Farewell to Judy

 Well that was fun!  We attended a tea party/hook-in in honour of the Judy exhibit of Laura Kenney’s work at the Art Gallery of Northumberland.

We had folks from Gravenhurst, Aurora/Newmarket and Peterborough, in addition to many from our own group, and from the general community.

Olinda Casimiro, Executive Director of the Gallery provided us with tables, chairs, coffee/tea and the (all-important) cookies.

We spent the time visiting the exhibit, and chatting and even getting some hooking done! 

You could tell who the rug hookers were….they were the ones with their noses up close to the rugs picking out various details.  Everyone marvelled at the use of colour and materials, as well as the humourous titles and the pertinent subject matters.

Dianne brought along Dolores Skelly’s Honourable Mention from the OHCG Annual, as well as 2 others that were on display there.

A huge thank you goes to Laura Kenney for sharing Judy with us and bringing her wonderful exhibit to Cobourg.  Thanks also goes to Olinda Casimiro for hosting the show, and allowing us to “invade” the gallery for today’s event.

Hook-In & Tea Time with Judy

We’re at it again:  We’re inviting you all to attend a special event at the Art Gallery of Northumberland:

Come for an old fashioned “Hook-In and Teatime with Judy” at the Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg, April 25, 1pm-4pm. Join the Northumberland Rug Hookers for a cuppa and an afternoon of traditional rug hooking. This is your last chance to see Laura Kenney’s amazing exhibit of her Judy series of hooked art along with demos of traditional rug hooking by the Northumberland Rug Hookers. You may even wish to give it a try!

The Laura Kenney exhibit has been a wonderful one, and has been enjoyed by many!  Sadly, though, it’s coming to an end on April 27….so this really will be your last chance to see the show.  Some of us have seen it more than once - there’s always some new detail to pick up on!

Why not come out and join us as we host a hook-in - bring your hooking and make an afternoon of it!  There will be tables, chairs and light refreshments on hand.  

If you’re not sure what this rug hooking business is, well why not come out to see what the fuss is all about?  The members of the Northumberland Rug Hookers will be on hand to demonstrate what’s involved and yes, you can even give it a try.  You’ll also experience a hook-in which is a tradition in rug hooking circles - an opportunity to sit and natter, and maybe even get some loops pulled.

One thing you don’t appreciate about the works on display until you see them in person is how sparkly (and big) they are!  Here’s a snippet from Laura’s talk with Olinda Casimiro, Executive Director of the gallery….where she elaborates on the materials used in her art:

Kaffe Fassett - the World of Colour

The Northumberland Rug Hookers will be holding an in-person workshop with Karen Kaiser:  

Kaffe Fassett - the world of colour.

May 6, 2024

10:00- 2:00

Grace Church, 440 King St E, Cobourg.

We have a couple of spaces available if you’d like to join us.  The cost will be $60 (payable to the Northumberland Rug Hookers) plus $45 for the kit* (payable to Karen Kaiser on the day of the class).

Deadline for registration is April 8.

The class will cover

1. a discussion of colour, hue, value contrast and how to use colour to make your work eye catching.

2. We will talk a little about colour planning.

3. We will discuss hooking techniques and improving your results.

4. Karen will demonstrate how to mitre your corners for a neat finish.

*The photo directly above shows the 7 choices for kits. Cost is $45.00.  It will include 

1. Pattern on linen
2. Cut wool to complete the hooking
3. Yarn for finishing the edges

Semi-Local Fibre Events

Spring can’t be far away…..despite what the weather is telling us! Just look at the number of upcoming fibre-y events in our general area:

April 5:  Opening of Wanda Elliot’s display of rugs at These 4 Walls in Trenton is on April 5.  Originally from Newfoundland, Wanda is a member of the Campbellford Rug Hookers.  Here’s a link with a few more details.

April 6-28:  A Textile Sampler, from Gather In The County. This looks to be an interesting display of all things textile, with artist talks and demonstrations each Sunday.  Full info can be found here.

April 13:  The Peterborough Hand Weavers and Spinners are hosting a fibre event in Peterborough.  It promises to have lots of opportunities for shopping (20+ vendors!) and ogling wondrous creations!  Carol Shewan will even be there!  Details here and on facebook.

Until April 27:  And don’t forget Laura Kenney’s show at the Art Gallery of Northumberland - all things JUDY!

June 15:  Gather in the County is a new annual market, taking place at the historic Crystal Palace in Picton, Ontario.  Gather will feature an indoor/outdoor market providing our visitors with an exciting and innovative gathering of textile makers, small batch producers, indie dyers, artists, collectors and community guilds producing a wide range of handmade textile wares + supplies.   More info can be found here!

Mark your dance cards now for these wonderful events!

Snippets from A Cup of Conversation

The Art Gallery of Northumberland does artist talks with most of their shows.  Called A Cup of Conversation, it’s a great way to meet the artist and learn about their work.

March 2 was the designated day for the talk with Laura Kenney, and it was a wonderful and very engaging  time - for rug hookers and muggles alike.

I filmed it, but had to stand to do it, and as a result it’s a very jiggly prospect to watch.  However, I’ve selected out some snippets for your viewing enjoyment.  Here’s the first installment:

The full show is available on Laura Kenney’s facebook page, or on our youtube channel….

I’ll post more snippets in the next little while.

The Art Gallery of Northumberland show of Laura’s works is on until April 27 in downtown Cobourg.

They Got Hooked!

(This post & photos - courtesy of Brenda Ashton - thanks!)

We had a wonderful afternoon demonstrating primitive rug hooking for the second time this year at the Port Hope Library.  We had 16 eager learners and 5 hookers to share their hooking knowledge with others!  It was a perfect rainy afternoon fun.

Many thanks to the Port Hope Library, and to the trainers for their time, and to the trainees who braved the weather!

Laura Kenney, Live!

The Art Gallery of Northumberland held the grand opening of their latest exhibition “Judy” by Laura Kenney, featuring a wonderful series of hooked works of art.

The display is a fantastic and inspiring series about issues important to the main character, Judy - covering topics like climate change, women’s issues, Nova Scotia, etc.  Olinda Casimiro, Executive Director of the Gallery hosted the opening event, and introduced Michael Maynard, Board Chair, as well as Cobourg Mayor, Lucas Cleveland.  Then Laura Kenney took the “stage” and told us about herself, her alter ego, Judy, and much more!  We’ll feature more on Laura’s talk in a subsequent post.

Board Chair Michael Maynard

Mayor Lucas Cleveland

Executive Director Olinda Casimiro

Artist Laura Kenney

The event was very well attended - standing room only!  A few folks even dressed in black/red boots, just like their hero Judy!**

Here are some photos of folks enjoying the show! Thank you to everyone who came out to help make this such a success. (And thanks to Brenda Ashton for several of these snaps.)  

Oops!

 

The talk with Laura Kenney on March 2 starts at 1 pm, not 2 pm as previously stated!  Don’t miss out on this one!