Portfolio

Alas, I seem to have sold or given away some pieces without keeping pictures, but here is a partial gallery.  This is a work in progress, so please check back.

Punched chairpad with a herringbone whipped border, completed 2024. The pattern is from Oxford Rug Hooking School; I used scrap yarns here. Pretty much the only reason I punched this was 1) the pattern was given to me free years ago by someone and 2) I needed to punch something round quickly to take a class with the wonderful Simone Vojvodin, Dean of the Oxford Rug Hooking School, who was offering to teach a class on how to add a herringbone border to a round punched rug (we normally don't put whipped borders on punched rugs, but just turn over the foundation and hem it). I'd show a closeup of the actual whipping but the yarn I used was too fuzzy to showcase the herringbone stitch. It did the trick, though: I got a nice fat secure border and I learned the stitch for future use.

"Cat Nap," completed June 2024. Kelley Belfast (kankerdoodle.blogspot.com) designed the cat-on-the-bench-on-a-lawn pattern. With her permission, I adapted her design, doubled the cats, eliminated the other features from her design and added my own flowery arch and a pale sun instead. Hooked on a "mystery foundation" (some sort of linen or cotton that was donated to me, very hard to use) in a 6-cut with both textured and hand-dyed wools. I also used an Ultra Punch needle set on 8 along with some slightly brighter yellow lace-weight wool to outline the sun. I'm betting the punched part will not last in this rug if it's walked on, but I couldn't resist trying it out.

Hydrangea with beads. 2023. Completed in a fine shading class with Judith Hotchkiss (her pattern, 10"x11.25") at the Oxford Rug Hooking School. Wool on monks cloth with beads, punch hooked using a #14 fine needle. I am not a fine shader but this small piece was great fun to try. There are several things I would do differently next time--meaning, I learned a lot while completing it. Judith's beautiful hand-dyed yarns also helped.

Completed in May 2023. I took the basic "Duncan" pattern (copyright to W. Cushing & Co, Wells Maine, a design by Pearl K. McGown) and tesselated it, then added some random triangles in the tesselations just to add interest. I used Malabrigo Chunky Yarn (100% wool), Valley Yarns Haydenville yarn (acrylic and superwash wool) and Creative Melange Chunky (approx 50-50 acrylic and wool). I used a #10 Oxford Punchneedle to punch this. It's relatively small and only measures 13.5"x11.25". (To see what the original Duncan pattern looks like, scroll down a couple of photos beneath this one)

"The Punching Bag." Hand-punched by me in 2022. Sewn onto an old LLBean tote bag in 2023. (and I have the bloody fingers to prove that!). 8"x15" using some of my own hand-dyed yarn and some of Oxford's Violet Jane hand-dyed scraps of yarn. Pattern by Amy Oxford of the Oxford Rug Hooking School. I used the #10 regular Oxford punch needle. This will hold some of my punching supplies.

The Moon Phase Rug. Traditionally hooked and color-planned by me in 2021-2022, using #8 cut strips of hand-dyed wools. Designed by Two Cats and a Dog Rug Hooking.

"Duncan." Completed 2021. Pattern by Pearl K. McGown, copyright to W Cushing and Co, Wells, Maine. I did the color planning and of course the hooking, using a 6-8 cut. I did some of the dyeing, but not all. I originally envisioned this as a rug colored with green and peach tones, but got 95% of it hooked and disliked it. I ripped out most of the peach and substituted purple. The rug appeared in Rug Hooking Magazine's Fall 2022 issue in an article I co-authored called "Two Hookers and a Rug Named Duncan." It will be on exhibit at Sauder Village (a special exhibit of all-Duncans done by many rug artists) in August of 2023.

The Mandala Star Rug, 2020. Designed and traditionally hooked by me during the 2020 pandemic (March-June). Has a triple binding using yarn I dyed; all the wool in the rug is from scraps--no new wool used in making the rug. Done in a 6 and 8-cut. Approximately 2'x3'.

"Delishus Tunafishus," 2020. Heavily modified by me from the original pattern, called "Americus Tunafishus," designed by George Kahnle and dyed & hooked by his husband, Dick LaBarge. Their original pattern is, I think, still available at the Heavens to Betsy website--she bought their patterns when they died. I changed the text and completely re-drew the fish. Hooked in #6 and #8 cut wool; the border is punched (the red outer border) with a #13 Oxford Punchneedle and some red yarn that I dyed. The interior red color is the same yarn but I hooked the interior red motifs and punched the exterior red border. I believe the width is about 26". This is my tribute to Dick and George; I knew them and adored them both.

Welcome Mat, 2020. This is a small ruglet (about license plate size), punched by me in an 8-cut using wool from Liziana Creations. The calligraphy was designed by Liziana Creations and the rest of the design by me. Done on Monks Cloth foundation.

Two pillows, 2018-2019. The pillow on the left is traditionally hooked in a #6 cut, using a pattern called Old Pottery by a company named Ruby Hill Fiber Arts in Nevada. I enjoyed making it and then had the idea that I wanted to punch it with wool yarn to show the contrast between traditional hooking (wool strips) and punch hooking (using yarn). The pillow on the right is punched with worsted weight yarn dyed by me. I like them both, and they are indeed different. However, when I went to re-buy the pattern to use for the pillow on the right, I could no longer find the company--or any trace of them from the past--on the internet. I searched and searched with no luck. Finally I just re-drew the pattern myself and went ahead and punched it. And then, of course, I did finally find the owner and was able to pay her for the use of the second pattern. Perseverance furthers!

2018. Red and Black Scraps Rug. Designed and hooked by me. Wool on linen backing. Some wool is off-the-bolt, most is hand- dyed. I thought this might use up my red and black scraps. Wrong!

2016 RUG, "LINES, TRIANGLES, DOTS" DESIGN, TRADITIONAL PUNCHING AND HOOKING BY ME; YARNS DYED BY ME. PUNCHED WITH AN OXFORD #9 NEEDLE AND THE OXFORD MINI; SOME TRADITIONAL HOOKING WITH #7 WOOL STRIPS. (2' X 3') I USED THIS FOR MY CERTIFICATION RUG WHEN I BECAME CERTIFIED AS AN OXFORD RUG HOOKING SCHOOL TEACHER. © TO ME, 2016 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2016. "Moon Runner," also called "Moon and Clouds." This is an old McAdoo Rugs Pattern (these patterns are now sold by the Oxford Rug Company in Cornwall, Vermont). Color planned, dyed, and hand punched by me. Each skein had to be individually dyed for this rug, which is 36" x 72"). There are approximately 40 four-oz skeins in the rug, and I punched it using an Oxford needle.

MicMac, 2015. Designed by Jane McGown Flynn. Color planning and traditional hooking in 6 and 8 cuts by me. I bought the pattern for this rug nineteen years before I actually began to work on it. Some things take time...

2014. Tarot Card XXI, The World. Created for a traveling exhibition of tarot card rugs which will tour nationally and internationally for a few years, called "23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana." This rug is traditionally punch-hooked using an Oxford Punch Needle and rug yarn hand-dyed by me. I embroidered the Universal Waite Tiny Tarot cards (after laminating them first, and punching holes through which I could stitch). The cards are placed where they traditionally go on the Tree of Life. "Universal Waite Tiny Tarot Cards," ©1977 U.S. Games, Inc., used by permission. PHOTO CREDIT: Anne-Marie Littenberg, 2015.

2014. A Scrappy Rug, made for my bathroom using leftover hand-dyed yarns from previous rugs. I used a #10 Oxford Punchneedle on this. It's been washed in the washer numerous times and looks the same as the day I finished it. For some reason it took me at least three years to get this rug done (outrageous given that it was punch hooked, which is speedy).

2013. Red Horse Rug. This was an Underhill Farm pattern (no longer in business, I think) I had around for years. When my best friend gave me a fabulous wooden carved and beaded horse from the Southwest, I realized the pattern and the carved horse (which is not red) were the same shape, so I hooked this rug for her. She currently has both the carving and the rug. But we'll pass the carving back and forth. I traditionally hooked this in both an 8 and a 6 cut, color planned it and dyed the wool also (the yellowish wool is as-is).

2013. "1910 SILVER RUG," traditionally hooked by me in a 6 and 8 cut. The design was adapted from some German silver that Susan Feller of Ruckman Hill Farm saw in a museum. I color planned and hooked the rug using Jeannie Benjamin's luscious dyed wools (New Earth Designs).

2009. This rug was a collaboration with members of my rug hooking group. I designed it to comfort a member who had experienced a horrific family tragedy. Each member of the group traced and hooked her own hand (my hand is in the upper center panel) as a way of adding her love to the rug. Emmy Robertson (one of our members) hooked the lettering. I hooked the corners and all the background in the interior and around each hand.

2008. "STARBURST PRIMITIVE," traditionally hooked by me in a 8 cut. I also did the color planning and dyeing. Designed by Kari Miller-Cameron of Log Cabin Rugs in Wisconsin.

2005. Turkish Tradition, a pattern by Jane McGown Flynn. I did the dyeing for this rug and hooked it in a #5 cut. The late and truly wonderful Betty Laine of Canada coached me through making this rug--the pattern was not straight on the grain and she kept me sane while I figured out how to deal with that. Thank you Betty and I hope you are working on your next rug in hooker's heaven.

Circa 2004-2005. This rug uses a lyric (used by permission) from the Garnet Rogers song "Summer Lightning." The line inspired the rest of the rug, designed and traditionally hooked by me in a 6 and 8 cut; I also dyed the wool. After the rug was finished, I sent it to Canada in the care of a very reliable Canadian friend, who delivered it to the Rogers' farm. I never heard a word back from them, and only hope it arrived.

2004 "SEVEN STARS" RUG, Designed, color planned and dyed by me. I hooked this in a 6-cut. The design was based on a dream that I had. You can see a small punchneedle embroidery "prototype" in a frame lying on this rug. I often try a quick punchneedle embroidery (PNE) in miniature first, to test out colors and to see how to handle the motifs, before I hook a rug. A closer view of the PNE is below.

Initial watercolor sketch (from my dream) of what would eventually become the Seven Stars rug.

2004 Moon-Stars-Wave rug. This is a punch hooked rug I did with a #10 Oxford Punchneedle. The design is my own and the rug yarn was dyed by Nancy Urbanek of Beaver Brook Crafts (no longer in business). I made a matching chairpad which is posted below.

Punchneedle chairpad, with rug yarn and a #10 Oxford Punchneedle. This was done to match the rug above.

Undated. A pillow top traditionally hooked by me in a 6-cut. This is a Karen Kahle design, which she taught in the 1990's at a "Hooked in the Mountains" Workshop sponsored by the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild, at the Shelburne Museum, probably somewhere around 2002-2004.

2001. Jessie's Arbor, a Philena Moxley Pattern from the 1800's, given new life by her great-granddaughter, Stephanie Allen-Krauss of Green Mountain Hooked Rugs. I did the color-planning, dyeing, and traditional hooking on this rug using a 6-cut. I totally fell in love with this pattern and its rich history, and never tire of this rug. Check out Philena's fascinating story at http://greenmountainhookedrugs.com/pages/philena-moxley

Undated, probably early 2000's. This may have been my first punch-hooked piece, a McAdoo pattern (those patterns are now owned by the Oxford Rug Hooking Company in Vermont). The yarns are hand-dyed by Nancy Urbanek of Beaver Brook Crafts (no longer in business).

2000. Rug title is "Judea," a design by the late great Patsy Becker. Pat Merikallio, the Queen of Color, coached me on color planning this rug. I did most of the dyeing and traditionally hooked it in a 5-cut. A thoroughly enjoyable project.

1999. Water Nymph, a pattern by Jane McGown Flynn design. I traditionally hooked it in a 6-cut using yarn dyed by Nancy Miller. I'm pretty certain this was my second hooked rug--between this one and the first I did a LOT of smaller pieces, most of which I have given away.

Circa 1999 or 2000. A pillow top traditionally hooked as a gift for a friend. "LADYBELL" Design adapted with permission from the Motawi Tile Works in Ann Arbor Michigan. I drool over their tiles. I think this was a 4-cut.

Two undated pieces (perhaps mid-1990s), both pillows, and both McGown patterns.  Both are done in a 3-cut, during an early phase when I thought I was attempting to learn traditional hooking (including small cuts and shading).

Undated. This is my very first hooked rug. Probably finished in the mid-to-late 1980's. Although I wove rugs in 1969 and 1970 on a 45" jack loom, and even partially hooked a rug in 1971, this little monster is my very first completed traditionally hooked rug, adapted from a pattern sold at the old Braid-Aid store in Southeastern Massachusetts (long gone now). I have no idea who the designer was, nor do I remember the title of the pattern, but I modified it by adding the quote. I made this in a #6 cut, using only off-the-bolt wools. The quote reads: "IT IS PLEASANT TO HAVE BEEN TO A PLACE THE WAY A RIVER WENT." (Thoreau) I refer to this as my "Hideous Fish" rug. It is not a favorite.

Hooked in the late 80s or early 90s, I think. I just (2019) rediscovered this very early hooking I did. When it was done, I gave it away. A good friend brought it over to see if it could be repaired (the lower left and lower right corners, and a few other places, are coming apart rather badly). This may even be the very first thing I ever hooked. I did it in a 3-cut, which was all I knew about at the time. I just hated hooking it; it's a wonder I ever continued! 3-cut is not my preference. Am guessing the date of this is late 1980s or early 1990s. It is a DiFranza design. Unfortunately the backing (could it be burlap? because burlap rots) is disintegrating quickly. Or perhaps it's moths destroying the backing, altho the friend who owns it says she has no other moths, and she has a few of my rugs on her floor, with no damage to them. So a puzzle. The repair would be onerous and probably unsuccessful, as the entire thing could continue to disintegrate, so alas, I won't be fixing this. But it's nice to have the photo as a record.

A bottle-cap pin I picked up years ago, with a slogan that was obviously made with me in mind.