Meetings…..

Tin Pedlar meetings are held on the second Sat. of the month – Sept. through June, 9:30 am – 2 pm. We welcome anyone interested in rug hooking to join us.

Doors Open: 9am (this allows for set-up of tables for presentation and prepping coffee and treats. Coffee will be ready for 9:30. Remember to bring you own travel mug.)
Meeting begins: 9:30
(meeting includes business meeting and presentation. Check monthly program guide for specific details)
Bring your lunch! Stay and hook together until 2pm.

Please be careful…

Hi Maine Tin Pedlars!

We have had a very snowy week and we’re due to get a bit more overnight.

The board and Trudy Brown have been communicating since last evening about what is for tomorrow’s 2/11/17 – meeting.

What has been decided is that the church will be open and Sara Salisbury will be there. You are free to come if you would like to but PLEASE assess CAREFULLY whether it is safe enough for you to travel. We do not want ANYONE to travel if it is not safe.

Please call those that you might travel with and tell them you got this e-mail and make a decision together about whether to stay home or to go out. We know there are a few of you hearty-die-hard New England types that will insist that you should be there – you know who you are (!) but if you’re in ANY way, mobility limited or affected by other health issues  – I can’t name names – but I am tempted – PLEASE STAY HOME!!!

From Trudy regarding the rug show —

Two things everyone needs to know:
 (1)  Mail rug “tickets” to Trudy Brown this week. If you need her address please contact a board member. There will be a basket at the show for small items and rugs priced at less than $150.00.  You do not need tickets for pieces going in the basket.  There will be price tags next to the basket for you to fill out and attach.

  (2) Plan to supply your own dowels. The show has gotten so big (Yay!) that Faith and Trudy will only buy a small number of “emergency” dowels.  Write your name on a piece of masking tape and tape it to your dowel to be sure it is returned to you.

Faith and Trudy will be calling all the people who have signed up to bring rugs.  By the end of the week, a detailed e-mail about the show and the opening reception will be sent to all members.

Having said this please remember the opening reception for the show is on March 9th at the Stonewall Gallery in Yarmoth – the Historical Society 5:30 to 7 PM – join us!! 

AND March 11 is our next meeting – it’s our Annual AUCTION. Please bring all your excess patterns, wool, hooks, cutters, frames and other interesting items. And bring your wallet too! This is our most important fund raiser.

 Have a safe Saturday all!

Cheri and the Board.

Maine Tin Pedlars’ Stonewall Gallery Rug Hooking Exhibit

Part of the Maine Tin Pedlars’ purpose as an active organization and an ATHA chapter, is to promote the art of rug hooking through education, sharing of ideas and group activities. As part of this over the years we have participated in museum exhibits and held rug shows.

This Spring (2017) we will have a rug exhibit that will run from the beginning of March thru the end of April in The Stonewall Gallery, at the Yarmouth History Center .

Throughout the year, the Stonewall Gallery hosts a number of individual and group art exhibits. The Maine Tin Pedlars will be one of the 2017 group exhibits.

The Gallery’s most prominent feature is the gray stone wall, a structure that was once a part of Yarmouth’s Water District Building built in 1923.

This photo is from the Yarmouth History Center, 118 East Elm Street, Yarmouth, Maine, Stonewall Gallery’s page. 

Tin Pedlar members are encouraged to exhibit some of their work. Any member that is interested in putting some of their pieces up for sale are also able to do that. A portion of proceeds from any sales during the exhibit will go to support the programs of the History Center. For members not sure about pricing of their hooked pieces, there will be additional information shared at the Jan meeting. It will be posted on this site also, along with any additional information, as we get closer to the hanging of the exhibit.

Here’s an outline of the existing timeline for this event ~

The exhibit will be taken down on May 1, 2017 starting at 10am.

The organizing group of this exhibit would like to have an idea of what items members will be providing. If you are going to be exhibiting, please be sure to let Faith or Trudy know the following:

• Your Name:
• Number of rugs or wall hangings larger than 2’ x 3’:
• Number of rugs or wall hangings smaller than 2’ x 3’:
• Other small items (type and # of):
• Number of items for sale:
• If you can drop off at the Gallery the week of 2/21 – Tues thru Thurs. 10-5

If exhibiting you will also have to complete our 3 “ticket” exhibit form. Be sure to provide the story of your piece. It’s not just interesting, but educational, to hear how a hooked piece was worked – from the reason behind the design, to the person it was hooked for, or maybe you were experimenting with a new technique. These stories add to the enjoyment of viewing the art work.

You can download the 3 “ticket” form here. Remember you will need 1 form for each item exhibiting.

 

Northern Workshop Rug Show

PEARLK2014x

Potential Spam or Virus

Hello Everyone

Just a brief note. I received an email from Carol (Sam) Ballard with a word of caution. If you receive an email from athanews@aol.com, do NOT open it or click on a Docusign link in that email.  It is spam and could put a virus or other malware on your computer. Aol has been contacted. So issue has been taken care of for future messages.  Be careful what you open! Always good advice! If you did receive and open it please run a scan of your computer to make sure it is safe. Enjoy your evening!

Lauri

 

 

Combining Braiding Rug hooking and more

 

Our June meeting offered a presentation with Kris McDermet from Vermont. Kris shared her personal journey of learning to braid rugs and how to hook rugs. After becoming proficient in both mediums her creative mind put both techniques together so her hooked pieces have braided borders and her interior braids are surrounded by hooked areas.

Over time she has explored and expanded her skills and added even more techniques to her creations such as felting, and has been creating 3 dimensional pieces such as braided bowls. She adds textures such as silk, charmeuse and glitter or sequin fabric that is often recycled. Kris’ husband was a wonderful assistant and held the rugs so we could truly appreciate the work involved. Special thanks to Alitza Wildes who also assisted with the heavy rugs! Thank you Kris for sharing your art with us!

After the presentation we all enjoyed a delicious pot luck provided by our members. Our next meeting will be on 10 September. Enjoy your summer and stay safe!

Here are some scenes from the day:

 

Annual Auction Saturday 3/19

THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 19th IS OUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER! 

Auction donations will consist of contributions from our members and guests. All proceeds generated from purchases will go to the Maine Tin Pedlar Chapter treasury for future programs. We are looking for anything nice, clean, useful, handy, pretty, cute, decorative, appropriate for re-giving, nice… (endless possibilities).  Would you buy this yourself? For your best friend? Donations do not have to be fiber related, but if they are — fabulous!  Some are contributing books, patterns, wool, yarn, frames, cutters, fabric, notions, decorative heirlooms, antiques — the sky’s the limit as long as it’s nice in your eyes… Bring your unfinished products that you don’t intend to finish (someone else might love the challenge) or that pattern you picked up at a hook in that you are never going to really hook!  Please…no junk. Any questions? Speak up!

The set-up team will be setting up and members making donations should give them to Lauri when they arrive.  During set up, why not have coffee and a snack in the kitchen or the small room? 

Members can start previewing at 9:45 (NO early peeks, please stay away from the tables during the set up so Lauri’s team can organize everything). The auction will begin about 10:15 AM.  

This year there will be some minor changes to keep things organized and running smoothly:  

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PAY FOR YOUR PURCHASES UNTIL THE AUCTION IS OVER – NO EARLY CHECK OUTS.  When people check out early, the people taking the money cannot participate in the auction and bid.  We strongly suggest that you pay by check – you can have the check completely made out before check out and just fill in the amount when the auction is over.  If your paddle ends in an odd number (1,3,5, etc) you will check out with Cheri Nixon – if your paddle ends in an even number (2,4,6, etc) you will check out with Joyce Goff.  No one will be able to leave the auction without paying…you know you’re going to an auction to shop, you need to bring a blank check or cash with you to cover your purchase.  Paying by check will save time as we won’t be juggling cash to make change!

Please feel free to forward this email to your hooking friends!

See you on Saturday!

Joyce Goff

 Secretary, Maine Tin Pedlar

Westford Hook in is full

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that the March Westford hook-in is officially full. They were able to take 160 and ask that no additional applications be sent. Should they receive more applications they will be returned.

Since we first posted information about Westford in November I hope that all of the Tin Pedlars who wanted to attend were able to get their applications in. A reminder that since the Westford hook-in will be held on the second Saturday we will have our March Auction meeting on the third Saturday, March 19.

See you on Saturday!

February Updates

I believe I have finally figured out how to conquer the challenges of posting on our WordPress site and will try to keep better communications with the membership. Thanks to Joyce Goff as I am cutting and pasting from her group post.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH:  

Originally this was scheduled as a “brown bag your lunch and bring your hooking” event – which it still is!  BUT…Donna Hezlep is going to also do a presentation on wide cuts (9 and larger) that are a great way to use any wool that you wouldn’t otherwise use in your rugs – thin, thick, raggy, etc.  She has a few animal patterns (sheep, cat, pig, etc.) that become really cute squishy pillows.  Everyone is free to observe the techniques.  At the January meeting we were able to order a pattern or a kit but if you weren’t there, you can contact Donna directly to see what you need to bring if you’d like to try this out.  (Donna’s phone is 207-318-2243 and her email is quiltbully@yahoo.com)  It really looks like a fun thing to do and I know we all have wool that we just don’t know what to do with.

If you are coming just to hook and bringing lunch – you can set up in the big room (we’ll do our class in the smaller side room) and remember that we pay for the hall until 2 so there’s no need to eat and run.

MARCH MEETING & AUCTION – CHANGE OF DATE:

Due to a conflict with  the Westford Hook-in on March 12th – we will NOT be having our meeting or auction that day.  We have moved the March meeting/auction to March 19th!  Start cleaning your closets for our annual auction!! Members are requested to bring items that are in good shape for the auction.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: KITTERY , SATURDAY 7 MAY

There will be an event called “ARTRAGEOUS” held at the Kittery Recreation Center from 3:00-8:00. We are looking for some artists, rug hookers and others to provide demonstrations in the new gym during those hours. You can hang out with a couple friends while working on your own rug, and also show others how to pull loops. Tin Pedlars will provide at least one frame, wool strips and pattern. In addition to that opportunity proposals are currently being taken from teachers of all arts who are interested in providing workshops in separate classrooms. Please contact Lauri Troutman.

Time to Celebrate!!!

RSVP requested by September 1
contact Debbie Arcaro, Lauri Troutman or Cheri Nixon directly or email: tinpedlar@maine.rr.com / comment here or on our Facebook page

2015-2016 Meeting Schedule

We kick off this busy year with a Celebration!!! Hoping all our members are able to join us for this fun day.

September 12, 2015: 35th Anniversary Celebration

We would like to cordially invite members and rug hooking friends to join us for a celebration of the Founding of the Maine Tin Pedlars 35 years ago. A catered lunch will be served. (Remeber to RSVP)

Speaker: Linda Cortright, Editor of Wild Fibers Magazine

Sidebar: Scapbooks of our history, photos of past exhibits

October 10, 2015: Member Share

A member discussion of early hooking projects. Bring one or a few of your earliest hooking projects to share.

November 14, 2015: “Wooly Mason Jar” Dying

Lucy Richard will present “The Wooly Mason Jar” dye workshop

December 12, 2015: Hook-in and Bingo

Join a membership Hook-in where we will have a Christmas pot luck lunch, play a little wool bingo and just have fun being together.

Sidebar: Hooked Christmas projects

January 9, 2016: Antique Rug Slideshow

Lauri Troutman will be presenting a slideshow of Joseph’s antique rugs. Some of our membership were lucky enough to be able to see many of these rugs first hand when an invitation was extended for us to visit Joseph’s home (2014). It is an incredible collection. Lauri was able to take photos of this incredible collectionat a later visit.

Sidebar: hooked projects of winter scenes

February 6, 2016: Hook-in

Details will be announced later

March 12, 2016: AUCTION!!!

Our annual fundraiser for programs. That means clean out your closets of wool, patterns, books, etc. Always a fun time.

April 9, 2016: Stitches for Rug Hookers

Grace Collette will present a program on Stitches for Rug Hookers. Her presentation will be from 10 – 11 am with a hands on workshop to follow (11:30 am – 3:30 pm). Work will be done on a 9×12 linen sampler using five different stitches.

May 14, 2016: “Humor in Hooked Rugs”

Rose Raymond will lecture and exhibit on “Humor in Hooked Rugs”.

June 11, 2016: Combining Rug Hooking and Rug Braiding

Kris McDermet will speak about her love of combining rug hooking and rug braiding. She will discuss color, texture, embellishments, wet felting and using silk for both hooking and braiding. She will bring many examples of rugs. The group will be able to try their hand at braiding.

Summer Luncheon!!!