|
|
More than 20 years ago, Gail Dufresne joined a rug hooking class so she could spend more time with her mother and sister, who were very involved in the craft. Over time, Gail became increasing involved in hooking as it became a way of expressing her creativity. Soon, she was making her own patterns and demonstrating them to others. According to Gail, rug hooking “is very similar to quilting, as far as you can make very utilitarian quilts or you can make art quilts – and it's the exact same thing with rug hooking.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Gail Dufresne, Rug Hooking,
NJN/State of the Arts, 2008 (2:16)
In the 1800s, women began making hooked rugs for their floors out of old clothes, using simple hand drawn patterns. Today, the process has remained the same, but the materials and patterns have evolved, with artists such as Gail Dufresne creating original patterns for others to hook. State of the Arts visits Gail at her studio in Lambertville.
(Excerpt from the State of the Arts special, Culture in Context)
Gail Dufresne’s website:
www.angelfire.com/nj4/goathilldesigns
|
Rug hooking was an early form of recycling. Women would take old, worn out clothes, tear them into strips, and hook them onto a surface cloth to make warm rugs for their floors.
Gail Dufresne is active as a teacher, attending shows and “hook-ins” around the country. At hook-ins, women (and increasingly men) get together to show their rugs and learn more about the craft from each other and visiting experts. Workshops at places such as Gail’s Goat Hill Farm studio in Lambertville, New Jersey, provide instruction in making rugs – and a time for people to get together and talk.
Materials for hooked rugs have changed from scraps of old clothing to brightly dyed wools made especially for the rugs. Innovative and personal designs have been added to the catalog of traditional patterns. According to Gail, she rarely sells her rugs. Instead, they become teaching examples for the patterns she sells and demonstrates in her workshops. Gail is one of the contemporary artists taking hooked rugs in new directions, keeping this traditional craft not only alive but vital in the 21st century.
|
