2026 OHCG Annual, Oakville

 I picked Heather up in Ancaster and then we drove to Oakville, last Friday. Pam and Sue were already there as they helped the vendors get set up and also delivered all of J.J.s hooked pieces.

Trudi, Heather and I 

 

"hung" the J.J. Ruggers display. The sun from a skylight was streaming in, making it difficult to get a good picture. The two centre pieces were hooked by Pat Lawson (I think her sister designed the big one and I think Pat herself designed the one below.), unfortunately I didn't think to take a photo of the listing for our booth.

The next day I walked around the display with Pam and then again on my own. I walk around it in different directions as then I notice different articles. Below are photos of those pieces that caught my eye.

I would take a picture of the piece

 

and then a picture of the listing hung in the booth. "The Whale" was hooked by Bonnie Richards.

"Sunflowers on the Coast" hooked by Betty O'Toole. I thought this was an interesting composition with the foreground, middle ground and background giving depth without complexity.

"Georgian Bay Glory" hooked by Judy Payne. Love the colours.

"Azalea", a prize winner, hooked by Ingrid Hieronimous, designed by Amy Fortier.

This was also hooked by Ingrid and was listed as "Garden Gate" but the piece next to it was obviously that one so this may have been "Painted Rose" - a bit confusing when the numbers are put on incorrectly.

The reflections in this one work really well, every other row is a line of grey, very effective. "Three Fish Huts" hooked by Shirley Crockett.

The sky and water in this are beautifully done. "Come Sail Away" hooked by Liz Walker.

Liz also hooked "Sandbanks Pillow"

and "Sweet September Pillow". I really love how she hooks water and sky.

There were three examples of this pattern, "East Coast Boat", this one hooked by Helen Houghton,

this one hooked by Ellen Williams

and this one by Onna Erstikaitis. All were adapted from a picture by Sheila Rose.It was interesting to look at the different choices made and the impact they had.

Another prize winner, "Turtle" hooked by Alice Bespolko.

" Preston's Farm, PEI" hooked by Marge Bruin

"French River Wharf"  hooked by Karen Glover reminded me of the boat houses in Port Rowan (which might be a neat thing to hook)

"Medallion of Colours" hooked by Joanne Hipwell

"Millstream" hooked by Debbie Fabi.

Of course there were plenty of vendors with yummy wool and yarn, hooks and frames and other hooking paraphernalia. I had vowed to get no more wool and, for once, stuck to it.

Heather spent the morning assisting at a workshop where they made wool "lavender"

and I spent the afternoon in a workshop learning about the history of hand hooked rugs and how to repair them.

Heather, Sue, Pam, Michelle and I (and a random "hooker" who came along to make it 6 for the reservation) went to a Thai place for dinner. There was so much food we took some back to the hotel and ate it next day for lunch.

Heather and I shared a room. Each bed had 2 pillows that were soft and 2 that were firm. Never seen them labeled before. The next day the only thing we had to do was to take down the display at 3pm so the day was spent hooking and

 

viewing the display again. The Rowan Award is given to the rug voted by members to be the best in the show. "My Hooked Wallpaper hooked by Susan Grant.

There were just a few rugs that I hadn't noticed during my 2 viewings the previous day. "Inch Rug" hooked by Rachel Miller.

This is what I was hooking on "Create" designed by Carolyn Stich.