Sunday, September 13, 2009

Magical Newfoundland Moments, Part 2.

(for part 1 of this series see here )

Then it was on to our next port of call, Five Island Art Gallery which is in Tors Cove.

The gallery is in a converted school house overlooking a marvellous historic village and the eponymous islands.

Featured were hooked rugs, but what hooked rugs!




In the gallery itself, there was an incomplete rug – “Forty Shades of Green” which is being made in honour of the Festival of the Sea, an annual Ireland –Newfoundland event which is hosted by each country on alternate years.

All visitors to the gallery are invited to hook a section of the rug after a quick lesson by the owner. We all participated in this unusual interactive art project:


And before you start, there were lots of jokes about “happy hookers”. Inevitable, I expect!

What I love to see these days is the honouring of the magnificent needlework that women were so taken for granted doing, back in the day. Now it is elevated to where it should be, magnificent works of art. My mother, a phenomenal embroiderest, would have been gratified. As would my grandmother, an excellent rag rug hooker. And as am I, a dedicated and inventive knitter.


.....to be continued.

7 comments:

  1. What a great idea, the guest hooking! Lovely rugs too.

    Hooking is big around here too, complete with all the usual jokes. I've been resisting taking it up, but might just succumb...

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  2. I may just take up the rag rugs from my grandmother's time as the burlap has a more open weave and goes faster!
    XO
    WWW

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  3. I wish I knew how to make rag rugs, because I do like them. I've hooked carpets, but none of my own design. It would be a fun challenge though. What a brilliant idea!

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  4. Every other year the quilt group here has a big quilt show. Each visitor can set a few stitches into a community quilt. It's great fun and a lovely way to introduce others to quilting.

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  5. GSW:
    They're very easy, you just need a clean potato sack or burlap bag, some old clothes cut on the bias and chopped into even length pieces a large hook and away you go!
    I'm sure with your marvellous sense of colour you would make a gorgeous one!
    XO
    WWW

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  6. Brighid:
    I quilted at a quilt bee in Nova Scotia but haven't persisted with it. I'm "stickin' to the knittin'". Ha!
    and maybe some rag rug hooking.
    XO
    WWW

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  7. I hooked a carpet for the kitchen floor with Mr Men characters when Elly was young and then did matching canvas covers for the stool seats. They were very popular and wore well for years.

    One of these days I might have a go at rag rugs again.

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