Quabbin Rugs Rugs Rugs

 On Sunday I went to my first-ever Quabbin Rug Group meeting.  It was just great.  No fewer than eleven people showed up--I was impressed.  Here are some of the rugs I saw.

I only wish I were better at catching people's names.  I'm terrible with names.  therefore, I was only able to attribute a couple of these in-progress pieces. 

Enjoy the eye candy!

I think this may have been by Judy Jewett (altho I certainly could be wrong)?  It is from a pattern she purchased.  Love the colors she is using.  She was at the binding stage, so it should be done very soon.

Isn't this one just the most fun?  I can see the face of the wonderful woman who's making it, but I cannot for the life of me remember her name.  Darn.  I already want this rug and she's not even finished with it yet.

This rug is by Linda Faye of Amherst and is her own design--it's a tribute to the Peace Pagoda.  You can see that she's begun by hooking the many prayer flags flying in the wind there.  The Peace Pagoda has a good website here.  I'll be interested to see how this rug develops. 

Linda also had a wonderful dog rug with her, but I was unable to get a photo of that.

Not sure whose pattern this is but I heard the woman who is making this piece say that the original designer intended for it to be done in a fine-cut.  However, she is more of a wide-cut person and is successfully doing it in a 6 or an 8 (probably an 8--I didn't hear that part). 

She was making the point to one of the other participants that it's possible to take a fine-cut design and do it in a wider cut.  It can be done with many (not all) fine-cuts.  The results will look very different, but as you can see here, it still looks great.

How stunning is this???  Wowza.  I believe the woman who is making this is named Sue, but I'm not certain.  I do remember her saying that this is her first-ever hooked piece.  Oh. My. God. 

I don't know if she designed it herself or if it is a pattern. 

(Hanging my head in shame--my first piece from years ago never looked anything like this one...)  I was drawn to looking at this over and over.

Isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen?  I think this maker's name was Rebecca.  She was a guest at the meeting, I believe.  What really stands out for me about her--other than this truly wonderful folk-art rug which I believe is her own design--is that we were told she is "new to rug hooking."   Whaaaa-aaaaat???  I love these cats!

I heard her say that she's only been hooking for 18 months.  BUT...this is the 12th piece she has hooked in that short time.  So she's certainly not "new" in my book.  This is just great.

A talented woman named Penny (argh...I don't remember her last name either--was it Redfern?) sitting directly across from me was working on this rug, channeling Vincent himself.  Talk about an ambitious project.  I wish I had an off-the-frame photo of this; it's just wonderful. 

Last but by NO means least is this really beautiful and striking piece inspired by Japanese rock gardens.  Can I remember this woman's name?  No, of course not, but I love her work.  This is her own design. 

I get that "ahhhhhhhh" feeling simply by looking at the sinuous lines of the carefully raked sand, which she's captured beautifully here.  This is striking and I am loving the subtle colors.

I was definitely enchanted by all the rugs I saw.  We met at the Wool & Dye Works Rug Hooking Shop in Florence, which is a treasure in itself.

I'll finish off with a DRAFT of a triquetra knot, which I tried for the first-time today.  This says #3 because it's only my third try.  I have a lot to learn about these, that's for sure.