The last time I was vending was in the mid
70’s. At that time I was more
interested in introducing people to rug hooking and getting classes than I was
selling patterns and wool. Vending has certainly changed in the
last 40 plus years!
At the end of February, I went with Stephanie and
Lindsay to Punta Gorda, Fl to the Harbor Hook-in held by Searsport.
The hook in was held at the convention center downtown Punta Gorda.
It was the perfect place for a hooking event. The center of the large
airy room was filled with rug hookers from all around who came for the two-day
event. All the vendors set up displaying their products around the
perimeter of the conference center.
There was an exhibit of hooked pieces along one wall of the center.
What a haven of supplies of every kind for the rug hooker and fiber
artist! Display racks and systems of all kinds filled booths of varying
sizes and overflowed with colors, textures, designs and equipment. Very
different from 40 years ago when the vending events I attended consisted of a
folding table or two and if you could figure out a way to hang a couple rug
samples, you considered yourself lucky!
For me, this first time vending with Green
Mountain Hooked Rugs was fun and exciting. I made several trips to each of the
vendors delighting in what they had to offer. Our Green Mountain Hooked
Rug booth had a steady stream of rug hookers and friends admiring and
purchasing the dyed wools, the Green Mountain Design patterns as well as the getting
time with Stephanie and Lindsay. I sat outside the booth and hooked on a
primitive design oriental and enjoyed chatting with those who stopped to ask
about the pattern or the “how to” of the art of hooking.
The Convention Center |
| Green Mountain Hooked Rugs booth |
A small sample of some of the pieces on exhibit
On Thursday morning Stephanie was scheduled to
teach a class on “color planning your pattern”. When she found she had 25
students enrolled in a class she had only expected 8 or 10, she adjusted her
topic to be more interactive and participatory for all the class members.
Everyone was eager to learn the points about color, chroma, value and how
to apply them to the pattern for the ‘feel’ the rug hooker was after that
Stephanie offered. Stephanie shared “questions” that one should ask of oneself
when starting to plan a rug to aid in the planning and development as well as
being able to move beyond that sticking point of “what do I do now because this
just doesn’t look right.” Several had brought in their pieces and Stephanie
used them as examples to explain her points and engaged the class members in
the discussion and possible solutions available. Many from the class shared that it was the best class they
had ever been to on color planning and dealing with the ‘trouble spots’.
Stephanie's class on Color Planning and Problem Solving
