Sneak Peak

Just wanted to show you how it is looking...all the hooking is done and now we have the task of whipping it and then putting on our backing as suggested by Julie Hughes from the Museum of Civilization. Women of the Congo we are almost there!!! Thanks to Julius for the beautiful photos he has taken - it looks beautiful.

A great Idea

In one of our comments it has been suggested that we have our unveiling of our finished product at the Textile Museum in Toronto.........what do you think of that ladies. Are we on??? Let us know what everyone else thinks, good idea??

A Day of Enlightenment

Last week we had the distinct pleasure of meeting with Julie Hughes who is a conservator at the Museum of Civilization in Hull......we couldn't have met a more engaging, informed and interested person than Julie. She just took us under her wing and helped us find a way to finish off our rug in a professional and unique way especially for the purposes of it being a wall hanging. She embraced us literally and figuratively and we all came away from our little meeting absolutely full of ideas and information. We have promised her we would keep in touch and inform her of our progress. It was a "wow" day.

We also took the opportunity to attend the "Heart and Soul" Exhibit that is currently on display at the Museum. It is Quebec folk"art" and there were many hooked rugs on display so if you are in the Ottawa/Hull area you might want to drop in and see the exhibit.

Thank you to Pam Langdon for this extremely valuable connection. Pam is another wonderful rug hooker, teacher and woman. Pam will be teaching at the Trent School of Rug Hooking June 2009 and will be featuring``Mad About Maude`` Lewis that is. The paintings by Maude Lewis lends itself very well to rug hooking with her bright colours and themes of every day living.

Our First "Display" Day

A couple of weeks ago we were invited to take part in a Fibre Fest that was being held in Almonte, Ontario. A few of us made the little excursion along with our "precious" rug and we were able to display our project to the public for the first time while we sat and hooked on our own personal projects. It was wonderful to the see the reaction and hear the comments from people outside of our own rug hooking community. We felt like proud parents who had just given birth to a little bundle of joy. We made our grand entrance and announced our arrival by putting our big frame together (we are not carpenters) and retrieving all the tacks that had fallen to the floor but we regained our composure and the rest of the day was tremendous. It is just so inspiring when you see all the wonderful art, jewellery, dolls, quilting, rug hooking, etc. etc. displayed at these functions and it is an honour to be in such company...truly humbling!

The Team of Women Matters

Rhonda Kellett (teacher) Joan Boyle (teacher & mentor), Jean Smith (mentor), Sheila Brokloff (mentor), Jane Cuthbert (teacher), Pen Deering, Nancy Lane, Fran Ducross, Eleanor Buttrey, Kim Slade, Nancy McNamara, Irene Horbay, Nancy McFarland, Joan Hunter Marjorie Francis and Julie Ridler. We have had many who are interested in the project and there will be additions to the list as we approach our ``finishing`` stages of the rug. What a team!!! Many of these women have their Fibre Artist Certificate from St. Lawrence College as well as their Rug Hooking Teacher certification from the Ontario Hooking and Craft Guild while many are in the process of working on it. Their experience is invaluable.

The Dye Team

Rhonda Kellett opened her Kohldog Studio to her "dye" team as follows, Pen Deering, Eleanor Andress, Sheila Brokloff, Kim Slade and Julie Ridler

Rhonda Kellett

Rhonda Kellett is the brains and beauty behind this project. Her impeccable attention to detail, her vibrant use of colour and her unrelentless belief in this project, helps to motivate all of us to achieve our goal. Rhonda was one of two women who had seen the segment on 60 Minutes (War Against Women, January 13, 2008) and when we got together the following day and discussed the segment with others, Rhonda suggested that maybe we could hook a rug. We don't think she anticipated the scope of what came about, but this has become Rhonda's passion and she has pulled all of us in. She inspires all of us.

The Dynamic Duo

In earlier posts we have mentioned a few of the talented women who have blessed us with their expertise. We would be remiss if we didn't mention Sheila Brokloff - an artist, Rug Hooker and one of the most endearing woman you would have the pleasure of meeting. Sheila was instrumental in starting up various circles of women who meet on a specific day every week to rug hook and share their designs, ideas and instruction. Sheila's husband, Julius Brokloff, is an avid photographer; teaching and displaying his photos at many displays in and around the Thousand Islands as well as in Toronto. Julius has graciously agreed to be our official "photographer", he has made every effort to portray our rug at its best! Julius belongs to a group called F/8 Black & White Photography. We are most appreciative of his time and attention to our mission.