News/Blog

Saint-Jean Baptiste Day 2009    by L.G. de Tonnancour    This year again, Centennial Hall was the meeting place for the Fête nationale du Québec in Beaconsfield . The sky was perfectly clear and live musicians filled the air with traditional Quebecois music. The old white building was decorated for the occasion with blue and white flags and on the grounds, sheltered under small kiosks, artisans of all trades were selling their wares or demonstrating their art. There was a great deal to see. Alice Hamilton, Ailish O’Keeffe, Sylvia Solomon and Louise G. de Tonnancour of the Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild gave rug hooking demonstrations throughout the event. It was a wonderful day filled with laughter and friendly conversation. Alice Hamilton and Ailish O'Keeffe with  some visitors  

A day trip in Ontario By Louise G. de Tonnancour Thursday morning, June 11 th 2009 , Sally Perodeau, Denise Morissette, Maria Romero and myself left Beaconsfield at 8:30 to attend the invitation for a picnic in Mallorytown hosted by the Brockville Thousand Islanders . Sally drove us there, in what was a very smooth drive, in exactly two hours and fifteen minutes.  The Library&Community Hall where the event took place was just ½ km or so off the 401.  We were gracefully welcomed and directed to the beautiful grounds surrounded by trees under which the rug hookers had found places to sit.  In the middle, a white gazebo sheltered one of the vendors, the others regrouped in the shade, along a rustic fence.  On that special day, hats were the theme of the day.  All colours, sizes, shapes and wonderfully decorated, they were everywhere to be seen and admired.  At 12:00 , we were invited inside to help ourselves to buffet tables very...

Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Picnic 2009 by Rose Kandy Saturday, May 23, dawned somewhat cloudy and cool – but a little weather has never daunted rug hooking aficionados. Tables and chairs were set out on the lawn at Centennial Hall with its beautiful view of Lake St. Louis . Refreshments and coffee were kept inside, away from feathered, furry and other creatures that always show up uninvited to picnics. Guests began arriving about 10 and were given badges and tickets. It was a pleasure to welcome  fellow crafters from North Hatley ,  Montreal , Pointe-Claire, and our own Beaconsfield , especially those rug hookers who work and are rarely able to join us on Mondays. The sun finally came out and warmed our chilled hands and feet and we all set to hooking. Soon it was lunchtime; the desserts and fruit brought by the hosts made a tasty finish to the meal. At which time, squirrels, a pair of ducks, the ever-present freshwater gulls and blackbirds came in to jo...

A Rough Guide to Rag Rugs an exhibition to celebrate 21 years of the West Riding Ruggers Saturday 2 May to Sunday 12 July 2009 Take a trip to see this exciting exhibition of traditional and contemporary rag rugs.  Find out about their historic origins, be surprised by their beauty, and explore how this fabulous textile craft has gone global.  There are colourful hooked and prodded rugs, subtle shirred and braided rugs, even a spectacular rag rug birthday cake.  Sponsored by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Awards for All and the travel book company Rough Guides, discover the story of this successful group of local rug makers still going today after 21 years.  Over 200 striking rugs and wonderful wall hangings created by group members are on display, many have been inspired by places around the world, from Mongolia to Morocco and from India back home to Yorkshire.  The group has been enthused by special celebrations from home, other countries a...

The Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild  goes international By L.G. de Tonnancour Last January, through a member of our group, we learned that The West Riding Ruggers from Bradford , England was preparing a rug show of their own at the Bradford Industrial Museum to be seen from May 2, 2009 till July 12, 2009 .  An email, from them, invited ruggers to send pictures of themselves with their rugs, done in any technique, to be exhibited under the International Postcards.     In the spirit of Show & Tell, our guild sent a disc of photos.  Over sea, the idea followed its course, the response was encouraging and with the work and dedication of a wonderful group of people the exhibition has become reality.  Read the press release and see some pictures of the show ... I have no doubt, you will be charmed.   The pictures were taken by Lora West.  All of it was emailed to us by Mrs Penelope Gardiner. From left to ...

Carving Workshop by  Louise G. de Tonnancour Lois Morris The Beaconsfield Rug Hooking Guild really spoiled us this Spring with two wonderful workshops. The last one of the season “Sculpting” was given to us by Lois Morris, Saturday, April 25 th , 2009 . What a wonderful and profitable day this day was for all who attended!  Most of us feared of cutting at the wrong place...!!! The instructor gave undeniable expertise and personal care to all her students. It goes without saying that with laughter and good fellowship we all pulled through. Thank you, Lois, for your step by step guidance and the generosity that your teaching prevailed over the years and still fortunately will do, in the future. It’s a wish! Follow the link to see the Photo Album: Carving Workshop

Show & Tell  by BHCG rug hookers of rugs in progress during Hook-In of April 6th, 2009. Alice Hamilton Betty Austin Betty Austin (detail) Lois Morris Lois Morris (detail) Louise G. De Tonnancour Sylvia Solomon Sylvia Solomon (detail) Ailish O'Keefe

Olde Forge Hook-In by Denise Vandenbemden On Saturday April 4 th we were invited to a hook-in hosted by the Olde Forge in Ottawa . Rug hookers from Ontario and Montreal ’s West Island hooked together and shared the stories behind the rugs they were making. A sale of hooking supplies had been organized and we felt like children in a Christmas store, looking, touching and buying beautiful wool.   The hosting ladies had baked delicious goodies for their guests and raffled a basket with desirable hooking supplies for charity as well as the flowers decorating the buffet table.  We had a wonderful time. A big thank you to the ladies of the Olde Forge. Follow the Link to see the Photo Album: Olde Forge 2009

© Jen Tabangcura   If you're planning to create a portrait or you want to design a human character, take a look at Jen Tabangcura's   drawing  tutorial  at Anatomy plz!

Round trip to New Mexico. Original by Louise G. de Tonnancour. Round trip to New Mexico Designed and hooked by Louise G. de Tonnancour I always wanted to see New Mexico. My dream became reality during a March school break. Upon my return, I designed and decided to make this rug in the punchneedle technique. 60" in diameter Sudoku. Original by Brenda Ticehurst. Sudoku Designed and Hooked by Brenda Ticehurst When planning my next rug, I wanted to do something that would be more interactive for viewers. In the summer at the cottage our family does Sudoku contests. It gave me the idea to hook one. I chose a puzzle that was symmetrical. It is a medium difficult one. To make it more colorful I assigned a consistent colour to each number. At the bottom I made a pocket to hold pencils and a paper copy of the puzzle for those who wanted to try it. I also hooked a few individual numbers that could be pinned in place when viewing the work. It is hooked on bu...

Show & Share_ A teacher is born by Louise G. de Tonnancour  Brenda Ticehurst On  Monday, March 30 th 2009 a group of rug hookers met at 10:00am at Centennial Hall in Beaconsfield for a workshop on braiding rugs given by Brenda Ticehurst.  There was a lot of  excitement in the air and we just couldn’t wait to start. Our teacher was very well prepared.  In a matter of minutes, we all received a kit with clamps, needles, wool strips and a “How To” booklet that she had put together especially for us.  With a smiling face and a lot of patience she guided each and every one of us through the different steps.  It was a first and very successful experience for Brenda, as a teacher, whose love for braided rugs is very contagious.  Thank you Brenda, for a wonderful day and a job well done! Folow the link to see our Photo Album :  Braiding Rugs

A great visit by Rose Kandy On Monday, March 23 rd , The Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild hosted Karen Kaiser, Penelope Deering and Julie Ridler, members of the Thousand Islands Rug Hooking Group. Karen spoke to us of the Summer Rug Hooking Retreats at her home near Belleville , Ontario and invited us all to come for one of the weekends. For biographies of the teachers and a summary of the classes as well as a registration form, email her at woody.kaiser@gmail.com or call 613-966-2658. Left to Right: Karen Kaiser and Jeanne Osler The classes will run from April to October end. Along with 7 other teachers, each weekend will be devoted to a different aspects or rug hooking and wool art. Karen, who is a graphic designer by trade, has an especially good eye for original design, as we saw from the rugs she demonstrated. All these ladies are very talented and it was a real pleasure to chat with them.  Hooed Rug by Karen Kaiser The other topic which the...

by Louise G. de Tonnancour This very old technique is still well used by ruggers in England especially the Yorkshire where Heather Ritchie  lives. I learned the Proddy   technique with   her in a workshop I took with her 3 years ago.  You will need a plyer or a sharp. Cut the strips. On the right side of the rug ...

Do you want to prolong the life of your rug? Click on the link to visit The Canadian Conservation Institut Web site and read  How to care for carpets and rugs . http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/caringfor-prendresoindes/articles/430-eng.aspx

The covered bridge.  Designed by Maud Lewis and hooked by Marion Hood. The covered bridge Designed by Maud Lewis and hooked by Marion Hood This is a rug hooking pattern from a Maud Lewis painting, purchased from Highland Heart Hooking School, N.S. The scene reminds me of River John, Nova Scotia, 100 years ago and of the covered bridge and my grandfather Murray M.D, making calls in his sleigh and Trixie, his horse. Hooked in # 4 and # 6 . The sparkly snow is a skein of mohair and wool, acrylic and nylon (sparkle) Pond Hockey Club. Original by Alice Hamilton. Pond Hockey Club Designed and Hooked by Alice Hamilton The idea behind the picture came from 3 sources. My great nephew Alex was learning to skate and spent a lot of time laying flat on the ice, refusing to get up. Can you find him in the picture? You're right. He is the one flat on his tummy. The second source was an article I read in Canadian Geographic Magazine about pond hockey tournaments in New Br...

By Maureen Rowe Try hooking lettering with a plaid if your background is flat. Pick one of the colours, which picks up the background  colour or from another flat colour used elsewhere in the rug. Also when hooking letters, hook a row of background at the top and at the bottom of the letters to be hooked, then hook the letters snugly up to the hooked background rows. After hooking with your head bent forward for awhile, put your feet flat on the floor and let your head hang backwards for a few moments for relief of neck tension. When whipping the corner of a rug, hold a small piece of matching wool over...

Candles In The Window. Denise Vandenbemden. Candles In The Window Hooked by Denise Vandenbemden We wanted to do something special for our 2008 exhibition and the first idea was to create a small piece with candles. I love stained glass and downloaded, from the Internet, a free stained glass pattern reminding me of the beautiful windows in art deco houses. I adapted it to my own taste by making it a double window and choosing the pastel colors I like, although these are more often seen in church windows than in art deco houses. I added the candles and that was it. The result is what you see here. The size is 16 x 16" hooked on burlap with cut #4. The colors are dyed on new natural wool.    Memory Of My Wedding Day. Maureen Rowe. Memory Of My Wedding Day Designed and Hooked by Maureen Rowe Our wedding photographer made a composite photograph of my husband Hugh and me, kissing inside a brandy glass on a table next to a candle and a rose. So this rug is my ...

Denise Morissette. Laurierville, Quebec, my village. Laurierville, Quebec, my village Designed and Hooked by Denise Morissette The landscape reproduces the countryside where I grew up. These images are a product of my imagination and memory of the beautiful Appalachian region where I lived my youngest years. I choose to recreate the color of spring when nature wakens after the winter. Photos are used as model for the design of houses and the church of the village. The dimension is 39 x 26 ½ inches. This work is made with number 6 and 3 cuts. The wool used is from clothes bought in second hand stores. For the sky I used wool bought by the meter. The graduated blue color was done under the supervision of Lois Morris in a workshop on dyeing. Sylvia Solomon. Floral Fantasy #1. Original. Floral Fantasy # 1 Designed and Hooked by Sylvia Salomon I like crewel-type florals and I like to draw my own pattern. This is an asymmetrical design with different kinds of flowers wit...