The Rug Hooker's Cupboard

Beverly Levine tried hooking 20 years ago, did one chair pad and that was it.  About 1999 when she was looking for some help with rug braiding, she met Doreen Wright who talked her into giving hooking another try and the rest, as they say, is history.  Beverly attends the Nova Scotia Rug Hooking School every year and takes as many additional courses as she can fit in. Beverly hooks both her own  and commercial designs using a variety of cuts.  She uses both new and recycled wool and loves to try out non-traditional fibres.  A regular contributor to The Loop, the newsletter for the Rug Hooking Guild of Nova Scotia, Beverly loves the community of rug hookers, finding it very supportive of new ideas and a great place to go to get the creative juices flowing!

Phyllis Stewart-Blois was introduced to rug hooking in 2005 by Beverly Levine.  Phyllis was getting ready to scale back her heavy workload of running her own hairdressing shop and serving on the Board of the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia, when a casual conversation about what she was going to do with all her “free time” led to an introduction to rug hooking.  Well!  Phyllis did a couple of small pieces designed by Beverly and then she designed her own!  She attended rug school this year and has started taking locally offered classes.  She has found her new passion!

Barb Moir was living in a small village in Nova Scotia when a group was formed to give rug hooking a try.  Barb hasn't stopped since.  She has attended rug school and takes classes as often as she can fit them in.  Barb has painted for quite a few years and finds this background very helpful when trying to get the color “just right” on the piece she is working on.  Usually she hooks with a #3 and #4 cut as her preference is hooking realistic scenes.  Moving an image into another medium is the real draw of rug hooking for Barb, that, along with meeting other rug hookers, hearing their stories and seeing their work combine to make hooking “home”.  Barb works with an antiques dealer and comes into contact with hooked rugs on a regular basis.  She really is a great example of applying knowledge across your life.  Barb recently wrote a very informative article in The Loop about hooked rugs at auctions( Volume #28).

Helen Serrao started hooking in 1992 with Nan Ryan.  She also knits, quilts and sews.  The contemplative nature of hooking appeals to Helen.  She moves among cuts using the full spectrum from #3 to #7 for her projects.  Helen describes dyeing as “magic” and her wool reflects this attitude.  Describing Helen as an active member of the RHGNS would be an understatement.  She has just completed 8 years on the board with two more to go to complete her committment.  Helen hooks weekly with the Bethany group, monthly with a smaller group and frequently inbetween.  As president she attended every major hook-in and as many others as she could possibly fit in.  Meeting new people, seeing old friends and sharing the rhythm of hooking describes Helen's ideal day.  Designing is another aspect of hooking which appeals to Helen.  Her designs are delightful and reflect her harmony with color and fabric.

Joan Young has been hooking since 1970, an active member of the RHGNS since 1987 and a member of the Teacher's Branch of the Guild since 1992.  She is also a member of ATHA, TIGHR, and the Rug Hooking Guild fo Newfoundland/Labrador.   A busy teacher, Joan has taught throughout Atlantic Canada, England and the United States.  Joan has written three articles for Rug Hooking magazine and had two of her pieces in Celebration.   She has also had numerous pieces in  juried shows and displays.  The desire to keep learning burns brightly in Joan and as a result her work is constantly evolving.  A regular teacher at The RHGNS rug school for the past 12 years, she often teaches one week and attends as a student the second week.  Developing a new course usually leads to designing a piece to accommodate the learning for the course.  One such result is Joan's Silly Sheep which have proven to be a perennial hit with rug hookers.  Joan uses a variety of cuts and “different fabrics” in her work which meld together to create an interesting and realistic looking piece.

Sarah Ladd has been accomplishing for a long time.  She is a certified teacher with the Rug Hoking Guild of Nova Scotia, a Certified Judge with the Nova Scotia Dept. Of Agriculture, an author of two dye books, Dyeing to Hook and Exploring the Subtle Palette.  She also operates her own rug hooking shop, Hands Across Time.  Sarah teaches regularly at the Nova Scotia Rug School, privately throughout the Maritimes, is a frequent contributor to Rug Hooking magazine and has been a guest lecturer at Woolfest in the United Kingdom.  Some of you have met her when she was Chair of the ATHA Biennial in Halifax 2005.  Sarah is well known for her rug designs and her dyeing. 

Roberta Spicer tried rug hooking in 1989.  A friend invited her to a rug display, she contacted Doreen Wright who got her started with a chair pad kit and the well developed creative side of Roberta shifted into high gear.  A lifelong painter and crafts person, Roberta prefers to work with a #3 cut so she can do justice to the fine shading which is her preference.  Creating in the dye pot is a close second when compared to the actual hooking.  Both commercial and self designed mats decorate her home making it warm and welcoming.  The walls are covered with local artists work including a variety of Roberta's watercolor and acrylic scenes, not to mention her china painting.  She has had her work in various juried rug hooking shows and has had a solo art show earlier this new year.  Taking classes in painting and rug hooking is a big part of Roberta's world.  Learning new techniques from a variety of instructors in different mediums keeps Roberta in touch with fellow artists and contributes to a broadening knowledge which she can apply to her art.

Mary Wareham started drawing, painting and crafting at the kitchen table when she was a young tot under the watchful eye of her Mother. High school found Mary designing and making her own clothes and her love of fiber arts blossoming. Mary hit full stride while taking Commercial Arts classes from which she graduated with Honors! Working in the art field in both Calgary and Lunenburg has kept Mary actively involved in her chosen field, but not too busy to operate her own tourist related craft shops here in Nova Scotia. Her introduction to rug hooking came in 2000 and it sparked a renewed love of designing and playing with fabric. Her patterns tend to be bright in color, usually have a “giggle factor” and are a joy to hook.