Interview with a Rug Hooker

Gunnel Casey was born on her family's farm in the Swedish countryside. She is one of seven sisters. Most of her growing up time was spent doing farm related chores and looking back she says she was a tomboy. She attended college in Sweden where she received her degree in Home Economics. Gunnel taught for a year, and then immigrated to the United States. She made her first home in Santa Barbara, CA. and after trying a few different jobs decided on a career as a flight attendant for Continental Airlines. She met her husband Bob, an airforceman at the time, while flying to the Phillipines. They later married and eventually made their home in Bellevue, WA., where they haved lived for the past 28 years.

Nellie: How did you first become interested in Rug Hooking?
Gunnel: A dear friend of mine, a former neighbor, introduced me to rug hookng sometime in either 1990 or 1991 during a visit to her home in California. I had never seen this art form before and it sort of "spoke to me".

Nellie: How long have you been hooking rugs?
Gunnel: My first rug hooking class was in 1992 with Evelyn Woods in Seattle. I was not able to attend many classes until I retired in 1993 as a flight attendant. After my retirement I became more active with this art form.

Nellie: How many rugs and/or hooking projects have you completed?
Gunnel: I have completed perhaps 25 to 30 projects, the vast majority of which have been rugs.

Nellie: What are your hooking inspirations?
Gunnel: The principle inspirations are the desire to create a finished work product that is both pleasing to the eye and has functionality. Color, form, subject, size and impact combine to inspire me to create the rug. Nature, especially animal life, is my comfort zone.
Nellie: Where is your favorite place to hook?
Gunnel: My favorite place to hook is in the family room.

Nellie: What other interests do you have besides Rug Hooking?
Gunnel: Gardening, especially in the summer months, takes up a great deal of my time. Being a farm girl, I just bond with the soil. Also, I am, as I always have been, very active with sports. Hiking, skiing, running, walking, biking and, in years now long past, soccer, are among my favorite activities.

Nellie: Why did you choose to hook your latest project the 1885 Horses rug?
Gunnel: I chose that pattern because I had in interest in learning more about primitive rug hooking, and, as a bonus, I just loved the pattern for itself. The pattern is pure simplicity; something I believe defines this art form. The background style, the antique nature of the pattern, and the color possibilities also appealed to me.

Nellie: What do you love most about this rug?
Gunnel: While difficult to say, I guess that the horses and the colors are what I like the best.

Nellie: Of all the rugs you have hooked, which is your favorite?
Gunnel: If I had to pick one rug as my favorite, I guess I would choose the rug of my family farm in Sweden because of the wonderful childhood memories that the farm provides. If I had a second choice it would be the rug I designed and hooked that has most of my favorite things, animals and tulips in a classic Oriental rug design. It also has quite a bit of red color throughout, something I always seem to like in rugs.

Nellie: Have you been to any retreats lately, or have plans to go in the near future? Tell us about them.
Gunnel: Camp Houston is the latest, and it is one of my favorite retreats. This past summer I was at the Roslyn retreat that was organized by Lisa Engle. We had a super time! Then there was Barbara Caroll’s workshop in Pennsylvania this past September. That camp was a great learning experience and lots of fun.

Nellie: What will you hook next?
Gunnel: My next rug probably will be of a Swedish fortress that a relative in Sweden has commissioned. This will be a challenge both because of the rather large size of the rug and the complexity of the subject matter.

Nellie: Thanks Gunnel for sharing a little of yourself with us!

Las Rancheritas Rug Show a Huge Success!

"In the small village of 'Augustin Gonzales' located in the central Mexican highlands a group of women and men spend what little free time they have hooking rugs. You will find them working at night by the kitchen table or perhaps you will see them sitting under a tree on a hillside tending the cows and working on their rugs. Their subject matter is the life around them, mountains, cactus, cows, horses, burros, flowers, little houses, a church, chickens, ducks and more. Each art piece is entirely unique as is the skill of rug hooking in Mexico."

Those are the words fellow rug hooker Joan Sample posted on a flyer for a recent rug show featuring the Las Rancheritas hooked rugs. The show was held in Woodinville, WA at the Crystal Lake Lodge. The log lodge is nestled in the woods on a lovely private lake and made a beautiful backdrop for the 83 bright colored rugs on display. Approximately 85 people attended, men and women alike, and the room was abuzz with excitement and awe at the unique talents apparent in these rugs. This show was an opportunity to help the rug hookers of Augustin Gonzales through the purchase of their handiwork. 100% of the sales will go directly to the artist...no commission fees. This is due in part to the generosity of The Sample family, the tireless commitment of Charlotte Bell and the creative marketing strategy of Barbara Hanson. All told, with the sale of the rugs, CD's and donations, just over $6,000.00 was raised! What a huge success! It was an honor to have played even a small part in helping these people. I have posted a video/slideshow of the rugs below.


To find out more about the rug hookers of Augustin Gonzales or to host a show in your area, please contact Charlotte Bell.

Las Rancheritas Rug Show and Sale

LAS RANCHERITAS OF AUGUSTIN GONZALES, MEXICO

In the small village of “Augustin Gonzales” located in the central Mexican highlands a group of women and men spend what little free time they have hooking rugs. You will find them working at night by the kitchen table or perhaps you will see them sitting under a tree on a hillside tending the cows and working on their rugs. Their subject matter is the life around them, mountains, cactus, cows, horses, burros, flowers, little houses, a church, chickens, ducks and more. Each art piece is entirely unique as is the skill of rug hooking in Mexico.

Please join us for a display and sale of the LAS RANCHORITAS hooked rugs:
Saturday November 8, 2008
12 noon – 5 pm.
Crystal Lake Lodge, Woodinville, Wash.

Along with this display of rugs we are pleased to have Charlotte Bell, a professional photographer, give her talk and slide show entitled “Meet the Rug Hookers of Augustin Gonzales” at 1:00 pm. Charlotte lives in Austin, Texas and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and has been working with the village for several years now to bring their work to the public. Augustin Gonzales is a subsistence farming community. Your purchase helps families meet their basic needs. 100% of the purchase price goes directly to the rug hooker.


Thank you for your generosity and interest in these wonderful people. Any questions please e-mail Joan Sample at rjsample@mac.com

Welcome!

Hi everyone! So glad you stopped by! To fill you in on what this blog is about...
We are rug hookers, living in the Pacific Northwest and love getting together to share. What could be better than sitting with your latest rug in front of you, cup of coffee/tea in your hand and your hooking friends nearby? Whether your sharing is centered on your latest project on the frame, what you're cooking for dinner or which kid is giving you fits at the moment, wonderful things happen around the hooking circle. It's a place to be inspired, encouraged, and enlightened. That is our hope for this blog...to gather together in one place, put our ideas and yours out there to share in hopes that we grow as a connected community of rug hooking artists. Our focus will be on rug hookers from the western U.S. and Canada; their projects, events, and activities. Some things to look for in the coming days...

Meet the Hooker: Interviews with your sisters in the hooking realm.

Gallery of Rugs: send us your pictures and help us build "our" gallery.

Local Events: Do you have an exciting event happening near you? Give us the details.

Tips and Tricks: Know any special tip or trick that would enhance our rug hooking experience?

Travel log: Where have you been? Let's keep each other in the know about fun rug hooking related travels.

For now, start gathering photos of your latest project to submit- (these can be works in progress); a favorite hooker/designer to interview; any upcoming workshops or retreats.

You can contact us by clicking on Nellie's picture and then on the e-mail link.
Hope to hear from you soon!

Be sure and leave a comment when you visit to let us know what you're thinking and if you have any ideas or inspiration to share.

Happy Hooking!