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
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 15th 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.
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.
