2019/20 Annual Newsletter

Our Meetings are held September through May at Blue Point Congregational Church, 236 Pine Point Road, Scarborough

The doors are open from 9:30am until 2pm. Our programs usually start about 10 am. Programs run between 1 and 2 hours. After the programs we have the space to continue socializing and hooking, so bring a lunch and enjoy yourself.

Coffee, tea, snacks will be provided, but you need to bring your own lidded drink container. 

---

Tin Pedlar Officers

• Presidents ~ Barbara ‘Pepi’ Upton pepiu@earthlink.net 363-4590
• Faith Webster jwebste2@maine.rr.com 363-7168
• VP/Programs ~ Sheila Kilgore smkilg@maine.rr.com 363-4368
• Theresa Jack ttajack@aol.com 767-9964
• Secretary ~ Trudy Brown trudybrown001@gmail.com 775-3294
• Treasurer ~ Rachel Johns rajohns01@hotmail.com 854-2797
• Library ~ Sara Salisbury sssalisbury@yahoo.com 883-3773
• Hostesses ~ Gena Clukey genaviole@yahoo.com
• Communications/Social Media ~ Deb Arcaro darcaro@maine.rr.com 839-3276
• Cumberland Fair ~ Marion Gallant migallant@myfairpoint.net     625-7706

---

MEMBERSHIP (new and renewal):  All members of Tin Pedlar must also be members of ATHA, the national organization.

TIN PEDLAR CHAPTER

Dues of $20 should be paid on or before the September and October meetings.  Pay at the meetings or by snail mail to Rachel Johns, 910 Methodist Road, Westbrook, Me 04092; checks made out to Maine Tin Pedlar.

ATHA (NATIONAL) 

Dues of $32 may be made in one of the following three ways: 

• 1. Checks made out to ATHA may be sent to Joan Cahill, 6001/2 Maple Street, Endicott, NY  13760.  
• 2. Pay online at www.atharugs.com 
• 3. Rachel will take all ATHA new and renewal checks.  

---

Cumberland Fair Rugs

All Cumberland Fair rugs that will be judged need to have a completed registration. If you did not pre-register use the form included in this mailing.  If you absolutely cannot take your rugs to the fair, they may be brought to the September meeting. This year the worm challenge projects do not need to be registered as they were not intended for judging. Tin Pedlars will maintain a listing on these challenge pieces. If you wanted your challenge piece judged, you need to complete a registration.

2019 Cumberland Fair / Sept 22 – 28

The Tin Pedlars continue our participation in the Cumberland Fair sharing our art form through an exhibition of work, including this year’s fun “worm” challenge, and demonstrating our craft. 

---

Our booth has room to exhibit finished hooked pieces of any size. This year’s organizers are looking forward to seeing many pieces of work from rugs to ornaments, displaying the vast creativity of this active group of rughookers.

---

The organizers have worked hard to make changes in categories to better reflect our work. Most of these changes have been included in this year’s 2019 Fair Book.

Tin Pedlars
You must be a member of the Tin Pedlar group to enter in this category.
Place Awards: 1st $10.00 / 2nd $9.00 / 3rd $8.00Guild Award is $50.00 cash award for what we usually refer to as best in show. (It is listed differently in the Fair Book).

ORIGINAL – Title in Fair Book is Original Primitive/Wide Cut Patterns. This section is for any originally designed piece – ignore Primitive and Wide Cut.
9.801 – Tin Pedlar – original pattern: animals
9.802 – Tin Pedlar – original pattern: contemporary
9.803 – Tin Pedlar – original pattern: floral or fruit
9.804 – Tin Pedlar – original pattern: geometric
9.805 – Tin Pedlar – original pattern: pictorial
9.806 – Tin Pedlar – original pattern: pillow
9.807 – Tin Pedlar – original pattern: seasonal
9.812 – Tin Pedlar – original pattern: other: 3-dimensional item, stool cover, pocketbook, soft sculpture, coasters, pins, chair pad, mixed media, etc.
9.813 – Tin Pedlar Primitive Rug Hooking original pattern: this number is not being used this year as we are grouping the worm challenge pieces together.

Commercial – Title in Fair Book is Traditional/Commercial Patterns (including adaptions). This section is for any pattern that was purchased – ignore Traditional.
9.814 – Tin Pedlar – commercial pattern: animals
9.815 – Tin Pedlar – commercial pattern: contemporary
9.816 – Tin Pedlar – commercial pattern: floral or fruit
9.817 – Tin Pedlar – commercial pattern: geometric
9.818 – Tin Pedlar – commercial pattern: pictorial
9.819 – Tin Pedlar – commercial pattern: pillow
9.820 – Tin Pedlar – commercial pattern: seasonal
9.821 – Tin Pedlar – commercial pattern: other: 3-dimensional item, stool cover, pocketbook, soft sculpture, coasters, pins, chair pad, mixed media, etc.
9.822 – Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: this number is not being used this year.

Only one form is used to list all items being exhibited per individual.

---

To exhibit your pieces:

• each needs to be clean,
• never shown before at the Cumberland Fair,
• have a completed entry form. Click here to access a copy that can be downloaded and printed off (do not open in Google Drive, just download or print – this link is view only in Drive)

You can pre-register online, or mail in exhibition entry form by August 22, 2019. Pre-entries will close after this date.

Fill out and submit the online form prior 

Or mail an entry form (page 66 in Fair Book) to: Lynn Copp – 23 Goose Pond Rd – Cumberland, Maine 04021 (do not open in Google Drive, just download or print – this link is view only in Drive)

Pregistered rugs can be brought to the Sept. meeting and the organizers will get them to the fairgrounds.

After August 22, 2019:  Entries will be accepted during the open registration hours listed below.

• Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Thursday, September 19, 2019, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Friday, September 20, 2019, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

If you bring to the fairgrounds you need to include MAINE TIN PEDLARS with your Name, so the rugs will get to our exhibition area. You also need a completed entry form.

---

If you have questions please reach out through our email and an organizer will get back to you.

White Mountain Woolen Magic Rughooking Guild Invitational Exhibition

The White Mountain Woolen Magic Chapter of ATHA invites you to enjoy their works.

Exhibit will run through September 13, 2019 / daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Opening Reception sponsored by Dorr Mill Store will be held Friday, June 28, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. / League of New Hampshire Headquarters / 49 South Main Street, Concord, NH

Visit www.nhcraft.org for more information

The Perfect Day

Many of our members enjoyed a lovely time at Pepi’s beautiful home for our June gathering. Perfect weather, perfect setting, perfect strawberry shortcake, lots of great projects  and wonderful smiling women. It was the perfect day. Thank you Pepi (and Faith) for being the perfect hostesses!

May Meeting and Update

May 11 is our last regular meeting until September. 

Please come and enjoy Grace Collette’s presentation, followed by a workshop making an adorable Lamb Pin ($5.00 for materials).  If you were at the April meeting you probably saw Grace and the beautiful piece she is working on – definitely “out of the box”!

An assortment of of hooks from Helen Greene’s donation will be available for direct sale. Most of these hooks we consider more utility in style and will be prices $3-4. A few specialty ones will be $10.

---

Sarah Guiliani Workshop

Sarah will be offering a workshop after her presentation November 9, 2019.

Registration is limited to 12-15 students (dependent on available space).

The workshop fee pf $75 includes both the wave pattern (approx. 18×18) and the wools. 

The workshop fee is due 2 months prior to the Nov. meeting and is non-refundable. You will not be enrolled until payment is received.

 Please make check payable to Sarah Guiliani.

To ensure your space in the workshop it is recommended that your bring your payment to the May meeting. If you cannot be at the meeting you can mail payment to Sheila Kilgore. Sheila will get payments to Sarah.

---

June “Fun Day” of Hooking 10 to 2(ish)

Pepi Upton has opened her home in York for an informal “Fun Day” of hooking for tin pedlar members on June 8th.  Bring a lunch (drinks and dessert will be provided), your own folding chair as we will be out on the lawn and whatever project you are working on. 

Directions have been provided in an email sent to all members. If you did not receive or have misplaced send an email to the tin pedlar gmail acct. and we will get the information to you.

CHALLENGE! The Worm Returns

It’s time to have another CHALLENGE for Tin Pedlars members and the 2019 Cumberland Fair provides the perfect opportunity. We plan to hang the finished challenge pieces on the back wall.

The CHALLENGE! ……..

You must hook a piece with the worms you have on hand. No cutting new ones. You can trade with others, but only use current worms.

The rug can be any size that will accommodate your stash or gathered collection of worms. Another reminder that worms are not just for geometric style rugs. Picture this free pattern done with worms……

Here’s some inspiration from finished challenge pieces: (check back as we’ll update as others share what they’ve done!)

Your challenge piece needs to be completed by the September 2019 meeting, so it can be hung by the Cumberland Fair committee for showing during the fair.

We have established a “community worms box” that will be available at the upcoming meetings while the challenge is active. So, if you need some, take some. If you have some to share, please do so. And yes, you can just grab a handful or two, or you can sort through for those special colors.

Members have also offered to help design rugs that will hook up well with worms. Just ask.

If you have time, you can submit multiple pieces to the challenge.

This challenge was originally designed by the Ozark Mountain Rug Hookers Guild.

Dec. Sale!

The Tin Pedlars have receive a variety of generous donations over the years. Recently we received materials from an individual who had a shop. The monies raised by the sale of these materials will be used in support of our programs.

The volume of the materials means we will be having various sales during meetings. We will try to provide a preview of the type of items and prices that will be available each sale.

• The materials will all have a set price.
• If there are more parties interested than there of numbers of a specific item the item will be sold by lottery. All interested parties will have names placed in a box. The pulled name will have the option to purchase the item.
• Items are as is.

Preview for Dec. sale:

Fraser/Rigby Cutter Blades $ 35.00 each

 

 

 

 

Offset scissors     10.00   

 

 

 

 

    Burling irons $ 15.00

 

 

 

Hoops $     1.00 to $10.00  

 

 

 

 

Dye spoons       5.00 

 

 

 

 

   Cushing dyes       1.00

 

 

 

 

Bolt of black watch wool       5.00 a yard

 

 

Felting supplies       1.00 to 5.00

 

 

Wooden prodders       5.00                

———————————

Puritan frames w/stands     65.00 each

Small folding wood frame     25.00

        

——————————

Basic hooks     4.00

Special hooks     10.00 to $25.00

Books       2.00 to 5.00

Noodle holders       1.00 /pair

 

Celebrate 40 years for ATHA

ATHA has invited all chapters to hook a Birthday cake to celebrate them reaching their 40th year. The celebration will be in Denver at the 2019 Biennial Rug show.

We will be celebrating together enjoying carrot cake and joining our hooking skills to complete this birthday cake (designed by a member).

The group hooking of this 16” x 16” mat will start at the Dec. meeting. Please feel free to bring a variety of bright, colorful, sparkly materials to add to the donated fabrics for this mat.

Free Patterns to Share

At the Oct. meeting the following 3 patterns were shared with the group. These patterns are free to use. If you are looking to print any of these patterns off you can find them in the Tin Pedlar Google Drive: Free Pattern Folder.

Anyone can access this folder using this link.

 

 

Cashmere People Yarns

These attending the Oct. 13th meeting of the Tin Pedlar of Maine were treated to an engaging presentation by Casey Ryder, owner of PortFiber, 50 Cove St, Portland, ME 04101, on Cashmere People Yarns.

Casey shared how she became involved in this Cashmere People Yarns, a 4-year development project funded by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development). The project’s objective was to create opportunities for rural women in remote areas of Tajikistan and Afghanistan for earning income. The project’s aim was to help co-operatives of women in processing local fibers from Cashgora goats into high quality yarns and linking to the global marketplace for sale of the fiber. Cashgora goats are a cross breed between angora goats (mohair) and cashmere producing goats. The Cashgora goats are raised in Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The harvested fiber is washed in Afghanistan, dying and handspinning of the yarn is done by the co-operatives of women in Tajikistan. Cashmere People Yarns are produced in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable way. The artisans are earning a fair wage and are fully in charge of their business.

Casey shared photos of her March 2017 trip to Tajikistan to meet the groups of women spinning the yarn and learning more about the program first hand. She did not make it to Afghanistan because of weather. She explained how the Tajikistan groups were structured in 2 different parts of the country. How they meet and worked in the group leader’s home until workshops were constructed. How they went from using sheared fibers to hand combed fibers to increase the quality. She provided some history on the strain og goats that provide this incredibly soft high quality fiber. Casey shared her experiences visiting homes and workshops. She shared her experience of the language barrier (English vs Russian), rural travel, and very different culture. Casey shared stories about Skyping with these groups of women as part of their collaboration on marketing their yarn. About how this project has not only provided a source of income for these women, but also an opportunity to gather as women in a social group.

Each skein of Cashmere People Yarn provides a small bio card on the woman that spin that skein. Casey shared how she is also sharing information on how the yarn is being used by US knitters with the co-operatives. 

 

 

Imagine hearing and seeing how a handspun yarn you were responsible for creating has been knit into a beautiful scarf… By seeing the individual who did the knitting and wears the finished item…

 

Visit the Cashmere People Yarn site to get a complete picture of the project, journey of the fiber and the women of the co-operatives. You can also shop online for this yarn from both the link on the site or if in the Portland, Maine area visit PortFiber. You can also watch this short documentary  to learn more about the history of the area, people, culture and this project.

Casey also shared some of the other fiber art pieces she purchased during her visit, and the handmade socks she received as gifts during her visit.

We are a group of rug hookers, many of whom do a variety of fiber arts, and it’s always fun to see the work of others.

—————————-

You can also connect to PortFiber and Cashmere People Yarns on Instagram and Facebook @PortFiber and @cashmerepeopleyarns.