New branch-off of Mason-Dixon Guild meeting in Cooksville

Hi all -- Just got this updated Mason-Dixon info from Nancy Whitney:

 

Ramona Cann gave Nancy a flyer about the new branch-off of the Mason-Dixon Guild.  This hook-in will meet the 3rd Sunday of the month from 2-4:30pm at the Glenwood Branch of the Howard County Library.  There will be no speakers or business meeting, just another occasion to hook and visit.  This might be closer to guild members in the west.  

There will also be a group that will meet in Baltimore the 4th Sunday of the month.  For this information contact Diana Kerns or Ramona.  Ramona said she will be at the library come rain or shine. I'll put up the contact/meeting info for Diana Kerns as soon as I get it.

 

GLENWOOD BRANCH, HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARY

2350 State Route 97, Cooksville, MD 21723

phone:  (410) 313-5577

Third Sunday of the month from 2 – 4:30

September through December with Ramona Cann

 

Ramona’s email for questions is woolieadvice@gmail.com

Thanks so much, Nancy!

Helen Connelly Howe

I just found out Helen Connelly Howe passed in January, 2012. She was my first teacher for 4 days at Buckeystown. She was a very dear lady, and a fun and gracious teacher. I know she's going to be sorely missed.

What we're working on... August 2013

Some of these pix came out really badly. I apologize! I'll definitely practice some before our next meeting! 

I did crop these pretty tightly, but when I imported them into Blogger, it reverted to my originals. 

The Hooked Rug Museum of North America

From Judy Carter:

"Tonight we saw a wonderful slide show on the Hooked Rug Museum of North America. And on Monday Pat Van Dyne (Stacey Van Dyne's) husband shared his slide show with some of us. He took 200+ photos and they are all beautiful. Michele Traweek Micarelli (she's here at Northern!) is the featured American Artist and Noah's Ark (Lenny Feenan/Mary Sheppard Burton) looks fabulous in it's own room. The Ark and many of Mary's pieces are on display in this room. I'll learn more info tomorrow at the meeting for the Museum (I'm a Director at Large)."

It's a wonderful site, and I'm really looking forward to going there someday, hopefully soon!

http://www.hookedrugmuseumnovascotia.org/home/#

Really cute yarn tote giveaway!

Win this Everything Mary Yarn Tote!

Here's the link:

http://www.allfreecrochet.com/sweeps/Everything-Mary-Yarn-Tote

I just saw this on my facebook page, and had to share! I think it's adorable, and very well thought-out.

Here's the info:

Everything Mary Blue Yarn Tote Provided by Everything Mary www.EverythingMary.com Reviewed by Jeanette Benoit.    

This blue yarn tote by Everything Mary is a stylish and practical way to store and transport your favorite crochet items. This roomy bag measures 16 x 4 x 12 inches and has plenty of storage room for all of your supplies. There is a magnetic button snap closure and pockets all the way around that are big enough to hold whole skeins of yarn, crochet hooks, magazines, and more. 

It's super durable, so it's a great bag to take on-the-go. We first spotted this yarn bag in January 2013 at the Craft & Hobby Association Trade Show. We fell in love with it when we saw it jam-packed with a bunch of different crochet items. It's the perfect size to hold all of your crochet or knitting essentials. There is a large zippered pocket on the inside for safe storage, a large zip down back pocket that includes several sleeves for needles and hooks, plus 6 large pockets around the outside of the bag. 

Rolled handles make this tote easy and comfortable to carry, and the printed microfiber material is durable and long-lasting. If you like to crochet-on-the go, or want to simply keep your yarn projects neat and organized as you work on them, this yarn tote is definitely a must-have for knitters and/or crocheters. Everything Mary has a great variety of other craft totes and organizers to choose from including scrapbook organizers, sewing cases, rolling yarn totes, and more.

"Beat The Heat" in Tennessee this Saturday

Sharing, from my facebook page (with permission):

If you're going to be in Clarksville, TN on Saturday, July 20th, you may want to check out the "Beat The Heat Rug Show, Fiber Day & Hook In" at:

Hilton Garden Inn

290 Alfred Thun Rd., Clarksville, TN 37040

601-859-4252

from 9am-5pm

Tickets: $30 includes lunch. $20 at the door.

http://search.theleafchronicle.com/localevents/event/100/15131-Beat-The-Heat-Rug-Show-Fiber-Day-Hook-In-

Some of the vendors include:

Pat from Bittersweet Baskets and Supply--much more than a Basket Shop! Bittersweet Baskets offers a variety of baskets just for the fiber person! Along with basket-making supplies, including patterns, books, tools and a selection of wood bases made from superior white ash! 

http://www.bittersweetbasketsandsupply.com/

Anne Hoffman from Heart and Hare Rugs.

After years of knitting, sewing, and other handwork crafts, Jane Rowe became “hooked” on rug hooking after taking a class in 1999 from Rug Thyme Studios. After hooking others’ designs, Jane has designed her own patterns featuring primitive designs as well as children’s artwork. She currently serves as the Vice President for the State Line Rug Hookers Guild (ATHA).

http://www.heartandharerugs.com/

Sheila Arbogast from Prairie Road Designs. Prairie Road Designs sells unique wool rug hooking patterns created by artist, Sheila Arbogast, who has many years of experience in the creative arts. Her areas of expertise include punch needle, water color, cross stitch, embroidery and rug hooking. PRD is proud to be able to supply rug hookers and wool enthusiasts with the supplies to support their art whether you are a beginner or a lifelong artist with wool as your media. We enjoy being able to demonstrate at festivals where the traditional hand arts are celebrated and we are able to travel to lead workshops on rug hooking, wool applique, use of color & texture and rug hooking embellishing techniques.

www.prairieroaddesigns.com

Three Creeks Farm sells Kromski spinning wheels and products, Interweave Press Books, Earthues Natural Dyes, Greener Shades Dye, Ashford books and felting supplies & fiber. They also sell fleeces and roving from our flock of Shetland sheep, hand crafted iron art, Felted fairies and dragons and dye plants. Visit our web site or contact us by phone or email. 615-789-5943 tn3creeksfarm@yahoo.com

http://www.3creeksfarm.com/

Patterns for sale

Just FYI... I was organizing my stash and found quite a few patterns I know I'll never hook. I've listed them on the Buy, Sell & Barter site. 10% of everything sold will go to our guild. 

TTFN!

Sunny

Rug Beat Magazine -- for your Kindle or iPad!

Sharing with you... I just got this email yesterday (July 10):

Have you ever wondered what, exactly, is Rug Beat? Rug Beat is an online magazine devoted to all things rug hooking. Here's a glimpse at the topics covered in the latest issue, Rug Beat #7. This edition of Rug Beat includes awe-inspiring kaleidoscope rugs and quilts from the Art Hits the Wall exhibit in Nova Scotia, and a preview of the Sauder Village exhibit of presidential portrait rugs hooked by Nola Heidbreder.  Read about Bonifacia Tovar and what it is like to be a rug hooker in Mexico. Prepare for your first or fortieth rug camp with great ideas of what you might need to bring from a photo essay of a recent rug camp. The gorgeous photos are like a mental trip to rug camp; enjoy the mini vacation! Cec Caswell shares an idea for a quick and easy tool tote--a great use for small pieces of backing and leftover noodles. And take a video tour of Amy Oxford's new Punch Needle School. There has never been a better time to subscribe! When you subscribe now, you will have access to the current and all back issues of Rug Beat; that's 7 issues right away, plus the current year's issues as they are published (4 issues a year). This issue also includes a special coupon for money off your admission to Sauder Village. At only $9.95 a year, why not start enjoying Rug Beat today? Sincerely, Candi Derr Rug Beat Editor P.S. If you are still not sure, take a sneak peak at our first issue for FREE: http://www.rughookingmagazine.com/rug-beat/rug-beat-1

A couple of updates...

...to the Mason-Dixon events page...

July Show and Tell

It's always wonderful to see what everyone's working on! The more I see, the more energized I feel!

I'm sorry some of the pics are blurry, but here's what we're working on in July:

So cute!

Love the water and the sky!

Adorable!

Finally getting back to Caroline's pattern... this is really
fun to work on!

Grandbaby rug!

I love the flower petals and the leaves.
Sorry it doesn't show up better here.

Makin' me hongry!

Great looking purses! The one under Becky's arm
will be finished at ATHA.

Gorgeous! Can't wait to see the other birds come to life!

Another grandbaby rug. Fabulous work!

I think this is her first finished piece! 

Becky's hat... she hooked right into the hat! Looks gorgeous!

Looking very good, Ron!!

I love this sheep. Don't ewe?

Gorgeous! I really love the green behind the flowers and basket, and the very dark blue border. Great colors!

Doesn't that black background make the flowers POP?!?!

Question...

I think I have too many categories here... What's Happening Near and Far, Mason-Dixon Events, What's Happening With WHAHAFA, ATHA Events, and so on.

Any ideas on a good way to streamline things?

I know if I update our Home page, you see the new stuff when you come to the blog, but I don't know if you see the new info when I update other categories. Let me know, 'k?

Thanks!!

TTFN!

Sunny

Fiber Fest cancelled for 2013

Just in case you hadn't heard, this year's Fiber Fest has been cancelled, but will return next year.

http://www.mountainstatefiberartists.org/

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ANNUAL FIBER FEST SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 10, 2013 AT CAPON SPRINGS RURITAN BUILDING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE FIBER FEST WILL CONTINUE IN 2014 WITH MSFA HOSTING THE EVENT. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED YOU.

The Board of Directors, MSFA

A couple very cool videos...

Thanks so much to Cathy Gallahan for sharing these with me!!

I'm sure most of you have heard of Doris Eaton and her famous "Eaton Edge" method of finishing a rug. Here's a great video showing exactly how she does it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR-ebWIJd_Y&feature=player_embedded

Think you've heard about all the methods of dyeing?? Check out Karen Kahle's "Ice Dyeing":

http://primitivespirit.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/here-is-a-fun-dye-method-that-gives-you-uncommon-results/

TTFN!

Sunny

Hooking By The River IX

I posted updated info in Mason-Dixon Events about "Hooking By the River IX," which runs  October 10-12, 2013.

TTFN!

Sunny

"Thank You" to President Beth, for being such a great President!

All the members chipped in and donated posies of wool in a charming basket... (and yes! there was a lot of purple!)

To all my guild hooking friends,

   I can't thank you enough for my bouquet basket of wool.  I was totally shocked and had a hard time holding back tears....your generosity was overwhelming.   The wool is all so beautiful and there are so many pieces that I have never seen and certainly don't have.

   I wish I could thank each of you personally, but hope this note shows my appreciation.

   You are all a wonderful group to be associated with, and it was a pleasure to be your President the last 2 1/2 years.

   I hope everyone has a super great summer and I will see you all in August.

Thanks again from the bottom of my heart.

Love,

Beth

   

Jill Kupeski's "Creative Stitches" show and tell

It's amazing to see what one has to go through to get McGown certified!

Jill did a truly fabulous job with her final project –She had to show ways to use some Creative Stitches. And the final product was divine!

Of course, Jill had to take it one step further... she decided to make a sampler, showing off each stitch  on its' own.

The Sampler:

I'm sorry I didn't get all the names, but here's the ones I did get:
2-French Knots
3-Sculpting
4-Beading, (which she also used to divide the squares and to make the outside border),
5-Checkerboard
6-Chevron (aka Mock Herringbone)
8-Has a Japanese Button 

And the final piece. Sorry it didn't come out very sharp, but trust me - it's exqisite! Every one of the creative stitches in the sampler above is also in the final piece.

Jill also put together a binder of the sketches she used and how she hooked the final piece, step-by-step.

Amazing works of art!

"Apples For Lunch" – Doris's creative stitches class results

Hi all... sorry I've been gone so long. The time just flies by!

Here are all the rugs that were brought to our last meeting... finally! I don't have names to go with each one, but I do know three of them are Doris's. It just amazes me how everyone had the same pattern, the wool dyed by Doris, and yet how very different they all came out!

If you can identify any of the rugs I didn't, please let me know!!

One of Doris's 3 rugs

Cathy Gallahan's pretty pillow!

Another one of Doris's 3 rugs

Great new facebook page for rug hookers

Loretta Scena has started an Open Group page in facebook, called "Rug Hooking Camps, Shows, And Workshops." 

It's great to be getting all that info in one spot! If you have any info, she'd love to share it!

TTFN!

Sunny

There's more than 1 ATHA!

There's also the Akhal-Teki Horse Association.

Okay, this isn't really rug-hooking related, though I know there are MANY hookers out there who could do justice to this amazingly gorgeous horse! I just had to share this beauty with you! And thanks to Nancy Conant for sharing this on my facebook page.

Absolutely gorgeous!

     "What do you think...

     This stunning Akhal-Teke horse from Turkey was announced the most beautiful horse in the world.
     The Akhal-Teke's most notable and defining characteristic is the natural metallic bloom of its coat. This is especially seen in the palominos and buckskins, as well as the lighter bays, although some horses "shimmer" more than others.

TTFN!

Sunny

Connecticut rug hooking artist and teacher Michele Micarelli has been named The Hooked Rug Museum of North America's "United States Rug Hooker of the Year" for 2013!

In the process of honoring the fading heritage of the remarkable craft of rug hooking and its dramatic evolvement to fine art status as predicted by the late teacher/designer Pearl K. McGown, the Hooked Rug Museum of North America has just announced the selection of Michele Micarelli of Connecticut as the United States Rug Hooker of the Year for 2013.

A Past Chair of the Northern McGown Teacherʼs Workshops, her modernistic approach to design and color selection has won Michele numerous plaudits for opening an adventuress approach to rug art creativity. To coin a word from outer space exploration, Michele has dared to tread where rug hooking has seldom dared to go - and succeeded dramatically and in proliferation in both doing so and teaching how.

A major exhibit of Ms Micarelliʼs work will be unveiled at the June 15th formal dedication of the Hooked Rug Museum of North America on June 15th in Queensland, Nova Scotia. It will remain in place throughout the summer months to permit extensive public viewing.

Her biography relates a world of artistic accomplishment and recognition wrapped up in little more than a decade of remarkable accomplishments.

She is a certified rug hooking teacher whose main objective is to unleash creativity. Her talents in this objective are reflected in her work which will be displayed for all to enjoy. She is in big demand as a teacher, in Nova Scotia and elsewhere and her classes are full of storytelling, imagination, exercises and laughter. She has been a rug hooker since 1991 and prefers hooking on linen using #4 and #5 cut wool to achieve lots of detail.

She started rug hooking because of her childhood memories of rugs her father hooked.

Her rug hooking talent has been featured in several editions of The Celebration of Rug Hooking. and images of her rugs have appeared in books by Linda Coughlin, Jessie Turbayne, the late Mary Sheppherd Burton and Amy Oxford. She has been featured in several issues of Rug Hooking Magazine with articles that showed her dyeing skills and rugs made with imagination. She has taught workshops in the USA and Canada. 

In addition to the extensive collection of Micheleʼs work which will be prominently displayed in the HRMNA HALL OF FAME ( auditorium) this summer, images of her work can also be viewed on the internet at her website www.Michelemicarelli.com

She is the past President of the Northern McGown Teacherʼs Workshop and is a judge of Craftʼs Adventure in New England. Michele was honored artist at the Green Mountain Shelburne Museum “Strong Women” show and winner of The Silver Hook Award at The Newtown Rug Show 2008 for her dedication andcontribution to rug hooking.

(Contact W.H.Conrod at 902-275-5222.)

The Hooked Rug Museum of North America:

http://www.hookedrugmuseumnovascotia.org/home/

TTFN!

Sunny