Sunday, August 17, 2008

more on the St Andrews pictorial


We have made the first turn of the St Andrews pictorial at the Quoddy Loopers rughooking group. There are approximately two more turns to go, and I hope we will finish it by the end of the year. It is a very loose representation of the town, with the windmill representing Kingsbrae Garden, the Pendlebury Light house, and at the top, the bathhouse on Ministers Island. Churches and trees in the middle, and then more to come as we turn the work on the frame—the St Andrews Blockhouse and the historic Fairmont Algonquin Hotel, among other sights. This is my first try at a big rug, and it seems odd not to be able to see it all at once, but it is too big for the frame we have, which is one that Susan Waddy, one of our group, inherited from an aunt who was a rughooker. Rughookers are great people--sharing and caring!

Before that, I am participating in the Two Countries, One Bay art studio tour, Sept 20/21, so am doing more hooking for that than on the pictorial, lately. Ray Peterson will have her beautiful quilts and ingenious quilted wallhangings and small items and we will both be demonstrating all day Saturday and Sunday, 9am—6pm, at the Kingsbrae Garden Visitors Centre [no admission required for the show, but 1/2 price entry to the Garden is offered to all studio visitors!].

"Two Countries, One Bay Art Studio Tour is a great opportunity to see a variety of inspired art work, visit the studios of creative artists, and experience the international cultures of two distinct countries — eastern Maine, USA, and southern New Brunswick, Canada — while enjoying en-route the breath-taking coastal scenery of Passamaquoddy Bay."

more mats & rugs


Karen Eagles finished her beautiful job on Jane McGown Flynn's "Birdland Bed & Breakfast", by adding a faux wood border/frame and whipping the edges in the traditional manner with woollen yarn. Very generously, Karen is donating her great mat [approx 3 x 3.5 ft] to Wesley United Church, here in St Andrews, for its fall sale: Labours of Love. A wide variety of items from members and friends will be on silent auction for the last two weeks of August and the first week of September.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

a work in progress

Art is Life -- Life is Art

At our weekly hooking sessions, we are working on a group project -- a St Andrews by-the-Sea pictorial. It's fairly large and we only work on it at the group [Wednesday nights, and only one or two of us at a time, so it's going to be quite awhile before it's finished]. I took a photo of it just before we turned to the next section, so I thought I'd share it. It is 3 1/2 ft by 4.75ft , I think, on primitive linen - mostly as-is wool, but I dyed some, too.

Hella Haun hooked the windmill [and she's only two years into her hooking!] and Jan Hunter did a masterful job on the lighthouse. I work in wide cuts, so most of the rest is mine, with a couple of people doing a tree or some rocks, here and there. This picture was taken just before we turned to the middle third 'panel', and it is coming along. I was particularly pleased with the wool I dyed for the church stained glass windows - it worked - though basic multi-colours, it gives the effect I was looking for.

We are going to do the lettering later and finish the sky when we have the main hooking done.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

more mats and rugs

The group has been busy, and here are a few more mats we've made or are working on:

Water Street shops, in the National Historic District of St Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, as designed by Heather Lewis and hooked by Sandra Lewis [as yet unfinished].

.
Lighthouse by the Sea [hooked magnificently by Jan Hunter; 3 cut on linen] Jan generously donated this beautiful piece to the Green Point Light in Letete, NB.
......
....
Jumping Katie Cat.[Maureen McIlwain, original, 6, 7 & 8 cut on Verel]
...........

Mary Jones crafted this lovely made-to-order wedding mat for a friend; 3, 4 & 5 cut on linen. [it was designed to order by Deb Carr, including the wedding flowers of lilies, calla lilies and very green 'Kermit' mums!]
.................

Sunday, June 22, 2008

summer's here in St Andrews

Six Quoddy Loopers went to the wonderful hook-in in Fredericton, hosted by the Heritage Guild in May. The hooking was fun, show-and-tell gorgeous and inspiring, and the lunch was lovely. Sande Gunning was there with her River Gallery goodies, so shopping rounded out a perfect day.

The city and outlying areas were starting to recover from the scary flooding of the St John River, and we took a walk afterwards to see the swollen, fast moving river, with huge old tree trunks, roots and all, beached on the shore as the waters receded, inch by inch. A sobering look at the unkinder aspects of Mother Nature, though it pales in scale against some of the disasters in the US and elsewhere.

The Quoddy Loopers meet all year long and welcome visitors - no matter their level of rughooking experience - any Wednesday evening. The group tends to be a little larger in the cold months; now that everyone is gardening or just enjoying warmer weather, there is competition for hooking time. Once the heat of summer gets stronger, the lure of a cool bright space to hook in brings a few more back, but there are always a few die-hards, each week.
Inspiration for rugs comes from so many places, but for me, at least, nature provides a wealth of ideas, and looking at others' rugs and mats is also inspiring - everyone has a different palette and way of putting colours together. One of the rughooking online groups I visit frequently is: http://groups.msn.com/WoolSnippets/ -- even for those who are far from a 'real' group, online visiting, displays, encouragements and advice are always available. Being part of a virtual group is another joy of rughooking, meeting people you would likely never get to know otherwise. There is also a list of rughooking groups in the US and Canada, and a list of blogs.


The Fairmont Algonquin Hotel, golf course & the Town of St Andrews, NB,
Canada's premier seaside resort town
...
I just had a great visit at: http://bitsofwool.blogspot.com/. Trudy's daughter and friend are working at the old and beautiful [Fairmont] Algonquin hotel here in town this summer [above]. It's just a few steps from the superb 27-acre Kingsbrae Garden, where I work.
.........
.
Kingsbrae Garden windmill with lupins--the popular maritime wildflower--and Cora & Lily with the armillary in the Knot Garden [on a visit from Leeds, UK]

Kingsbrae Garden: under a horse chestnut tree in the Perennial Garden and Alice & Angelina [alpacas]
.................
These are two of our four alpacas at Kingsbrae Garden, mother and daughter. We also have two males, Alfie [cream] and Albert [black], so when the experts from Legacy Lane and the Scenic Valley Alpaca Farm, where we got our alpacas, come to shear them later this month, they will have different colours of wool to make into yarn and roving for us. Several of us who work at the Garden are looking forward to the products to use in our own knitting and special hooking projects. At the environmentally responsible Legacy Lane mill [near Sussex, NB], they use alpaca, merino, soy and bamboo fibres, for strength and sustainability.
.......

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Will winter ever end?

The Quoddy Loopers have been busy over the winter, still meeting weekly, and enjoying each others' mats, large and small.

We are looking forward to the Heritage Rug Hooking Guild's hook-in in Fredericton on May 3rd [10 am to 3pm], by which time surely winter will be over. Can't count on anything, though; snow could persist into May. Hopefully not!

Quoddy Loopers are planning our second annual hook-in, the first Saturday of November, Nov 1/08, 9:30 to 4pm.

Roll on, spring!

Karen's "Birdland B&B" by Jane McGown Flynn, top left, Nancy's Easter Eggs
(yes, we know Easter has been, but we're thinking SPRING!)
and my bluebirds, at right .

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Quoddy Loopers around town

The Quoddy Loopers' hook-in on November 3rd was a warm success, in spite of the inclement weather. In the face of dire storm predictions, intrepid rughookers from Saint John, Sussex. Fredericton and Moncton came to St Andrews on Saturday, November 3rd, to join the Quoddy Loopers at our first annual hook-in. Sande Gunning came from Browns Flat/Glenwood to tempt us all with her beautiful wools and other supplies. Our brand new member, Natalie, was lucky enough to win the River Gallery grand door prize, a sampling of the new Dorr wools and bent rughooking scissors that Sande graciously donated. Everyone went home with a prize. It was a great day, with a tasty lunch, lots of hooking, sharing and inspiration.

For the first weekend in December, our group again decorated a room in the Ross Memorial Museum of St Andrews for their annual Christmas Open House. Several members took turns demonstrating rughooking for the visitors. A few were surprised to see the 'mannequins' come to life, and all were fascinated to observe the process. Quite a few had family memories to share of grandparents, fathers or mothers who hooked rugs.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Rug Hook-in in St Andrews, NB

Calling all rughookers - the Quoddy Loopers are having a hook-in on November 3rd, 2007. As usual, we will meet in the Catholic church hall [lower level, where we meet every Wednesday evening... cool in the summer and warm in the winter!]. We will provide lunch, and hook like crazy morning and afternoon, 9am to 3:30pm. [Nancy Carson's Puffins on the Shore, right]
.
Location: Church of St Andrew (Catholic) hall--210 Parr Street (corner of King and Parr/side door) in St. Andrews, NB

Sande Gunning of River Gallery Fibres will be on hand with her yummy wools, wide variety of patterns and rughooking supplies.

Feel free to email for more information or to let us know you're coming: maureenm(at)nb.aibn.com

Sunday, May 20, 2007

River Gallery fibre extravaganza

Sande Gunning's River Gallery in Browns Flat (not far from Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick... and just a little further from St Andrews) is a wonderful spot for fibre enthusiasts of all stripes, dots and weaves. Rughooking, quilting, appliqué, knitting, felting, ribbon embroidery---pick your passion! Sande carries a full line of supplies, tools, books and patterns; also related ornamental items, just for fun. The warm wooden walls and warmer proprietor welcome you and the vibrant display cheers the spirit. I'm always in awe that Sande remembers all our names and often what we were last working on... the personal touch is much appreciated! It is always good news when Sande brings her goods on the road, to a workshop or exhibit, as we know there will be new 'must-haves'.

On the walls of the studio shop are finished mats and wallhangings, showing the talent and ingenuity of our New Brunswick and Nova Scotia rughookers. If you are new to the craft, you are welcome to sit down at the frame and hook on a rug sampler in progress. Or to try out various hooks until you find the one that feels just right. Sande will happily advise you on a pattern, wools or cotton fabric for your rug or quilt; her practiced eye can make it easier to pick just the right colours, if you're undecided. 100% wools: solids, plaids, hand-dyed, swatches... goodies galore!

http://www.rivergallery.ca/
contact@rivergallery.ca

Toll-free in North America 1-877-468-9004
Local (506) 468-9004

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Deanne Fitzpatrick has a new Studio!

If you like hooked rugs... and I assume you do, if you've stuck around after finding this blog... please visit Deanne Fitzpatrick, either online at http://www.hookingrugs.com/ or in person at her wonderful new studio at 7 Electric Street, in Amherst, Nova Scotia [Canada]. Deanne was kind enough to open her studio for me yesterday [not usually open on a Sunday] and I spent a happy hour browsing, soaking up the beautiful rugs and mats on display, the fabulous colours in wool, yarn, silk and other media, and chatting with Deanne as she effortlessly drew her characteristically bold and breezy designs right on to burlap and linen. Deanne's Newfoundland roots and her inspirational artistic talents are infused in her spirited designs; her sense of colour and form is magical. I wanted one of everything, but had to settle for a modest haul of beautiful wool, silk and a divine mohair hand-dyed yarn for my current projects. Deanne very kindly looked at my Tangled Garden mat and offered some excellent advice; now to get back to it with her encouragement fresh in my mind!

Deanne’s workshops and symposia are generally sold out well in advance. Currently a symposium for October 2008 is being planned.

Several of our Quoddy Loopers have done or are in the midst of doing Deanne’s patterns. They are full of life and vitality. If you visit her hookingrugs website, you’ll be doing yourself a favour.