 All gathered in the name of rug hooking! I was doing some research into old fashioned rug hooking bees when I came across these photos from an article in Life Magazine July 1951. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the published text but I think the photos speak for themselves. Can't you hear the chatter as the ladies saunter from frame to frame to admire one another's handiwork. Talk of designs and colour, sharing suggestions and telling the story of the piece they are working on. People from near and far sharing the love and tales of rug hooking. I wonder what the large pieces are in the middle on the grass....maybe partially hooked room sized rugs? Maybe unhooked patterns for sale? A mystery! One picture had a caption that said there were a thousand plus women and a few men attending this summer day outing in a church yard somewhere in the United States. I can only imaging how far down the block the cars were parked! Can you imagine that many people under the sun all sharing a passion for rug hooking? We'd think we died and went to hooker heaven! Most rug schools around here average 100 people converging on a venue so ten times that amount seems astronomical. We don't even have that many people living in Mahone Bay....I think the last census put us at 963 but some have come and some have gone so I'm not sure what the head count is now. Seeing this picture greased some wheels that had been seized for a bit. In the past I've entertained thoughts of organizing a similar function here in Mahone Bay. Why not? If all goes well, make it an annual affair! We have a fabulous venue that could handle large volumes of people and bring more attention to our beautiful seaside town. And there is a lot of rug hooking support in our tiny community. Two rug hooking shops, Spruce Top and Encompassing Designs and the North American Rug Hooking Museum is only down the road a bit. Our area is richly saturated with rug hooking so there should be a great turn out and maybe people from other provinces and the states would mosey on by for a little get to know you, put faces to names and do a bit of hooking hobnobbing. Any excuse to play with wool right? We have a hook-in this Wednesday evening and I’ll call for volunteers to head up a committee to look into the viability of holding a one day, old fashioned Rug Bee. Fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted. Most rug hookers would crawl naked over glass to get together and share their passion, do a bit of show and tell and maybe swap a piece of wool. A day of pure fun. Of course it would great to be outside but weather is always iffy so it’s best to plan for inside and hope for great weather for an outside stroll, or maybe even haul your frame under a tree and pull loops under a blue sky. I’ve been saving ideas for this sort of thing and now the creative juices are cascading out of my insomnia, riddled brain. If any of you have any suggestions I'll throw them into the mix and if/when this idea gets off the ground, we can pull off the best darn Rug Bee there ever was. |  Totally engrossed her in work this woman is doing a traditional stepped line in hit and miss fashion.  It almost looks like a lecture theatre behind this woman as she gives a demonstration for dyeing wool. The pieces on the makeshift washline are definitely odds and ends of recycled wools.  Possibly an interested buyer. I'm sure these events attracted a number of interested rug enthusiasts. There just might be a bit of haggling going on.  A sweet little girl is busy making a rug....possibly for her trousseau. This pattern has all the classic floral motifs, the center medallion and the border of scroll shapes that lock together. We've all seen similar patterns.  The same girl examining a strip of wool. This is a great shot of her set of bars, made to fit her body length. Comfort is always key. |
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” Ryunosuke Satoro
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