The Valley Forge Rug Braiding Guild
2016 Rug Challenge: Going Native
The 2016 Rug Challenge was to make a rug reflecting “Going Native.” Some braiders chose to interpret this this topic as jungle-themed, some went for Native American symbols, and some saw it as their own native land reflecting their region of the United States, or the US in general.
But first, we started off with a “native” Hawaiian dance and everyone got a lei to wear!
Five of the hula dancers with braided grass skirts (and a couple with braided bikini tops!)
Pam Rowan made a Zebra striped rug by using diagonal stripe multistrand braids of black and white. Dramatic!
Rose Robertson-Smith made a jungle-colored rug that is perfectly shaped and braided.
Marjorie Kauffman made a braided basket with two rows of fur that are separated by a row of 9-loop centers.
Cathy Winship made a set of braided ear muffs. She is a native to the town in Maine where Chester Greenwood invented earmuffs, and patented them in 1877.
Deb Lynch is a native of the seacoast of Maine, so she made a braided buoy, complete with net and starfish.
Bobbi Mahler made this beautiful and patriotic basket. She is a native of the USA and served in the US Navy!
Kris McDermet made this beautiful Japanese kimono in honor of a recent trip to the country. The kimono is rug hooked with a river of blue braids, and braids at the edges. The kimono features birds and flowers native to Japan, and lanterns.
Sandy Kub made this sweet hooked and braided wall hanging. She designed the chickadee hooked center, which represents native birds. The border is “snowflake.”
Mary Hibbard made this pretty rug with an interesting fabric, which is shown in the photo. The fabric includes native leaves and native animals.
Delsie Hoyt made this beautiful rug, which features a weeping willow tree. Interestingly, the rug also appears to show a tree when flipped upside down — the green “grass” above looks like the green of another tree upside down.
Pam Landry has Native American ancestry, and she shows this in her hooked and braided rug.
Christine Manges started working on a … native…. maple leaf.