Guest Author - Iris ten Holder

What better way to spend some time getting to know rugmaking than visiting the websites of rug making artists from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom?

As you will see, designs can vary from the pictorial to the abstract, from finely detailed images to soft flowing forms.


Rachelle LeBlanc calls herself a Hooked Rug Artist. A self-taught rug maker, she lives in Montreal, Canada. According to her website she is fairly new to rug making, yet the rugs in her online galleries show that she has accomplished a lot in a short time. Her experience as a painter has had an influence on her rug designs. It is interesting to see how she also uses rug hooking to makes smaller items, such as the Christmas stockings she recently designed, currently part of an exhibit in Quebec.

http://hookedrugstudio.com/rug%20hooking_1.htm

On her web site you will find some helpful information on how to choose fabrics and how to obtains great colors, She sells fabrics, as well as kits with her own designs. They seem to be a great way to get someone acquainted with the craft.

http://hookedrugstudio.com/rug%20hooking%20Kits.htm

For Lucy Mason, who owns Prodigal Rugs in the U.K, the use of recycled materials is key to the significance of her work. On her web site you can see several of her rugs. Currently her designs are inspired by the Devon landscape that surrounds her, Her work reminds one of weavings that use flowing color blending.

You will also find a short description of the difference between hooking and prodding, a glossary of rag rug terms and a short history of rag rug making. The design of Lucy's rugs is modern and predominantly abstract.

http://www.prodigalrugs.com/gallery.html

Sally Van Nuys started hooking just a few years ago. Her designs are bold while still showing interesting detail. 'My first attempt' is a charming abstract; 'Lamb's tongues and Pennies' features traditional rug hooking patterns; 'Antique Pottery' shows a fine combination of lettering and antique pottery images. She takes her inspiration from designs used in the early days of rug making.

http://www.amherst-antiques-folkart.com/RugHooking_Gallery.htm

Bonnie Stahl from Pennsylvania uses flowers and animals in her designs, reminiscent of folk art. On her website you will find good examples of her craft. Her designs show the freedom a rug-hooking artist has in shaping the designs. Many rug making methods work row by row, but since rag rug hooking is done by pulling fabric strips through burlap, it is possible, and even mandatory, to follow the design flow and fill in-between spaces afterwards. Her "style is unique" in that her use of color makes a rug "look 'old' and in place amongst antiques, primitive reproductions, and American Folk Art" (quoted from her web site).

http://www.bonniestahlhookedrugs.com/shows.html

Some artists use frames over which the burlap or canvas is stretched; others continue to work without a frame. I tend to prefer to attach the top of the work to a firmly anchored surface. In another article I will provide more information about frames, looms, and even how to construct simple devices.

May this tour provide an inspiration and guide in designing a hooked rug! Although the task may at first look daunting, choosing something within your realm of competence and especially something that inspires you, will make this a great experience.


Happy Holidays!