Prairie Rose Rug School Rugs

I (Sylvia Gauthier) finished by Button Basket rug! The pattern is designed by Susan Quicksall. I chose this design to take to Prairie Rose Rug School at Assumption Abbey, in Richardson ND. It was so hard to pick a design to take to the rug school. Patty Tyrrell and I were headed into the unknown of rug schools and camps. Neither of us had ever been to any kind of hooking events and quite honestly we didn't know what to expect. You would have thought it was the last rug either of us would ever make! Patty finally chose Quaint Town by Karla Gerard and I chose the Button Basket.

Button Basket had several lessons I wanted to learn at rug school, especially the Bead, or Seed Stitch. That is the stitch on the basket and in the flowers that looks striped.

Once the pattern was picked, it was time to choose the wool colors. I dyed several colors and several shades of each color. With the help of Michele Wise, our teacher, I made sure I had a light, dark, bright, and dull.

I have worked on this rug since August. While I was binding the rug I laid it on the floor to have a look at my work and my son's black lab laid right on top of it, of course. I decided right then that it wasn't going on the floor. I will hang it on the wall. I love it too much for it to be covered in hair, and he really loses hair!

Patty's choice of Quaint Town was the perfect design to take to rug school too.

Karla Gerard's patterns are on paper, which makes it really nice if you want a larger rug like Patty did. She had the pattern enlarged, drew it on her linen, sewed around the edges and started picking out, and dyeing wool.

During our class, Michele gave Patty some sparkly ribbon like stuff to try in the church window. It truly looks like stained glass. I think I'm most impressed with how the moon glows, which is another lesson from Michele.

Patty finished her rug long before I finished mine. It was smaller but she is faster and more experienced than I am.

Patty and I both have plans to attend Prairie Rose Rug School again this year. Two of our other members, Barb and Craig Pearson, attend Friends by the Sea Rug School every year. They have attended Friends for something like 15 years. No matter how long we hook, or how many classes we take, there is always more to learn.

Post written by Sylvia Gauthier.