Rugs and wall hangings at Pastimes PEI
Demonstrating Rug Hooking at Orwell Corner Historic village
We’ve had a busy year here at Pastimes PEI and quite a change since summer because Heather retired from her real job and spent it at the rug hooking shop which is my (Shirlee) porch, actually. We do not have a big space but we ‘make do’. The skill of “making due” is part of our PEI heritage that we have re-invented in our rug hooking business. When you grow up making due, you never truly get away from it. Rug hooking began because people had to make do or not survive in PEI’s cold climate.
This fall we honored our culture by inviting people in to hook with us on out new mat. We designed a scrap mat just for the occasion.
we created a new pattern for a traditional scrap mat
We wanted our event for Culture PEI Days to be as authentic as possible so we did what they used to do in the olden days: they set a mat into the frames and called on their neighbors and friends to help them hook on it. When theirs was well underway, they went to their neighbor’s house and hooked on theirs; and so it went, a winter of hooking without actually staying home alone and hooking on one’s own mat. It was a social event mixed into the work.
You can see the slide show of our Culture PEI Days at on our Pastimes PEI facebook page under pictures. We have the finished mat hanging on our wall for all to see. It is made of almost all recycled clothing. We opted for new wool for the border so we would not run out.
Shirlee andJack getting the new mat in the frame
Donald MacDonald was happy to meet and greet us
Before Christmas we set up a display at the Belfast Mini Mills Christmas Fair with a very interesting group of fellow artisans. We were at the Belfast Historic Society’s Christmas Market the next Saturday.
Pastimes PEI Art Cards from out Hooked Pieces
We make Christmas cards as well as regular greeting cards from our hooked pieces. This year we had quite a few new cards to add to our collection. We have so many photographs from over the years…… many of our actual pieces are sold so it’s nice to remember them in cards and photos.
We had some time to actually hook this year, but not as much as we’d like. I’ve added a few pictures here of our work and, of course, nothing suits unless we add a few things from our yard…….
from our house to yours……..
wool and patterns and all things hooked at Pastimes PEI
pastimespei 
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