News/Blog

Mug Rug Workshop By Dawna Matthew On Saturday, April 25th, BHCG held a very successful “Create a Mug Rug” workshop. Our goal was to give people a taste of traditional rug hooking in an informal setting. People are often curious about this rewarding and creative fibre art form but do not easily get the chance to try their hand at it so this was a perfect opportunity! We had a large group of eleven in a wide range of ages, and seven members were present to lend a helping hand. As you can see in the photos, the looks of concentration and the smiles show that everyone was working hard but enjoying themselves. A follow-up session will be held on Saturday, May 2nd. Mug Rug Workshop -  Le Coin Artisanal - April 2015 Denise Vandenbemden giving Intro Class Attendees a Show and Tell experience, whilst Maria captures more epic moments! *** Follow the link to see the Photo Album: Mug Rug Workshop / April 2015

Learn how to hook a rug, crafting guild offers introductory class    Kathryn Greenaway, Montreal Gazette More from Kathryn Greenaway, Montreal Gazette Published on: April 21, 2015 Last Updated: April 21, 2015 10:04 AM EDT  A Work by Isabelle Rollin . Photographer: John Kenney / Montreal Gazette As part of the 40th-anniversary celebrations of the Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild, veteran rug hookers are offering introductory classes at Le Coin Artisanal, 454A Beaconsfield Blvd., April 25 and May 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The design possibilities are endless when approaching this traditional craft, which reaches back as far as the time of the Vikings. Participants will learn the basics while creating a coaster-sized rug to put under a coffee mug. The workshop costs $20 and includes materials and the mug. Class times are flexible. Instructors will be on site for the duration. For information, call 514-247-9310...

2015 OHCG Annual    By Lois Morris    The OHCG 2015 Annual was held at the beautiful Best Western Lamplighter Hotel, in London , Ontario , April 17-19. This charming venue, with atrium, swimming pool and slides for guests and children, and rooms overlooking waterfalls and fish ponds, was home for the weekend. This paradise even had ideal weather. An atrium was adjacent to the hallway leading to the ballroom, where the show was held. Ample tables and chairs were provided to the hookers where we sat, hooked and greeted visitors who were lured by the colourful displays and stopped by to see what we were doing. Numerous workshops and vendors’ displays set up for those attending were magnificently arranged and well run. Kudos to the hosting guilds.  OHCG 2015 Annual Ontario Annual Show

  Examiner - Logo     Beaconsfield hookers celebrate their 40th The Examiner April 16, 2015 1:59 PM MST by Rhonda Massad “One thing is for sure if people can call us hookers you know we all have to have a sense of humour.” said founder of the guild Lois Morris. Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild will spread spring cheer to celebrate their 40th anniversary. March 23, was set aside by the hookers to create handmade wool flower magnets to be donated to the the West Island’s Meals on Wheels (MOW) kitchens to hand out to their clients. “We are essentially rug hookers,” guild vice president Linda Henderson told The Suburban, “so the special project we will be working on is a little outside our expertise.” According to Henderson several of the members, who have been meeting each Monday since 1975, still producing hooked pieces, are into their nineties. While at the other end of the scale, hooking classes are taught to enthusiastic grade five students at S...

Beaconsfield hookers celebrate their 40th April 15, 2015 by Rhonda Massad West Island Blog community news, Page 14. “One thing is for sure if people can call us hookers you know we all have to have a sense of humour.” said founder of the guild Lois Morris Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild will spread spring cheer to celebrate their 40th anniversary. March 23, was set aside by the hookers to create handmade wool flower magnets to be donated to the the West Island’s Meals on Wheels (MOW) kitchens to hand out to their clients. “We are essentially rug hookers,” guild vice president Linda Henderson told The Suburban, “so the special project we will be working on is a little outside our expertise.” According to Henderson several of the members, who have been meeting each Monday since 1975, still producing hooked pieces, are into their nineties.  While at the other end of the scale, hooking classes are taught to enthusiastic grade five stud...

Dear Members, Please find attached invitations for the Picnic and Exhibition.  Please feel free to share the Exhibition flyer with friends, family and work colleagues.  Further details will follow in the coming weeks. Warm regards,Ti Seymour BHCG President 2015 Picnic Invitation 2015 Show Invitation

Ottawa Olde Forge Hookin, April 11, 2015   By Carolyn Ells Olde Forge 2015 The annual Ottawa Olde Forge Hookin is a favourite spring-time event for hookers from Ontario Area 1 branches. More than 12 of us from Beaconsfield shared in the fun this year. A bagpiper greeted visitors at the door. At the registration desk we were each given a wool fabric key holder as a souvenir. Then we scattered: some to claim seats in the main room, others to see what the vendors had brought, or greet acquaintances from other branches.   Soon the program started with words of welcome and Maria Romaro won the first door prize. (She was delighted, saying she never wins anything.) We hooked and visited and shopped.   We admired the display of hooked mats with braided edges and indulged ourselves at the coffee and treats table. Carolyn Ells also won a door prize (ahh she always wins…). The ever-popular Show and Tell kept our necks turning to see the results and progress of so ...

Follow-up - Sherwood Forest Elementary - Thursday, April 9, 2015 Thank you Dawna Matthew & Cathy Wilson for popping in with me, to see Grade 5's progress. They were very happy to see us arrive and help out.  We managed to sort out some issues they were having with ripping t-shirts, colour planning and losing loops.  By the end of our hour slot we had seen definite progress and smiles all round.   Mrs Bates showed us her daughter performing in an Irish Dancing Competition in an outfit made by our member Mary "Em" McMurray - very impressive on both counts girls. Respectfully submitted by Ti Seymour Sherwood Forest Elementary School Sherwood Forest Elementary School Project By Cathy Wilson I was impressed how much the project was owned by the students and not the teacher, nor the volunteering adults.  As you can see in the photos, the patterns were as different as the students themselves. The kids picked and cut thei...

Hooked by Claire Fradette Flowers on a Brown Background By Claire Fadette This rug that I finished in 2012  is 14 inches high x 28 inches wide. This rug came from a donation. From time to time the Guild gets donation of old rugs, sometimes just an old pattern on burlap or linen, sometimes a rug that was begun many years ago and never finished. This was a pattern on very old burlap with many weak spots and holes. I glued a new backing to the reverse side to reinforce it and from there I proceeded to hook with no. 3 cut recycled wool. The background was hooked in various shades of brown wool.  Hooked by Maria Romero My Aunt Ena By Maria Romero My aunt Ena gave me a gift of a doily crocheted with a border pattern of orange flowers. Wishing to hook a mat to thank her, I decided to use the doily edges as a finishing touch to a round hooked piece. The design I chose was the portrait of a woman painted by the Spanish artist Joaquin Soroya. I ...

You've been Hooked. Happy April Fool's Day!  Illustration by Maria Romero

Mug Rug Class Beginners Classes Create a Mug Rug Available dates:  April 25th and May 2nd, from 10 AM  to 2 PM  Mug Rug: $20 includes Mug and Materials Come along to this class to learn traditional rug hooking. A mug rug is the perfect small project for all ages. You will choose from a variety of mugs and design a Mug Rug (coaster) to match. Help will be on hand every step of the way. These classes are held at: Le Coin Artisanal                      454A Beaconsfield Blvd., Beaconsfield, QC For more information, please contact : ti.seymour@yahoo.com or call 514-247-9310

Padula* Party  *Padula - stylized representation of a flower. As one of the activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the guild, it was decided to give back to the community by making small flowers (padulas) to give to recipients of Meals on Wheels in West Island.  Members got together on Saturday, March 21st and Monday, March 23rd to make fabric flowers with fridge magnets.  The artistic talent of many of the guild members shone through as dozens of flowers came to life, with no two alike.  The activity proved to be a lot of fun and certainly brought some brightness to what we hope is the end of a very tough winter.  We hope in turn that this small gesture of a happy little flower will bring some joy to someone who receives it along with a meal. Making Padulas for Meals on Wheels

Scrappy Rug Class Review_ By Jacqueline Tseng Judith Dallegret’s Scrappy Rug course, which consisted of 4 classes*, given at the Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild in February, was marvelous!! Her course took us through the basics of cutting wool, how to hook, and blending colors. We were shown many examples of different types of borders to give us ideas, and were treated to a day of dying wool.  Judy gave us a great tip - put some poison (colors that stand out) into our rugs to give them a nice pop! Although a Scrappy Rug is perfect for using up our scraps, a lot of us couldn’t help but stock up on some more beautiful wool from Judith’s collection.  Judith’s class was very inspirational. Her carefree, open-minded attitude and support of individual tastes and talents were great incentives for some of us who are “not so sure”.   This way we enjoy what we are doing and we do more of it! * Feb 9 ...

Teaching Rug Hooking to Grade 5 Students At the Sherwood Forest Elementary School By Ti Seymour Jacques Lepage and Isabelle Rollin at Sherwood Forest Elementary School As part of the Guild's 40th Anniversary it was decided that community projects would lead our celebrations. The first such project would be to introduce rug hooking to a local school and exhibit their pieces at our 40th Anniversary Exhibition to be held September 25-27, 2015. At the first session, the children were shown rugs and wall hangings that members of the Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild had hooked. There was genuine interest and curiosity from the children - we had them captivated from the start!  Each child will be rug hooking a 5" square that will be sewn together to form a banner, which will eventually be displayed in the school’s entrance. Knowing that this piece is something they would not be taking home, some children were even planning a second project.  They drew their de...

Montreal Gazette  ( Printed Version) March 4, 2015 Page D17 Beaconsfield crafters take rug hooking to a new level By Kathryn Greenaway Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild members Claire Fradette, left, and Alice Hamilton practise their craft. The guild is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Johm Kenney/ Montreal Gazette.

Beaconsfield guild takes rug hooking to a whole new level    Kathryn Greenaway, Montreal Gazette   Published on: March 4, 2015 Last Updated: March 4, 2015 12:26 PM EST Call them happy hookers — it comes with the territory and they take it in good-natured stride — but the members of the Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild are not only happy, they are proud. The guild is celebrating 40 years of hooking tapestries to hang on the wall or lay on the floor and to get the celebratory ball rolling members have launched a six-week project with a group of Grade 5 students at Sherwood Forest Elementary School in Beaconsfield. The students will each hook a section of his or her design for a banner to be hung at the entrance of the guild’s 40th-anniversary exhibit at Centennial Hall from Sept. 25-27. Passing on the pleasures of the craft from one generation to the next is just one of the ways guild...

The Guild in The News_ The video done by John Kenney (Montreal Gazette) has been published on Youtube! See Isabelle Rollin, Lois Morris, Jacques Lepage and Alice Hamilton in action!    Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild Turns 40_ March 3, 2015 Description: "Members of the Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild show some of their creations Monday, March 2, 2015 in the Beaconsfield area of Montreal and founder Lois Morris speaks of how the guild has thrived as it celebrates 40 years of existence. (John Kenney / MONTREAL GAZETTE)"

BHCG in the news! Monday, March 2, 2015 began with a regular monthly meeting followed by a flurry of activity. In anticipation of news coverage, many members had brought in rugs for show and tell. Normally these rugs would be photographed by guild president, Ti Seymour who was away on March break. In her absence, Bob Turnbull took photos of the rugs for the greeting card project.  At the same time, John Kenney, a Montreal Gazette photographer, was there to take pictures and videos in support of an article on the guild being written by West Island Gazette reporter, Kathryn Greenaway. It was wonderful to see the guild, its members and their rugs receiving well-deserved attention and media recognition! Brenda, Claire and Alice Isabelle, Lorayne and Sally Jacques' Work In Progress

New Emblem    By Maria Romero    For a few years now, the Executive has been thinking of creating a new emblem to represent the Guild at our biennial exhibitions and participation in the annual exhibitions of Area 1 branch Ontario Guild . The Executive fell in love with the 40th Anniversary logo and presented Maria Romero with the challenge of redesigning the logo as our guild's emblem. From among the many different versions suggested by Maria, the Executive chose this version, which you can appreciate in the attached image. The emblem will be hooked by Lois Morris. BHCG Emblem (2015)

BHCG Facebook Page As part of our 40th Anniversary Celebration Activities, we have launched a Page on Facebook! Follow us at this link:  Beaconsfield-Hooking-Crafters-Guild

Design by Kaffe Fassett and Hooked by Lisa Finken* Primitive Scrappy Rug Class With Judith Dallegret Hook a Floor Rug any size using Wide Cut - #8 to #10 wool strip Beginners welcome When: 4 classes: Mondays at Centennial Hall Feb 9 & 23 – March 9 & 16 With a make-up class 23 March for anyone who misses a day. Course Content: Keynote Presentation on Inspiration with Photos & Books Choose a pattern design in a Primitive style (draw your own or bought pattern) Set up Foundation to start Hooking Colour Planning Basic Theory with Exercises Dyeing - without powdered dyes Borders - with Keynote Presentation Learn Finishing Techniques Cost: 100$ Note: Judith is very flexible regarding the course content. Please contact Ti if you would like to sign up, at ti.seymour@yahoo.com If you have a friend or know someone who would like to learn rug hooking this would be the perfect start to getting hooked! Please spread the...

Logo    40th Anniversary Logo, by Maria Romero This logo was created by our Webmaster Maria Romero to mark the 40th anniversary of the Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild. The hook featured in the logo is taken from our website banner. The curved lines represent both the passage of time as well as the strips of textiles used in rug hooking. The lines can also be seen as confettis and represent the celebration of the 40 years of the Guild. A palette of reds was chosen to express the dynamic aspect of the Guild and the passion of its members towards rug hooking.

Founder's Message    By Lois J. Morris    I have drawn and painted for as long as I can remember. In Toronto, I took adult education courses in Traditional Rug Hooking and became” hooked.”   By the late sixties I was teaching in my house.  We were transferred to Montreal in 1973, my neighbor was interested in what I was doing.  She gathered a few friends together, I taught them and then approached Beaconsfield City to see if they might offer a beginners course in Rug Hooking. They were willing to try one and before long I was teaching five classes a week. The need to get together, and share and inspire one another was evident, but we were too  many to meet in any one house.  In 1975 the City graciously offered us Centennial hall, and the Guild was born. Now, 40 years later, The Beaconsfield Rug Hooking Crafters Guild of more than 40 members still meets at Centennial Hall to continue their work, which now extends to the ...

Free texture by Rin-Shiba - Devianart The Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild celebrates its 40th Anniversary In 1975 Lois Morris founded the “Lakeshore Woolgatherers Hooking Craft Guild”, subsequently renamed “Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters Guild” and thus began 40 years of rug hooking adventures that continue today.  Founding and early members, under Lois’ expert guidance, learned to hook and to this day, strive to not only expand their own creative talents but to share their experience with new members as well.  From McGown and Moshimer inspirations, to crewel and sculpted pieces, to designing original artwork, to proddy and scrappy and 3 dimensional, from #2 cut to #10,  BHCG members are ever evolving and attempting new skills. The guild has met throughout its existence at Centennial Hall on the lovely shores of Lac-St.-Louis with the generous support of the City of Beaconsfield and its helpful staff.   The current executive is made u...

Merci Rose. Photoshop Illustration by Maria Romero The Executive and Members of  BHCG showed their appreciation at our January Monthly Meeting to Rose Kandy after the announcement that Rose had stepped down from her position as Web Editor/Translator.  Rose has been the backbone in supporting Maria Romero, our Webmaster, coordinating features on the Website and translating articles into French for the last 5 years. The Website has gone from strength to strength and in 2014 was visited by 96 countries around the world - this data supports the amazing achievement of a truly fabulous Website with interesting articles, coordinated by Rose during her tenure.  We wish Rose all the happiness for the future and look forward to seeing more rugs on show with the extra time on her hands. Respectfully submitted by Ti Seymour Keywords:  Thanks / Farewell,

2015 has been declared Craft Year by the Canadian Crafts Federation. Craft Year 2015 / Année-des-Métiers-d'art 2015 is Canada's largest year-long, nationwide festival aimed at promoting craft as a key player in Canadian Culture. Website:  http://www.craftyear.ca/ You can follow the festival at  Canadian Crafts Federation/Fédération canadienne des métiers d’art  and  @CraftYear2015  on Twitter.

Rug Hooking Magazine, vol. XXVI – Number 4, January-February 2015 . By Rose Kandy Congratulations to Lois Morris, founder of the Guild, whose work appears in two articles in the January-February 2015 edition of  Rug Hooking Magazine. In the article entitled From Doodle to Adaptation by Tamara Pavich, under Repeating Patterns, page 62, you will find "Celestial Spirits". Then in Readers' Gallery beginning page 70 in the same magazine, you will find nine pages devoted to the artistry and teachings of Lois Morris, entitled Dream, Design, Dye, and Do, also written by Mrs. Pavich. Follow the link to read an abstract of the article, at:   http://www.rughookingmagazine.com/article/dream-design-dye-and-do   We would invite all members to read these articles, as well as the previous ones published in the September-October and the November-December 2014 edition of Rug Hooking Magazine. We would like to remind our members that our other teacher, Judith Dallegre...