How I Got Here

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Giving credit to my mom and maternal grandmother for the ability to work with my hands in various forms of fiber art, I have found my niche using upcycled clothing to create beautiful functional art.

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I've been honing my skills in rug hooking since 2003 when I took a beginner class from Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador (RHGNL) Teacher Venissa Fancy at the annual rug hooking school hosted by RHGNL.

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Having become an RHGNL certified teacher in 2012, I especially enjoy teaching beginner classes in the Traditional Newfoundland method using upcycled clothing.  While I use a variety of fabrics for hooking, t-shirt strips continues to be my favourite.

 

I have served on RHGNL Executive as Eastern Regional Director, Newsletter Co-Chair and Social Media Director.  I have been involved with two major projects for RHGNL.  Co-Chairing with Jennifer Button the Cupids Legacy Tapestry depicting 400 years of Cupids history and I chaired The Ronald McDonald House Hooked Rug Tapestry which raised $25,000.00 for Our House.  (https://rhgnl.ca/news/i-dream/)

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Retiring in December of 2015, I have turned my love for rug hooking into a full time adventure,  creating functional art for sale and teaching others to do the same through in-person and online workshops. 

 

Sentiments of some of my students: 

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Fantastic course, learned so much!" Debbie, Holyrood

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"Learned so much. Instructor very pleasant and enjoyable to work with" Mary, Holyrood

"Taking your class literally changed my life" Tracey, Alberta

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Lots of positivity and feedback" Dianne, St. John's

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"Helps me unwind after a tough nursing shift" Susan, St. John's

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"Very relaxing craft, plan to use it in my self-care" Unnamed (PTSD)

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'Never Without Our Mittens" a little story about my niche product

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My Mother, Ruby, the second oldest of six, was born in 1922 and grew up during the ‘dole’ days about 20 kms outside St. John’s. She was just 7 when their father died, leaving the family nearly destitute.  At the ripe old age of 9, her brother Albert went to work as did their mother.  Ruby left grade 2 to care for her 4 young siblings, between the ages of 6 months and 5 years.

She often told the story how one Christmas they all got new mitts.  But, early in the New Year, their mother needed Mom’s and Uncle Albert’s mitts so she could trade them for flour at the local store.

I often wonder if it was this circumstance in her life that played a part in her ensuring that all 9 of us, our spouses and our children each got a new pair of mitts each and every Christmas.  Mitts we treasure even more now since she left us to be with Dad in 2005.

Mother once tried to show me how to knit these mitts on 4 needles, beginning with 2 stitches at the bottom and adding on as she knit her way to the wristband.  But, we both soon realized knitting was not going to work for me.

So, I began to hook mittens.  Mother used acrylic yarn where I choose to work with bright colors of Briggs & Little wool yarn. Mother knit mostly diamonds and ‘crazy’ mitts from left over pieces, where I like to add scenes from life around us.

I hope you enjoyed my little story. I appreciate you taking the time.

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Winnie Glavine

Daughter of Ruby Rideout Delaney

Granddaughter of Florence Greenslade Rideout

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Waste Not, Want Not was a common saying in our home.  Reduce, reuse, recycle were not words mentioned in our home but were practiced on a daily bases.  My parents could do anything and very little was thrown away - might need that later on for something. 

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Like my mother, I started making quilts from old clothing, at a young age.   Now, I add elements of rug hooking to quilting, turning them into bags, using previously loved blue jeans, tee shirts, zippers and buttons.

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Consignment pieces

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I've taken on several consignment pieces over the years.  But the most meaningful so far was for the Town of Torbay when I was invited to submit a proposal for a hooked tapestry of the history of Torbay.  This turned into a labour of love for me.   You can read how the piece was developed here:  Town of Torbay

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In 2020 the City of St. John's, through their Art Procurement Project, purchased "Looking Out"   This mat was inspired by the gift of a vintage wooden window which was removed from a very old house on the Bonavista Peninsula.   I'm a dog person but this window called for cats sitting on the back of a couch looking out the window.   Every household window in old St. John's had a cat (or two) looking out the window as you walked by.   It is hooked on burlap with a wide variety of fiber including wool yarn, wool fabric, velour and tee shirt strips. 

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Exhibiting with Anastasia Tiller, Visual and Fiber Artist of Lethbridge, NL in 2022, hosted by Trinity Historical Society in Trinity, NL 

 

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