Case in point: The US Post Office and other shipping companies announced that they’ll be instituting a surcharge on shipments come October 1. That is not a good change. Worse, this means that I’ll have to change, that is, raise some of my prices slightly to compensate. I don’t anticipate having to do it for small items – like mug rugs and the sunflower wall hangings and similarly sized items – but the shipping costs for larger items are WICKED these days even without a surcharge.
Please be advised that I won’t do anything till October 1, so if you’re interested in something, order it on EtsyNOW! Or message me to let me know your concerns. I’m sure we can get a rug to you somehow. In fact, if you wish to purchase anything in the shop before or after October 1, contact me directly rather than going through Etsy. You’ll get a bit of a price break anyway as then Etsy won’t take their bite out of it.
Also note that I’m reviewing options to Etsy, including WooCommerce and other such apps. If you have any words of wisdom or other advice for me, please, please share!
Unfortunately, our two forays this year into public sales (one outdoor, one indoor) haven’t had the best results. Damn you, Covid! While we usually do the Fall Fiber Fiesta in Santa Fe, I’m just not that sure it’s a good bet given the virus and its mutations. It’s indoors and three days and a lot of driving or hotel rooms. I usually love this event, but maybe next year. Another bad change…
Now that the unpleasant stuff is out of the way, I’m reminding everyone of the coming In the Studio Workshop Week 3 in October. I’m teaching two sessions of Hooking with T-Shirts. I have a few spots left in each class (both on Saturdays, October 23 and 30). Some workshops are full or almost full, while others have some room. Contact each teacher if you’re interested in their class. More info HERE. Besides myself, teachers include the very cool and fabulous: Susan Feller; Karen Miller; Beth Miller; Meryl Cook, Carmen Bohn, Charlie Dalton; Anastasia Tiller; and Lisa Meecham.
No change here – Tynan and Bowyn bring you the current WHAT’S ON THE FRAME. It’s the rug that I started while traveling and have finally gotten back to (repurposed t-shirts on monk’s cloth).
So, how’s your fall shaping up? Are you back to the usual stuff or is Covid still cramping your style too?
Textile work by Deirdre Pinnock intersects with her advocacy for mental health and diversity.
Deirdre Pinnock is a talented rug hooker, ardent mental health advocate, aspiring entrepreneur, and self-identified “woman of colour” based in Vancouver, BC. She is passionate about fusing different materials, vivid colors, and therapeutic qualities into her work along with a dash of playfulness.
She is best known for yarn-bombing positive and uplifting messages such as “be kind” and “you are enough” into public fences around the city. You can also find her performing stand-up comedy about being Black in Vancouver. Her work expands to hosting workshops, guest speaking on the issue of diversity through art, and creating memorial pieces known as Hearts of Honour, which act as living memories to allow families to grieve their loss. Courtesy of CTV, she is publicly known as the Vancouver Yarnbomber.
The purpose behind Deirdre’s art revolves around self-healing and empowering one to battle through grief, anxiety, and pain. She also weaves the current political climate into her fiber art, confronting issues in a whimsical and humorous way.
The Zoom link for this presentation will be emailed to you the day before the talk (or after you purchase your ticket, if you purchase on the day of the event). If you don’t receive it, you can contact the organizer at info@karendmillerstudio.com.
Tickets will be on sale until 10:00 am Eastern the day of the event. After that time you will no longer be able to purchase tickets.
Please note that the time of the talk is 1:00 pm EASTERN.
Unfortunately, no. Due to the logistics involved, we decided some time ago to keep these events live. Hopefully if you can’t make it to this talk, you’ll be able to make it to a future talk.
* It’s the day of the talk and I’m having trouble finding or using the link for the talk. How can I find help?
It is very advisable to LOG INTO THE EVENT A FEW MINUTES EARLY to be sure that you have no trouble with the link, and if you are having trouble the organizer can help you out. You can email or message the event organizer up until one hour before the talk on the day of the talk for help. ONCE THE EVENT STARTS, however, messages and emails are not able to be monitored.
* I’m finding it distracting during the talk seeing all of the other participants on my screen. What can I do?
During the event the organizer will put the screen setting on “spotlight view” so that the presenter is the focus on your screen. Depending on your device, you may still see audience members on your screen and changing your setting from “gallery view” to “speaker view” should help with that.
* What Time Zone is the time of the talk in?
The time indicated on all ‘In the Studio’ talks is the EASTERN (EST) time zone. If you live in a different time zone, be sure to check what time you should tune in to ensure you don’t miss the talk.
*I can no longer make it to the talk. Or, I missed the talk. Can I get a refund?
Unfortunately no- the price of the ticket is so low that it is not cost-effective to refund those amounts. If you are unable to make it to the talk and you already have a ticket, or you forget to attend, please do contact me at info@karendmillerstudio.com. I always offer a ticket to the next talk to make up for it. All of the artist speakers receive a portion of the ticket proceeds so we very much appreciate your contribution to supporting artists!
So, maybe a year and a half or two ago, I offered to hook New Mexico’s contribution to the USA50 project. I finally started to hook it in April. As many worthwhile endeavors do, it took longer than expected.
USA50 poster courtesy of https://remileves.myportfolio.com/usa50.
For those not familiar with the USA50 project, it originated with another big, creative venture, the hooked cushion collection at the Barachois Historic Church in New Brunswick, Canada. The church, “the old whitewashed building on New Brunswick Road 133, will be 200 years old in 2026. This small church is among the oldest Acadian buildings still standing on its original site.” In order to celebrate the anniversary…“the committee thought then that a collection of 50 hooked cushions [on the church benches] would probably be feasible and would certainly arouse the interest of the population.” (Quotes from https://remileves.myportfolio.com/bonjourwelcome.)
The Barachois Historic Church is an ancient wooden building, which first opened its doors in 1826, and is still standing after nearly 200 years. The building was disaffected in the late 1970s, and reprieved from demolition in 1980. It has since been transformed into a local Museum, art gallery and summer classical concert venue. For over 40 years a wide variety of cultural events have been presented there. In order to be more comfortable on the old wooden pews, many event goers took too bringing a cushion to cultural presentations, and leaving it on the bench. Over time, this developed into a sort of tradition. This has inspired the Historic Church Preservation Committee. The “200 hooked cushions for my 200th” public art collection became the first permanent collection of the visual arts in the historic church. We cordially invite you to be part of the “USA50” collection to seal indefinitely our countries friendship and give the two collections the international destination status it deserves. (From the USA50 Facebook page.)
Poster for the Barachois Church’s 200th Anniversary and hooked cushions exhibit opening.
This [initial 200 cushions] collection, like others across America, proudly celebrates the volunteer work of artists in hooking. The project lives up to their community spirit and helping others, their creativity, their energy to work towards a common goal to meet the challenge. These artists, mostly women, gave in order to realize our dream. What is even more fascinating is that for many, our dream has become theirs too. Everyone had a reason to embark. That’s what created magic. Many artists pay tribute to their ancestors, a family member, Acadian friends, a colleague hooker, history, the art of hooking or just the cause.
The official opening of the cushion exhibit was on August 18, 2019. Over 1000 people came to view the cushions that day. American hookers were in attendance. They suggested the USA50 project, one cushion from each state.
One cushion per state representing memorabilia, landscape, bird, flower, or other representation particular to that state. Already rug hookers from all over the United-States have shown interest… (From the USA50 Facebook page.)
Hence my participation in the project. But, while a Hatch chile pepper or a hot air balloon would’ve been good representations for New Mexico, I preferred something more authentic. Something, perhaps, Native American as they were here long before the Spanish showed up in the 1500s.
A few years ago, during a visit to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center here in Albuquerque, I purchased a travel mug with artwork by potter Patricia Lowden, a member of the Acoma Pueblo about 40 miles west of the city. I use the mug all the time and thought that a design like hers might best represent New Mexico. Long story short, I was able to contact Patricia through the Cultural Center. After explaining the project and how I would NOT monetarily benefit from the cushion, she generously offered not to let me use the mug design but to send me a similar design! That made my life a LOT easier.
“Rainbird” travel mug; design by Patricia Lowden. They’re ceramic now. You can find it HERE.
I hooked it using different wool yarns. Ruth Simpson, friend and fellow member of the Adobe Wool Arts Guild, graciously put the whole thing together.
A little about Patricia:
I am full Acoma. My great grandmother is Lupe Chavez who lived to be 105 yo. She was a potter, piki maker. Both my grandmother’s on my mom and dad’s side were potters as well. …My mother was Anita Lowden. She was a famous potter in the Indian market and won a lot of blue ribbons for her work. She made pots, animals and pitchers. She and grandmother Jesse have pottery in the Smithsonian. My oldest sister and I do the pottery making now. We learned from our grandma Andrea as we grew up closer to this side of the family. I am a 4th generation potter. I use the coil method to build my pottery. I grind my clay after soaking it. There are several steps to making and painting the pottery. I use a yucca brush to outline n paint my pieces. I make water jars, seed pots, canteens, vases, and wedding vases. I make various sizes. When people order they usually tell me how much they want to spend or I make a variety if they want more than one piece. I use traditional paints. I have been painting and making since I was 15 yo when my grandmother asked if I would outline for her, but I played with the clay when I was younger like 8 when my grandmother asked if I would like to make something to sell as she was getting ready for a feast to sell her pottery. I helped my grandmother as she was getting older and couldn’t see very well but she could still make pottery. My grandmother always encouraged me to try new designs… I love what I do and now I have a 14 year old daughter, Destiny, who I am teaching. She has made a few pieces and has sold them on her own. I am very proud of her because she will carry on my designs and the old style of making pottery.
“Rainbird,” New Mexico’s contribution to the USA50 project. All wool yarn on monk’s cloth. Design by Patricia Lowden. Hooked by Laura Salamy. All put together by Ruth Simpson. Thank you ladies!
Patricia has seen the cushion and told me that she and her family really love how it turned out. I’m hoping to hook up a smaller version for her to hang in her home.
Make sure you go onto Remi’s site and the Facebook page to see pics of the various cushions created for both projects. There are still a few states that are unaccounted for. As of May, they included: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah. Do you live in or are you from one of these? Perhaps you can help finish up the USA50 Collection. Contact Remi Levesque through his website or the Facebook page.
Note: Please respect Patricia’s traditional design. Do not copy.
Workshop Week 3 classes announced; registration is open!
Thanks to Covid, a new type of “camp” was born last year, one that lets folks from all over come together without worrying about the high costs (in money and germs!) of travel and hotels. Those of us involved in In the Studio – brought together by Karen Miller – had such success and fun, that we did it all over again in Februaryand even invited a couple of other artists to join us. We’ve come full circle and are now planning WW3 for the last week of October, 2021. But this time we’ve got FOUR NEW TEACHERS!
Again, all Workshop Week 3 classes will be conducted on Zoom. I know, I know, it’s not the same as being there in person, but how else could you be part of this fabulous line-up? And we’ll have the two bonus sessions again during the week – an evening gathering and a panel discussion.
There’s a wide array of workshops available; some having to do with just rug hooking, others not so much. Scroll through the document below to find your favorite(s). Feel free to take more than one. Email individual instructors for registration and more info. Don’t tarry, as classes filled up pretty quickly last time.
BTW: If you see a workshop that you’d love to take with your guild or other social group, most of us are happy to run our classes again.
WORKSHOP WEEK 3 – Enlarge image by clicking on bottom right symbol.
Welcome the whirlwind that is June. So much is going on! But it will be of a limited extent for the most part. In July, we’ll pack up the CR-V and head back east for a couple of weeks. Till then, though…
Unfortunately, Cathy Kelly and I won’t be heading to our first show to vend as expected this coming weekend. When Covid numbers weren’t quite as low as they are now, the Spring & Fiber Festival at El Rancho de las Golondrinas near Santa Fe was canceled for 2021. Bummer, I know. But we subsequently applied for the Harvest Festival in October (during the big Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque); hopefully, that will pan out. The weather will be cooler then too!
CREATE DIY Thursday, June 11, will find me back on Zoom to lead a Introduction to Rug Hooking – Not so Traditional. This workshop is part of CREATE DIY, an online textile festival from Quiltfest. Would-be students have until June 3 to register! More info can be found by following either of the links above.
Ah, the good. olde days when AWAG could hold our retreats and workshops 3 or 4 times per year. In this pic you’ll find, Liz, myself, Melinda, and Mary R. with our works in progress a few years back.
ADOBE WOOL ARTS GUILD AWAG, New Mexico’s only rug hooking guild, will hold its first meeting since March of last year this month on June 16! One of our members has graciously offered her lovely backyard (complete with shade and breezes). If you’re a hooker or puncher in the Albuquerque area who’s been looking for company, please contact me at Laura@highonhooking.com. As the President of the group, I can get you in. Really. Plus, we’re a fun group.
GHOST RANCH June 27-July 2, I’ll be up at Ghost Ranch north of Santa Fe to teach Hook a Rug, Save the Planet. I especially can’t wait because it appears that cell and Internet coverage are lacking up that way. Bummer…NOT! This promises to be a real get-away! We’ll be hooking and punching during this multi day workshop. And, no worries, there will be plenty of time to explore the ranch. My hiking shoes and camera are ready! There are several art-type classes running in June; find them here. (BTW, if you even think about heading to Ghost Ranch, I have one word: SUNSCREEN.)
Clearly, I’ve got a lot of workshop prepping to do! Meanwhile, for those who follow In the Studio and our Workshop Weeks, very soon we’ll be opening up registration for all workshops running during October’s Workshop Week 3. (Make sure you pen – not pencil – October 24-30 into your calendars!) We have more classes this time around -10! – and four new teachers. And, no, not every class is about rug hooking. Keep an eye out for more information! If you’re wondering what the hell I’m talking about, email me. We’ll chat. You’re definitely missing something good.
“Abundance” (aka the “automatic hooked rug“) freshly steamed. Yes, she’s upside down. She’s the latest in my HAPPY RUG series. “Whimsy,” there on the wall, was one of the first happy rugs. 2021 can’t get enough HAPPY
The boys and I would love to show you “What’s on the frame” this first week of June, but it’s a surprise till it’s pretty much finished. Saturday, though, I steamed “Abundance,” and am hoping to get to finishing her off today. Or at least starting to. She’s pretty big, and she’s got three holes! Summertime and the sewing will NOT be easy. My arthritic hands ache just thinking about it. But she’s well worth it.
SUMMERTIME AND COVID’S ON THE WANE. What are you planning this June that you couldn’t do last June? Tell us in the comments. And stay safe!
Again, all Workshop Week 3 classes will be conducted on Zoom. I know, I know, it’s not the same as being there in person, but how else could you be part of this fabulous line-up? And we’ll have the two bonus sessions again during the week – an evening gathering and a panel discussion.
GHOST RANCH
