Gayle Burton has been making hooked rugs for about 7 years. She is a taught hobbyist who loves creating beautiful designs.
The basic supplies for rug hooking include: a rug hooking frame (or a large quilting hoop), a rug hook, a piece of foundation fabric (linen or cotton) and wool. It’s also helpful to have a strip cutter, but a rotary cutter & mat will also work.
Wool is hard to find at Utah fabric stores, and it’s very expensive. To make it more affordable, I get most of my wool from clothing bought at local thrift stores – things like skirts, pants & shirts. The clothing is washed to clean and felt it, then dismantled to be flat pieces. I have learned how to dye the wool so I can have a variety of colors for my projects.
My style of rug hooking is called primitive folk art – I prefer darker drab colors and simple, naive designs. However, rugs can be made in any (and every) style to suit the taste the hooker. Large bright geometric graphics, or rugs that are shaded with small details. Floral designs and animals are also very popular. You can buy commercial patterns or design your own rugs. I have friends who often hook rugs that depict a family event, or other subjects that are meaningful to them. Rugs hooked from a child’s drawing are a really sweet way to preserve a memory.
One of my favorite aspects of rug hooking is meeting each month with small groups of women while we work on our projects. We share ideas and give advice, talk about books and movies and families – plus solve the world’s problems! Great therapy! There are about 40 rug hookers along the Wasatch Front and our numbers are slowly growing each year.
A free mini-lesson is available for viewing on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCVaRxyQ-jo
Supplies and classes available from www.PioneerPrimitives.com in Layton.
Blog address for Gayle Burton: www.themiddlesister.blogspot.com
Contact information for local rug hooking groups located along the Wasatch Front – call for meeting times and locations.
Salt Lake City (daytime) Myra 801-485-1488
Salt Lake City (evenings) – Londi – 801-719-0199
Davis County – Gayle 801-773-2546
Brigham City – Victoria 435-723-3546
Cache Valley – Sandy 435-754-7235
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