J.J. Ruggers 2019 Apps Retreat - Sheep Tricks

Jennifer and I left Ripley a day early and, after an overnight in a hotel, drove straight to the J.J.Ruggers retreat, just outside Paris, Ontario. Jennifer to sit and hook on the couches in the FiFi (Find it and Finish it) section and me to teach "Sheep Tricks".
I was able to set up on the Friday night and help a couple of people put patterns on to their backing.

My examples and samples went on a table in the centre of the room. The rug in the foreground is the one that started it all as everyone fell in love with the button sheep.

At the front of the room was a table of handouts so that people could take just the ones they were interested in (save some trees), resources and materials that were free (quilt batting donated by Brit, odd balls of yarn and precut noodle scraps)

This was a "stash buster" class and I had encouraged the participants to bring materials from their own stashes and they did, coming in with bags and boxes. I did however also have a selection of wool, buttons, yarn, pantyhose, velvet, denim and faux suede for sale in case they needed to top up what they had bought with them.

Everyone was doing a different pattern, some purchased and some self designed. Although about a third of the class did do the button sheep, everyone was using different materials. This gave lots of opportunities for teaching moments and for inspiration from what others were doing.

Margaret used a free pattern from Needle Pulling Thread. I loved her "Highland sheep" with roving pulled through the hooking. He looked like he was ready to be sheared.

Gay is a beginner and used an assortment of precut noodles in a variety of cuts. By the end of the class she had decided which cut she preferred to hook in and loved hooking on the linen rather than burlap.

Cheryl took the same free pattern as Margaret but put it together differently.

I had suggested that they make a template of the sheep out of polar fleece or bamboo quilt batting and sew the buttons onto that first. Then attach the template to the rug backing. Cheryl found that sewing on the buttons puckered the backing and "shrunk" her sheep, so she hooked around it to get its shape back. I will have to remember that if I teach this class again.

Leslie designed her own and is thinking of putting "Ewe be Ewe" across the top of the mat. She found that hooking the curly design in wool material and then filling in between them with the yarn was easier, and more effective, than the other way round. Another hint for me to file away.

Anne's was definitely the black sheep of the flock. Actually black, purple, pink, turquoise ........

Lori and her sister were doing the same pattern. They plan to make them into cushions with material snugging right up to the hooked sheep, 3 dimensional ears sewn on and 3 dimensional butterflies or crow on the nose. Lori is using reverse hooking for the face (not yet completed in this picture). She may embroider the mouth, have a button for the eye ... - creativity is fluid, constantly changing course.

Elaine's pattern by Teresa Kogut, had an American flag on it originally but this is what it looked like by Saturday evening. Nearly finished!

Unfortunately I didn't get around to taking pictures of everyone's projects. I wish I had, there was such variety. Buttons were popular as was yarn, wool material and roving. There was even some pantyhose sheep. I thoroughly enjoyed the teaching. Because I had had to be organized and packed a week and a half prior, I wasn't really nervous (I usually am) and was able to talk about the various materials and how to use them, give some hints and suggestions and spend the day walking around the classroom seeing so many different ideas and techniques. Great fun.

I was so glad to get home and sleep in my own bed! And start on to my hooking after a day of watching others hook.

In the pile of materials from her stash that Elaine was selling was a very bright pair of plaid pants. Heather and I shared this find, one leg each

and I am hooking it into the Ladies Doing Coffee pattern. It is not nearly as bright when hooked but still gives the plaid effect when the strips are hooked in order.

Finally
Aimee sent me pictures of Avery and Maya on horseback. A friend of hers had invited them to have a ride on her horse, Finn.

They got to groom him, pick out his feet and feed him apples.

Then they got to ride. He looks very relaxed, I think he's a natural.

Only Maya would go riding in a tutu. Is it just me or do they have the same haircut (a forelock and a pony tail)?