Orange Coast Classics

Today was the big day. Haley and I drove out to Anaheim to go to the Orange Coast Classics meeting for rug hookers. It was so fun to see all the girls from our chapter out there.

Haley and I spend a good deal of time walking around the room looking at other peoples projects and learning new concepts and tricks for rug hooking. Haley fell in love with a bird that a lady was hooking and she used wool roving for the belly of the bird. That's Haley's next project. We even bought a little bag of roving for when she makes it.

I learned all about prody. It sound really easy and looks cool, but for now I am sticking to traditional hooking.

I met Jane Olsen, the author of The Rug Hookers Bible. She is 87 and runs her business with more energy then anyone. She told me that she stays healthy and young because she is a hooker. She said she loves hooking and when you love what you do you don't stop. She also told me that she was one of the original 100 members of Atha, and that she is the only one still alive. So basically she has been hooking longer then anyone alive in the US. I guess you could also say she is the oldest hooker alive.

Jane told Haley that she started hooking when she was 10. Haley told Jane that she likes hooking, but can't stand hooking the backgrounds. Jane said that as a child she used to have to hook her Mom's backgrounds for her and that she hated backgrounds then and still does. After hearing Jane say that I noticed that all the patterns she hooks have very little background.

Haley was taking pictures of everything... including me.


One of the greatest things about this meeting was the tables of wool for sale. I have struggled with what color to put on the outside ring of my quilt. The girls from my chapter helped me pick out the perfect shade of a gold plaid. One of the ladies measured it against my rug and said that plaid was not enough so she helped me pick out another piece to go with it. She also taught me how to cut the wool into fourths and mark the ring into fourths to make sure the balance of the two colors is equal in the rug. Brilliant.



Several of the women brought their completed projects and they were all displayed for us to enjoy. Everyone voted on their favorite and then they awarded the top 3 rugs.

This was Haley's favorite. It took 3rd place.

I think this was my favorite. This photo does not do the colors justice.

Haley and I won one of the raffle baskets! It had a rug pattern, hooking magazine and was stuffed with wool. Haley also won the centerpiece at our table. Lucky little girl.

The pattern was a beginners pattern so I gave it to Ruby to start her 1st rug.  Ruby has been begging to let her start hooking.  I am curious to see if she really enjoys it or if she just wants to do it to go to all the hooking meetings with us. So far she looks to be a good hooker!

Finally,  after 4 hours of hooking this is where I am on my rug.  Sandy has drilled into me that I had to do my initials and date, so of course I obeyed. I can't wait to hook the gold border!