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"Village of Pemberville", 2002, 32" x 55"
Teacher: June Mikoryak, my "local" teacher

My love for the historical buildings in our village inspired this rug.  The people represent the members of my family and my grandchildren.  Notice that Alaina is trying to coax her cat, Turtle, from under the pine tree with a strip of yellow wool from my stash.

The How-to Book Pictorial Basics: Pine Trees, Grass and Sky is based on the techniques I used in this rug.  It includes dye recipes and techniques.  I feel these elements are the most difficult parts of pictorial rugs.  I considered them background and was more worried about the buildings and the people.  Boy was I surprised when it came time to hook them.  How do you show depth for a patch of ground that is only an inch or so wide?  The technique I developed can be used for grass or sky patches that are tiny or quite wide.  Regardless of the size the grass will lay flat and the sky will soar overhead.

Pine tree instruction is a popular topic at the workshops I teach.  Extremely large trees (more than 12" tall) are more difficult than a standard size of 6-8."  Increase the cut size as the size of the tree increases.  You may need to trace the tree shape and then draw in the various areas in order to determine the correct size of the branches.

See my pine tree article in Rug Hooking Magazine's October/November 2005 issue.

Best of Show at McGown National Show in Valley Forge, PA 2002
Best of Show and People's Choice at Sauder Village, Archbold, OH 2002
Celebrations XIII, Reader's Choice Original Design, Rug Hooking Magazine, MAJ 2004