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Preview Art you can walk on Whether their work goes on the floor or on the wall, rug hookers make some of the most creative textile art around. And they recycle. Over the last c o u p l e of decades, s h o p p i n g s e c o n d h a n d has b e c o m e chic. S o m e folks d o it for t h e a f f o r d a b l e prices w h i l e others are seeking unusual styles or v i n t a g e items. Linda Spence scours t h e thrift stores for 1 0 0 % w o o l pants a n d skirts, n o t t o c o m p l e m e n t her w i n t e r w a r d r o b e , but rather for r a w material t o make her w o n d e r f u l h o o k e d rugs. She looks for various colours, textures a n d patterns, a n d keeps a goodly supply of fabric o n h a n d . That way, w h e n she hooks a rug, she has plenty of selection t o create her self-designed rugs. " R u g h o o k i n g satisfies my desire t o recycle." Presently, she is w o r k i n g o n a series of h a n g i n g rugs, o n e for each m o n t h of t h e year. Spence d i d n o t set o u t t o b e c o m e a rug hooker - she e v o l v e d into one. She began s p i n n i n g in 1972 a n d , in time, a c c u m u l a t e d so much yarn that she p u r c h a s e d a l o o m a n d started w e a v i n g . The many s m a l l bits of yarn cut off t h e ends led her t o h o o k i n g rugs. In 1999, she a t t e n d e d a w o r k s h o p i n O r e g o n w h e r e s h e d i s c o v e r e d that, rather t h a n yarn, t h e other rug hookers w e r e using strips of fabric. The w o r k w e n t m u c h faster. In O r e g o n , Spence m e t M i c h e l l e Silver of Vancouver a n d together they started u p t h e Vancouver R u g Hookers. She, Pam M u t s a e r t s a n d Jenny Wright, all of North Vancouver, are three of several m e m b e r s exhibiting their rugs at t h e Silk Purse January 8 - 2 0 . The e x h i b i t i o n , entitled A r t Underfoot, also includes a d e m o n s t r a t i o n of the t e c h n i q u e on Sunday t h e 1 3 ^ . Rug h o o k i n g may have o r i g i n a t e d in ancient Egypt, b u t because textiles break d o w n , there is n o evidence t o substantiate this. M o s t From July 27 - August 4, the annual Summer Convergence of textile artists will be held in Vancouver. International delegates from as far away as Japan, Siberia, Australia and Scotland, will attend workshops in weaving, hooking, dyeing, beadwork and surface design. The Vancouver Rug Hookers will hold a raffle of original pieces, the proceeds going to textile arts cooperatives in Peru and India. The Convergence promises to be a wonderful event. For information about the Vancouver Rug Hookers, please call Linda Spence at 604-988-2737. - Peggy Stortz i n f o r m a t i o n indicates that it probably began in Europe a n d flourished in t h e n e w w o r l d as t h e settlers used scraps of fabric t o create rugs to cover their c o l d floors. O l d burlap feed bags served as a b a c k i n g a n d eventually w o m e n b e g a n t o express their artistry t h r o u g h the hooked rugs w i t h images from nature a n d from pioneer life. The art of rug h o o k i n g has been c o m p a r e d t o p a i n t i n g w i t h w o o l . M o s t of the w o m e n in t h e Vancouver g r o u p design their o w n patterns a n d then proceed t o interpret those patterns, selecting the right textures a n d colours, often dyeing t h e fabric t o achieve t h e desired hues. The g r o u p has at least t w o " d y e d a y s " a year using both natural a n d chemical dyes. Spence is the expert in that d e p a r t m e n t . Mutsaerts, w h o is also a n avid quilter, is a l w a y s o n the lookout for interesting fabric. For her, using m a t e r i a l that is f o u n d "forces the creativity." She also enjoys t h e f o r g i v i n g nature of rug h o o k i n g . "It's easy to pull out a n d start over." W r i g h t feels that rug h o o k i n g is t h e freest a n d most creative of the textile arts. " A n y t h i n g that y o u c a n pull up through the hole c a n b e c o m e a part of the tapestry." A proud supporter of the arts in your community. Long & McQuade MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 1615 Lonsdale Ave. Phone:986-0911 and 8 other locations in B.C. 125 East 2nd Street North Vancouver, B . C . V 7 L I C 2 Phone 985-9192 F a x 255-1111 January | February