Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year! Our first meeting of the year will be January 8th, 2025 at the First Congregational Church in Wauwatosa and we will be meeting at the Wisconsin Memorial Park - Family Center for the 2nd meeting of the month. The Hooker to Hooker Sale will be at the January 22nd meeting.
SAVE THE DATE: The Cream City Hook In will be April 24, 2025 at the Zoofari Center in Milwaukee.
Projects & Festivities from our December meeting!
Playing LCR at our Holiday Celebration - hoping to win wool strips!
Lots of good food was had by all!
A collection of holiday hooked items completed by guild members!
Classic Title
There was a display of special rugs completed by Lyle Drier. She will truly be missed.
33rd Hook In
A special feature of our Hook In this year was a "Wooly Style Show." Most models created their own outfits - upcycling wool into interesting pieces. Thank you ladies for your creativity and dedication!
Rugs entered in the Wisconsin Challenge
Our "Peoples Choice" winners!
Linda Gillen with "Butter Molds" designed by Jane McGown Flynn
"Wise Guys" was created by David Galchutt and expertly hooked by Sandy Kub.
"Ripples" was designed and hooked by Joyce Krueger. This was inspired by the center of a sunflower!
Projects From Our Last Meetings
"DeWormer III" designed by Kimberly Hurt of Because of Ewe was created by Sheryl Ellis
Santa was created by Carole Wirsching with many interesting details!
Jean Warren designed and created this whimsical stool.
Fall Spirits are in the air! Janet Kiekhofer created this wonderful pumpkin, and Suzanne Ziegler added the warmth of a fuzzy pumpkin!
"Proddy Lion" was designed by Gail Dufresne and hooked with a proddy maine by Jean Warren
Ann Rudolph designed and created this very dimensional proddy pumpkin!
Kim Gutschenritter attended the ATHA Convention in Texas. While there, she completed "Marshall Dawg" designed by Cheryl Bollenbach and entered the Rug Challenge designed by Linda Pietz.
"Butterfly" designed by Jane McGown and hooked by Patty Sherman
"In the Garden" designed and hooked by Carol Stoldt
"YOU'RE UNIQUE" designed & hooked by Carol Stoldt
"Lucky Liberty Black Cat" designed by Johanna Parker (Spruce Ridge Studios) & hooked by Barb Kren
"Nautical Angle VI" designed by Capri Boyle Jones & hooked by Janet Kiekhofer
Chris Martin designed and hooked this mat from various images in "Zenspirations - Abstract & Geometric Designs" by Joanne Fink
Part of the Guild's Wisconsin Challenge- Pam Schmelzle created "What Wisconsin Means To Me."
"Giraffe" is part of the Zoo series of Fancy This - Folk Art from Magnolias. Hooked by Jean Warren.
Carole Wirsching hooked this footstool top by adapting a pattern in Rug Hooking Magazine.
Tribute to Lyle Drier
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The Cream City Rug Hooking Guild and the whole world of rug hooking has lost a very special person - Lyle Drier. Lyle passed away on December 21, 2023, with Dennis at her side after a 17 year battle with multiple myeloma. Lyle's rug hooking began briefly in 1981, then in 1989 in earnest after joining the Cream City Rug Hooking Guild. Since that time she has produced more than 310 rugs and wall hangings, earning more than a 100 awards in Wisconsin and nationally. Some of Lyle's final words: "What a wonderful group of people rug hookers are. These factors certainly helped to stimulate the creativity. There are many rugs yet to be hooked. Many ideas yet to be explored. Many classes yet to take. Many rug hookers yet to meet."
Lyle - your talent, enthusiasm and smile will always be remembered.
Creating "Wooley Trees" Class
Ann Rudolph held a class on making wooley trees at our November meeting. All had a great time and ended up with a great tree!
Great Times at the Sheep and Wool Fest September 6 - 8th
Lots of activity at the History Center of Hawks Inn on August 28th and 29th! Members worked on their own projects, and unique items working with linings from upcycled clothing.
Fun at the Wisconsin State Fair 2023 -Demonstrating Rug Hooking!
Kudos to the Guild members who entered Hooked Articles and earned ribbons. These include Janet Kiekhofer, Ann Rudolph, Joyce Krueger and Lyle Drier. Taking "Best of Show" from all the hooked categories was Janet Kiekhofer. Don't let those hooks rest!
The 32nd Cream City Hook In and Fairy Tales Show
Cream City 32nd Hook In - 2023
Mary McGrath with "CLEO"
Our "People's Choice" Winners for Hook In
Joyce Krueger with "ENDANGERED SPECIES"
Lyle Drier with "SHINE"
GLIMPSES OF THE FABULOUS FAIRY TALE SHOW
Melissa Pattacini - designer of Fairy Tale patterns, owner of Honey Bee Hive and speaker at our Hook In is with Sharon Felten, creator of the Fairy Tale centerpieces and Joyce Krueger - a Fairy Tale rug artist and instrumental in bringing the show to Cream City
Hooking Fairy Tales - Extraordinary Rugs Inspired by the Golden Age of Illustration by Robin Rennie can be purchased from Rug Hooking Magazine. Fairy Tale patterns can be purchased from Honey Bee Hive, www.rughook.com.
Congratulations to the area winners for this years Celebrations (from Rug Hooking Magazine) winners! We are so excited to be surrounded with these creative artists!
"Shine" - a David Galchutt design, was created by Lyle Drier
Intriguing "Cleo" was designed by Mary McGrath
Joyce Krueger designed this barn after one she watched throughout her life. It has fallen down - but part of it is preserved in the frame!
Marilyn Denning used the painting "Guitar and Beautiful Soul" to complete this art piece.
"Harry" was beautifully hooked and braided by Sharon Felten - a Sally Kallin design.
History of the Cream City Rug Hookers
ATHA Chapter 29
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In 1985 several rug hookers lost their teacher - Lyn Raffensperger, who taught in Whitefish Bay, WI. They formed a group to hook together. Joyce Krueger, Waukesha, WI started teaching classes of rug hookers and helped the group get started and grow in size.
The group met on the 2nd Wednesday of each month and met for several years. In 1989 the group of 20 members voted to join ATHA. Each member joined ATHA and applied for a chapter charter. They wrote by-laws, selected a name, and planned events promoting rug hooking. In 1995 the group chose to meet twice monthly, meeting again on the 4th Wednesday of the month.
As part of the process of organizing, the group formed their own identity with the selection of their original name - the Cream City Rug Hookers. One member, Linda Petech from Lake Geneva, WI used her skills as an artist to create an original logo for the group. She donated this logo in four sizes to be used freely by the group for the promotion of rug hooking.
The logo is a cream colored brick home with a red roof and surrounded with green pine trees. The words on the logo are drawn around the house and colored red. The home has meaning to the rug hooker for many of her pieces are used to beautify and personalize her home. The cream color and use of brick recalls to us the historical architecture in southern Wisconsin using the "cream city" brick material for building many homes.
