N&B

How I got “hooked” on rug hooking?    by Kay Cousineau    In 1977, while reading the local paper, I came across a photo of a friend with two members of a newly formed group of rug hookers demonstrating their craft for their upcoming first exhibition. I asked my friend what exactly is rug hooking and the more she told me the more I became interested, as I have always been fond of all types of crafts.   Upon inquiring, I was invited to sit in on one of their beginners’ classes, taught by Lois Morris, who introduced this craft to the West Island community of Beaconsfield , where I resided. Well, suffice it to say I was completely “hooked” and have never stopped hooking since . I signed up for every course that was offered by the city i...

Remembering the foundation of the Guild    by Lois Morris, founder      After relocating from Toronto in 1973 where I had been teaching rug hooking since 1967, I  began teaching this craft in my home in Beaconsfield to a group of neighbours. In the Fall of 1974, the City of Beaconsfield placed this notice in the local West Island newspaper  The News and Chronicle: "Creative Nineteenth Century Rug Hooking: an old craft as a new art form - with Lois Morris as instructor. Mrs. Morris has had courses in creative design, including colour planning and dyeing.  She has worked extensively in oils and is an accomplished ceramist. She is past president of the Mississauga branch of the Ontario Hooking Craft Guild and is a registered teacher with the Rittermere Craft Studio in Vine...

by Denise Vandenbemden President   Artist: Salvatore Vuono at www.freedigitalphotos.net I n Beaconsfield , Quebec , Canada , a few stay at home moms, friends, came together and started hooking rugs, one of them was Lois Morris. She was an artist and a licensed rug hooking teacher and under her guidance the group grew and became a guild, the Beaconsfield Rug Hooking Crafters Guild. At the same time, in Belgium , I had a teenage daughter and a full time job. I knew very little about Canada and nothing at all about traditional rug hooking, but I made latch hooked rugs. Latch hooked rugs came in kits, the pattern printed onto the backing and the wool already cut. When I became a single mom and finances ran low, t...