This is just the second piece I hooked, and the first piece I designed, back in 2000. It's a special rug to commemorate a special event - the birth of my nephew, Wyatt.
I can remember spending weeks and weeks on the drawings, trying to get them perfect before transferring them only the rug warp. I'm a little wiser now -- I know that you don't have to hook exactly as drawn and that you can easily modify the lines as you go.
I had most of the centre hooked and brought it with me to my very first class, on the Maine Coast with Jule Marie Smith. I drove over two days, staying in a Bates motel along the way....the only vacancy because it was leaf peeping season. I felt so intimidated and overwhelmed when I arrived at the camp. I didn't know about "colour plans" and there were several famous rug hooker and teachers at the camp, that I had only read about before. Needless to say, I settled in and survived...and I've taken a couple more classes with Julie (who is amazing) since then.
Since I have 6 nieces and nephews - and only one has a rug so far - I have some evening-up to do. Maybe I can wait and hook wedding rugs for the rest? ;-)
