By Guest Blogger Heather Gordon
I recently returned from teaching at rug camp in Gros Morne for the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador (RHGNL). The course was called Welcome To My Parlour and focussed on welcome mats with a twist – introducing the participants to 3-dimensional effects and interesting fibres. The 3 day (18 hour) course was inspired by a weekend workshop at Encompassing Designs last fall.
My welcome mat design was adapted from a small flat hooked table mat in the 2014 June/July/August issue of Rug Hooking magazine. Since the free pattern is intended for personal use only, I could not share even my adapted version or sell the pattern so Christine and I put our heads together and she created 3 charming new designs for a welcome mat course. We thought you would enjoy seeing how they were interpreted in Newfoundland.
Mermaid Welcome
As soon as the ink was dry on the linen, I hooked Mermaid Welcome with a combination of yarns and cut strips (both hand dyed and recycled). The original pattern is oval but I extended it to create a rectangle because I couldn’t resist a luxurious yarn that matched perfectly with the spot dyed wool in the proddy scales on the mermaid. When I finally get it finished, it will hang in a guest bathroom.
As soon as the ink was dry on the linen, I hooked Mermaid Welcome with a combination of yarns and cut strips (both hand dyed and recycled). The original pattern is oval but I extended it to create a rectangle because I couldn’t resist a luxurious yarn that matched perfectly with the spot dyed wool in the proddy scales on the mermaid. When I finally get it finished, it will hang in a guest bathroom.
I had only one of each of Christine’s patterns with me and the Mermaid Welcome was snatched up by Anne Astey. Here is a photo of Anne with her Mermaid Welcome. This is her first time using specialty yarns, appliqué and proddy. Before I even got back to Nova Scotia, she had gone out and purchased a batch of new fibres and sent me an email that said “There is no stopping me now!” Way to go, Anne.
Wooly Welcome
Judy Fudge from Green Bay South is the first person to hook Wooly Welcome. She arrived at rug camp with a big bag of soft pastel woven wool and look at what she is creating! We added roving and a variety of hand-woven and textured yarns. You just want to reach out and pet the little sheep she hooked in roving and variegated wool yarns as he rests comfortably in the mixed fabric proddy grass. Her appliquéd and stuffed heart centered flowers are beautiful.
Judy has a soft blue wool for the sky and fluffy roving for the clouds and will use lots of pretty spring greens, pinks and yellows, combining woven and spun fibres in the rest of her design.
Judy Fudge from Green Bay South is the first person to hook Wooly Welcome. She arrived at rug camp with a big bag of soft pastel woven wool and look at what she is creating! We added roving and a variety of hand-woven and textured yarns. You just want to reach out and pet the little sheep she hooked in roving and variegated wool yarns as he rests comfortably in the mixed fabric proddy grass. Her appliquéd and stuffed heart centered flowers are beautiful.
Judy has a soft blue wool for the sky and fluffy roving for the clouds and will use lots of pretty spring greens, pinks and yellows, combining woven and spun fibres in the rest of her design.
Cozy Cottage Welcome
Two of the ladies were working on the Cozy Cottage Welcome. It’s always fun to see different interpretations of a design and these will have a completely different look and feel when completed.
Mary Konkle, who lives in Ontario, has a summer home in Newfoundland. She came prepared with a pattern that she had ordered in advance from Christine and brought several bags of bright fibres. Her cheery little cottage will have a garden of appliquéd yellow-checkered flowers. She chose to hook her 3-dimensional heart with a raised loop technique rather than sculpt it and she will shape the leaves on the vine with the raised loop technique as well.
Two of the ladies were working on the Cozy Cottage Welcome. It’s always fun to see different interpretations of a design and these will have a completely different look and feel when completed.
Mary Konkle, who lives in Ontario, has a summer home in Newfoundland. She came prepared with a pattern that she had ordered in advance from Christine and brought several bags of bright fibres. Her cheery little cottage will have a garden of appliquéd yellow-checkered flowers. She chose to hook her 3-dimensional heart with a raised loop technique rather than sculpt it and she will shape the leaves on the vine with the raised loop technique as well.
Linda Peckford who spent most of her life on the Change Islands, now lives in Lewisporte where there is an active hooking group. Hew biggest challenge was loosening up. As a fine-cut hooker, it was difficult to hook higher and further apart than ever before but look at her results. The cottage roof and siding have great contrast and a little metallic sparkle. Her heart is a modified penny-mat motif, like we did in our Valentine heart pin cushion workshop last February here at Encompassing Designs. The heart is stuffed, adding dimension and the blanket stitch and daisy are done in – yes, you got it right..... real gold thread, donated by another class member.
Workshop COMING SOON!!!!
SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT
We are working on a selection of rooster patterns for this workshop – all using a bright colour palette. Watch for details!
SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT
We are working on a selection of rooster patterns for this workshop – all using a bright colour palette. Watch for details!
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