June Catch Up (by Robyne)

This is my own first get together for many months, and it was very nice to see Jen, Joy and Anne at Anne's amazing, craft-filled house in Warrandyte. The fires were burning, the soup delicious and we chatted and worked on our rugs for the whole day.

Jen fitting in some sun-burst activity. We all find it hard to find time to rug and so these day's together give us the time, uninterrupted excepting by lunch and some happy Ooohing and Aaahing.

I've been so tied up with family commitments too, that it felt a rare treat to take a whole day to go and play with the gals. A pity Chris wasn't present (sniff), or some other's who are more likely than I to be there.

Joy's second stair-tread rug, 'The sheep on the heather' (I made that name up) is coming along. Joy has included some Wenslydale (Is that right Joy?) wool into the right hand sheep.
We are all on a mission to find a Heath Robinson solution to have her family and friends avoid actually walking on the stairs once they're carpeted. Perhaps a Mary Poppins solution?

The heath and the distant mountains...

My proggy rug is nearly done (even more so, as I write this). My sciatica will hopefully move on when it is, as I take way too much (cleaning) time at it after dinner in the evening and the nerve is making me pay. Pretty-well every night, I get sucked into it. It's killing me.
My hubby is going to make me a standing-up pair of trestle legs, so I can either prop on a stool or stand up to work. 

The back is always clearer huh.
A couple of nights ago I sacrificed my over-pj's-wear kimono because it's exactly the right colour for some background. It was wearing out in any case, so... I did like wearing it though...
I've discovered audio books. This rug has seen me through the entire 8 Outlander books and now I'm onto 'All Quiet on the Western Front'. Wow! What a book that is. Amazing account and so human.
The audio's are good for making vacuuming a nothing rather than a bore too. 

Hey... I notice Anne didn't photograph her own rug....

November meeting of the Yarra Valley rug makers

The day was bright and perfectly lovely for a Rug making get together. We started the morning off rather later than usual. Joy took the wrong turn, Anne was held up by road works and Sandra ended up in San Remo near Phillip Island. A good start to the day indeed. However it only got better from there. It was great to see our newest member Sandra again. She would be about my [Chris'] closest neighbour in the rug hooking world here in Victoria, being about an hours drive from Loch. it was great to see her.

Her Shaun the sheep rug was looking lovely indeed and more than half done by the time she left. Off course I didn't help things when I mistook him for an owl, having been brought up on the wrong side of the world I had never heard of him, while every one else had grown up with the mischievous little sheep.

Anne’s larger than life pear rug chair pad is looking rather grand with its lovely dark, contrasting background, and Anne now has the end of the rug in sight. But she is already thinking about her next project. 
In due time it too will appear on the Blog, so I better not give too much away. 
Joy is doing a superb job with her painterly, almost monochromatic moonscape rug. Her autumn leaf stands out beautifully from the surrounding landscape and really sets it off. It really is a work of art and will be a wonderful keepsake.
 
I [Chris] am working on two rugs at the time. One for at home, the other portable one is my fifth portrait of Grandson Sam, which is coming along nicely.
The Persian rug, purchased as a pattern on a Scottish Burlap backing took some time getting the colour plan together, but I think, so far I am happy with the result. It will be easier to get a picture of the whole when I have done a bit more.  

We missed some of our faithful members today and with Christmas nearly upon us we have decided to make our 13th December meeting a special Christmas celebration day with lovely goodies to eat and share. We will also partake in International Rug hooking Day, even though a bit late. IRHD will be celebrated on the 4th December, with lots of members all over the world stopping to share a cuppa or hook a rug together. Here in Victoria we will no doubt chat and share about personal and internet experiences we have had with our rugging friends across the world, as well as talk about how we can be involved in spreading the word about rug hooking to other Victorians.

And so our day came to an end, with each person hopefully arriving home in a relatively shorter time than they arrived.
Cheers till next time.

Joy in the UK

We've just received a photo from the UK from one of our members. Joy is visiting her daughter and while there, stopped in at Heather Ritchie's studio in Reeth.
This photo was sent on by Mirriam Miler, Fibre Artist and Rug Hooker from Narrawilly Proggy Rugs in Milton, NSW.

Left to right- Heather Ritchie, Joy Marshall

Joy's 'Glimmers Of Hope'

Glimmers of Hope is my first rug using a linen backing and is approximately 4 feet long and 1.5 feet wide.
It uses recycled hand dyed blanketing and is my own design. The image is a graphic representation of a phrase I woke up with in my head one morning a few years ago. "Glimmers of hope pierced the gloom". I then finished it with "like stars in the night sky".

After Googling this phrase, with no results, I can only put it down to inspiration.

I have long admired Van Gogh's work and this piece is strongly reflective of Starry Sky. After the recent loss of my youngest son, this rug brought together the hope I have in God's love that shines in the darkness of grief, Starry Night, and a hankering to try a design with cats paws.

...here and there glimmers of hope pierce the gloom...