The Valley Forge Rug Braiding Guild
2012 Skies/Weather/Sunset Rug Challenge
.jpg)
This year, 2012, the guild held the braid in at Bally Springs, a wedding destination site owned by Loretta Zvarick’s sons. The Rug Challenge was “Skies/Weather/Sunset,” and brought forth some beautiful entries! I think this was the challenge that gathered the most participants. This was the last year that we had monetary prizes for the voted on prize winners; the numbers in many photos are part of the voting process.
​
Photo shows a shallow basket of Delsie Hoyt's with a sparkly sunrise.
​
Delsie Hoyt made several shallow bowls reflecting different times of day. Aren’t these lovely?
Delsie also made a sunset, left: I like how she transitioned the colors of the sun's rays.
​
On the right, Delsie's rug of changing skies.
.jpg)
Another of Delsie Hoyt's rugs: "Galaxy." What a beautiful mix of colors.
Anne Caldwell braided a 3 feet tall “Braiding Snowlady.” See the unfinished oval rug that she is braiding? An amazing sculptural piece that Anne managed to carry on her lap on the plane… What a lovely hat with a picot edge — and look at that multistrand scarf!
.jpg)
Jenn Kiarsis also braided a beautiful snowman; this one is called, “Flurries” in honor of the speckled night sky dusted with snow. This rug has appliqued snowballs, a fancy top hat with sparkly button, appliqued face, and a multistrand scarf.
.jpg)
Another beautiful piece is by June Kittelson: she made the decorated snowman sculpture and placed it atop a beautiful snowflake. Look at that fancy snowflake border!
.jpg)
This beautiful rug by Marjorie Kauffman is called, “Andromeda Galaxy.” The rug is actually made of 5 braids at once, each ending separately at the outer edges of the rug. The combination of blues is beautiful!
This whimsical piece by Jane Ober shows a rainy sky as viewed from a porthole on a ship! The rain is indicated by the slashing yarn strands that are sewn on, and the porthole by the handle/loop off to the right.
Heidi Boldt Diefenderfer created this rug based on a painting that her husband made of the two of them. The small felted figures in the foreground are staring at a sunset over water. The braids are hand dyed and felted. The foreground flowers are bits of silk ribbon.
Dianne Tobias created this lovely hooked and braided piece out of velvets. The braided rainbow arches into a hooked pot of gold. The border has a knotted edging. The sun is a 9-loop center.
Barb Meyers also created a rainbow, but she took a different approach. The colors are carefully pieced into a modified half-round.
Lisa Fortin hooked a lighthouse that is significant to her and her husband, and continued the features of the sky and landscape out into the bordering braids with careful piecing of the strips.
Deb Weinhold made a braided center surrounded with "pennies" of sky and weather features -- a snowflake, cloud with lightning, rainbows, moon and stars, rain and umbrella...
.jpg)
Christine Manges calls this "Pittsburgh Skies" because the skies are always gray and overcast in Pittsburgh. Note the multiple 2-braid spirals to create the clouds.
Pam Rowan made this stunningly beautiful flag. The background sky is hand-dyed wool; the braids are oriented vertically so that she can arrange them to get a rippling effect. The stripes and blue square are carefully pieced, and the stars are appliqued. What a beautiful piece!
Dottie Pepe made this "Pacific Sunset" rug. She carefully made the ocean wave spirals, then united the spirals with small intervening triangles, and then placed a braided border surrounding all three.
Judy Borger made this striking flag chair pad. The stripes are pieced, and the blue section with white "stars" is also pieced in. If you look carefully, you can see the edges of letters and numbers at about 7:00 on the rug. Judy embroiders her initials and date on the edge of each rug that she makes.
This "Caribbean Sky" rug is a nicely made oval. The colors put you on a Caribbean island with peace and relaxation. Made by Carolyn Newcomer.
This practical braider placed windmill braids atop a pretty blue sky chairpad. Please contact me if you know who made this, so that I can add this information!