” for rughooking, how did this come about?

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

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The question often asked – “What are the benefits of Guild membership?”

From the Editor:

From Rugs to Rug Tools

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