Our video: Rug Hooking: Art or Craft is getting lots of attention these days - it’s been shared on facebook in several places and we have garnered lots of views and shares!
It was prepared for the OHCG’s 2023 Virtual Annual Conference.
Here it is, in case you missed it - or if you want to see it all again!
Congrats go to our very own Francine Birket, winner of an Honourable Mention at the 2023 OHCG Annual, in the Oriental Category. Check out her stunning entry!
Not to be outdone, our very own Dianne completed her Maude Lewis at today’s Annual event. Wonder what she’s going to do next??
If you want to check out the video featured at the Annual with our very own members, Rug Hooking: Art or Craft? here’s a link.
A lot has happened in the world of iPads since we published this post (can you believe it was 5 years ago??)….and we’ve had a bit of activity on our blog showing that folks are looking for this info…so here’s a wee bit of an update.
(Btw, this is just one person’s opinion…there are whacks of other apps out there that wb of use to a rug hooker!)
First up, we have drawing apps - the 2 most notable are: Sketchbook and Procreate. Both are fantastic for drawing and colour planning your rugs.
Procreate is a paid app: $14 in canada, but is a very powerful tool. There aren’t any classes on how to use it for rug hooking, but there is a very good video tutorial series embedded in the product which explains a ton of stuff. Here’s a link to those videos, which are also available under the “help” tab.
If you’re using one of these drawing apps, i highly recommend using a pen or stylus. They can be expensive, but very useful.
Then there are the photo transmogrification apps: these are great if you have an existing photo that you want to use as a basis for your rug hooking. I mentioned a bunch of them in the post from 2018, and here are my current favourites:
- Photomania - available as an app, and as an online tool. Use the online tool, not the app for the best set of functionality. Just click on “Edit Photos” to go straight to the online tool.
- Lunapic - an online tool
- Pastiche - an app. You can get some interesting effects from the free transformations, and more are available if you pay for the deluxe version.
- Picsart - an app with an online version, again, with lots of free options in addition to paid ones.
…and if you don’t have a photo to start with, but want some inspiration, go to Unsplash.com (also available as an app). It’s a free source of photos that can be used for rug hooking. If you’ve seen any of the images promoting the OHCG’s virtual events, almost all of them came from Unsplash, and were turned into posters with the help of Procreate.
If you want to develop your colour sense, take a look at this post, detailing some ipad games you can play that are all colour-based.
For those who like to look at pictures of hooked items, try Instagram! It’s a great source to see what other folks are doing. Search or follow this hashtag to get started: #rughookersofinstagram.
….and finally, there’s a ton of content out there where you can just watch and listen - you can view these on an ipad or on a computer, and they are well worth the time. Here are 2 very popular ones.
- Thursday Live with Deanne Fitzpatrick - always entertaining and informative. These are available on her website, but also on facebook (and you don’t need a fb account to view them)
- Wooly Mason Jar & Wooly Soul Strings - produce lots of facebook live videos - check their website for the links and schedule. They also have a whole whack of video content that’s very useful.
ETA: Rugspirations with Robin Whitford: interviews on rug hooking! Here’s a link to her youtube channel.
Are there other online or podcast things you enjoy, too? Add a comment with your favourites!
We’re planning on holding a Rug Registry that day. We’ll give you more details on how that will work later on, but in a nutshell: it’s where rugs, made in ontario more than 25 years ago, are registered, photographed and their history (and history of the maker) recorded. It’s a great way to preserve our history and traditions!
So, bring along those vintage rugs that you want to have registered. If you don’t want to go the registration route, please bring them along for a display of vintage rugs. Even if you’re not sure of the provenance of a rug, we’d love to see it.
We’d also like to see your non-vintage creations, too, so bring them along!
There will also be a speaker or 2, vendors (yes!), refreshments and cutter sharpening.
We’ve set up a dedicated page to put all of the info relating to our event. Look on the upper portion of the page, and you’ll see “It’s About Time” - just click on it any time!
Where: Grace Church, 440 King St E, Cobourg
When: October 2, 2023 10 am-2-3 pm
Bring: $5 (admission), your lunch, your hooking, rug(s) for display and/or registration.
And just to whet your appetite for all things vintage, here are some photos of a display of vintage rugs. In 2017, the Art Gallery of Northumberland hosted a show of all things hooked (organized by our very own Dianne Algera), and one room was set aside for vintage things. To see the full display, click on “AGofN Exhibit” above….and prepare to be amazed!
….and I’m sure we’ll locate a few more photos between now and October, so watch this space for more details and more rugs!
