We have had lots of interest from new members as a result of our exhibition at Red House, and they are all busy starting rugs now, so watch out for some lovely rugs from people who are new to rug making later this year.

We have started on a new project, which we hope to showcase on the site next summer. Each person is designing and making a rug inspired by a book on rug making in our collection. As our real exhibition is still travelling around, this time to Bradshaw Museum, the new exhibition will be a virtual one.

I would like to commend Ebor Ruggers on their new web site, please have a look at www.eborruggers.com

So what has the  group been up to?

In July it was our AGM, and we also used  the opportunity to host a Marie Curie Tea Party.

We also learnt about making Grenfell style fine rugs and wall hangings.

This small mat comes from Grenfell .

Many of the grenfell rugs took their designs from the natural environment around them. The bear below is an example made by a member of our group. Another characteristic of these rugs is that they are hooked in straight lines.

The pictures were originally made using fine stockings, and now our group use fine tights, hooked with a fine hook. A practise hook can be made by adding a cork to a fine crochet hook.

The sample below shows some of the colours that can be achieved by dyeing tights.

Over the summer months I have been experimenting with dyeing material in glass jars using solar energy. It has been great fun, even if the results are unpredictable. The jar here has birch leaves and alum mordant, which dyed the wool yellow.

Continuing wiht the dye theme, I also dyed indigo succesfully… many thanks to the Mulberry Dyer for the stater pack at Woolfest… The green wool is weld overdyed with indigo.

Another summer activity has been making an “extreme” pot holder rug. With no frame that size, kebab skewers and the garden seemed the only solution, although I did panic when the sky threatened rain. A word of warning.. the kebab skewers are sharp and I had to be very careful…

It took over twenty teeshirts and I did not  like all the joins much at the end.

And finally..   rugs brought along to our show and tell.

This is a small part of a larger wall hanging that will have lots of different needlework techniques included on it, coordinated by a group in Northumberland.

This small framed picture was inspired by Hungarian folk art.

and this lovely house was made as a thank you for a visit “over the pond”