I’m always so excited to see that someone has hooked one of my designs! Everyone has their own unique approach, like David Gervais did with my Flag Rug pattern (below).
He mentioned that the blue line around the flag is the thin blue line and the number 16 in the corner is in memory of an officer friend who was lost in the line of duty. What a great job David did, and the personal touch is so meaningful.
If you are someone who has hooked one of my designs or kits, let me know! I like to share those pictures on my product pages because it shows how easily you can interpret any design and make it your own.
Another rug hooker, Emily Simpson, sent me pictures of a repair project she did (above). She did a fantastic job restoring a lovely Sun design rug. Thanks, Emily for sharing that!
When Deanna David and I announced we were starting a magazine for fiber artists called Magpie Times, we asked if anyone had any gardening/floral projects or stories they’d like to share. We were amazed at the response! We will be able to feature the work of 25 artists and crafters in our first issue, Historic Gardens That Inspire Us, coming out on March 17.
Keep in mind the topic for our next issue in June will be Country Faire/Midsummer Fun. We welcome summer-fun photos, articles, or recipes you’d like to share with us on rug hooking, plus all the other fiber arts we like to dabble in (quilting, embroidery, braiding, twining, felting, crochet, hand spinning, dyeing, etc. We love them all!).
We’re still hard at work putting our first Magpie Times issue together, but starting around March 1, we’ll be able to begin taking orders. Stay tuned! If you would like to be sure you get the release announcement, you can subscribe to my blog here.
But while you're waiting for the magazine to come out, check out Deanna David's newest book, Design Like An Artist. This book is based on her popular "Design Like..." class series on YouTube, where she teaches how to identify the style and motifs of your favorite artists to create your hooked rug designs. She covers 14 different artists in this book, some you already know, like Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt, plus some you may not have seen before (but will soon become your favorites). It's a beautiful book full of history and inspiration.
The New Joy of Hooking With Yarn is on the shortlist for the Chanticleer Instruction & Insight Book Awards! Woo hoo!
I’ll be at the Shepherd’s Extravaganza at our new location on the King County Fairgrounds in Enumclaw, WA, April 6-7. I’ll have my booth, and I’ll also be teaching my All-In-One Beginning Rug Hooking class on Saturday, April 6, 1-4 PM. In this class, students will get a chance to practice hooking with yarn, T-shirt strips, wool fabric strips, and cotton fabric strips, such that they’ll be able to go home, look at their stash, and say, “Yup, I can hook a rug with that!” Click here to sign up and see all the other classes we’re offering at this year's Shepherds Extravaganza!
And to find out where I'll be doing shows and classes this year, click here.
Happy Hooking everyone!
(from Judy and Maybelline)