The following meetings were held in the 2018-2019 year.
This gallery page has slideshows with rugs and other hooked art displayed at these meetings.
Welcome Back, September 15, 2018
It was great to see everyone at the September meeting. There were a lot of familiar faces and some new ones too! It appears folks were busy over the summer break.
Guest Speaker & Challenge Rug Display, October 20, 2018
We had a great time at the October meeting. With Donna Allen’s class on texture, the selection for next year’s Project Challenge, and all of the Show & Tell brought in the time flew by.
Donna’s class was fun and informative. She showed examples of how one plaid wool can be hooked in four different ways, and showed us little tricks on how to achieve the specific results. There wasn’t time to complete the class project, so we hope that people bring their finished pieces to the November meeting. It will be neat to see how they all came out. Donna also asked folks to bring in samples of their work that reflect texture. The pieces were all beautiful.
A few people brought in their pieces for this year’s Project Challenge (Fairy Tales and Myths & Legends).
Guest Speaker, Tina Carrick, November 17, 2018
Thanks to Tina Carrick for her great class on making felted animals at our last meeting. There were a lot of laughs, pricked fingers, and at the end a lot of cute sheep in all shapes and sizes. And one unexpected cow.
Christmas Party, December 8, 2018
We had a great time at our December meeting & Holiday Party! There were a lot of laughs, good food, and great company. It was a fun way to start the holiday season!
The donation drive for the women’s shelter was a success, and we’ll probably do it again next year. Thank you to everyone who contributed.
Heidi Lee, January 19, 2019
We had a nice turnout for the January meeting. Heidi gave her presentation on “What I’ve Learned About Wool Applique.” She also had a beginner’s applique class. Everyone enjoyed it, and all of the participants went home with their finished projects.
Cynthia Dabroski, February 16, 2019
The February meeting was fun. Cynthia Dabroski gave a wonderful presentation describing her rug hooking journey. She had always been interested in fiber arts, but it wasn’t until 1997 when she attended a rug show in Wenham that she got interested in hooking. She went on to attend the Alfred Retreat without having done any hooking, and it was there that she really learned. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Our gallery has pictures of her beautiful rugs in geometrics, original designs, inspirational themes, shading, and ‘tweak and design.’
Also in our gallery is Happy’s reproduction of an old Hutchinson rug that is part of the Beauport House collection. It’s not too clear in the photo, but the original is coming apart and in fragile condition. Happy’s reproduction rug will be given to the Beauport House in a special presentation in June.
Hooking at the House of Seven Gables, March 16, 2019
It was nice having our March meeting at the House of Seven Gables in Salem, MA. It’s a beautiful place with history around every corner. Literally! A few tourists came through to see what we were working on, and a couple of them even tried their hands at hooking for the first time. It was a fun time.
Mini Rug Show, April 27, 2019
It was great to see Ann and Rose Ann at the April meeting! They have made great strides in their recuperations and look great. Just goes to show that you can’t keep good women down!
The wool raffle planned for this meeting didn’t happen, but we will attempt to have it at the May meeting. We’re asking for a donation of a fat quarter of “good” wool from your stash (i.e., a piece that you really like, not something you’d throw away). If we don’t receive enough donated pieces to have a successful raffle, we’ll return the pieces that have been donated.
Hook In, May 18, 2019
The meeting was held from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the St. Agnes Parish Center at 186 Woburn Street in Reading, Mass.
Strawberry Festival, June 15, 2019
After a pretty rainy and cold Spring, June 15 was a wonderful bright, dry day to celebrate the year’s final meeting of Mayflower and Happy DiFranza’s retirement at the lovely home of Ildi Tary. Approximately 28 members were in attendance and graciously treated to warm hospitality as well as the finest spread anyone could imagine. No one left even remotely hungry.
The day began with a display of wonderful breads made by Ildi, of course. We were treated to bacon-date scones along with homemade breads such as French bread and sweet potato rolls to mention just a few. Iced tea complimented the first course.
Everyone mingled, some hooked, some looked and all enjoyed the many flowers in bloom along with the many shows that the many tiny hummingbirds put on for our pleasure.
Lunch was delightful. Shrimp, deli meats and cheeses, along with those aforementioned sweet potato rolls, preceded an array of strawberries, biscuits and whipped cream. The grand finale was a lemon cake in honor of Happy. We pretty much “rolled” down the driveway to our vehicles!
Part of the special day was a tribute to Happy whose retirement from a lifetime of both the pleasure and business of hooking was celebrated. Happy delightfully gave us a history of her interest in hooking along with how she and her husband, Steve, started a very successful business designing and sharing the love of the art. Happy has been a hooker for over 50 years and continues to create beautiful work. Her latest piece is a reproduction of a Hutchinson pictorial rug owned by Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester.
At the end of the day, we were treated with door prizes of beautiful begonias in the most startling colors of pink, yellow, and white. That was a treat for those who were lucky enough to win!
And so we closed another year of Mayflower on a fabulous day full of fun, sharing and love of the art that brings us all together. We look forward now to another great year ahead.