Once Upon a time in a faraway land called childhood, there were heroes and heroines who overcame all obstacles to find their good fortune. These tales were written and pictures were drawn from the hands of artists. A hundred years later, the artists from the rug hooking world added their colors and the warmth of fiber to these drawings. Thus, the fairy tale rugs were created.
On October 14-16, 2022, Lancaster County's Conestoga Rug Crafters McGown Guild and The Woolwrights Rug Hooking Guild hosted one of the country's first fairytale rug shows, "Hooked On Fairytales". Hooked rugs from around the world were displayed at the Lancaster Farm & Home Center.
The exhibit featured hooked rugs that focus on recreated works of art from fairy tales during the Golden Age of Illustration. The Golden Age was a magical time of artwork produced from the 1860s to the 1920s. Many of these classic works have been translated into the unique American fiber art of rug hooking. The Fairy Tale Project was conceived by Robin Rennie and is sponsored by Melissa Pattacini.
Patterns were designed and distributed to fiber artists throughout the United States, Canada, and Japan. All of the artists involved in this project are McGown trained rug hooking teachers. These teachers are internationally recognized and certified for their expertise in the art of rug hooking. Each artist brought their own style, interpretation, and feeling to their rug.
Rugs were designed by Melissa and Isabelle Pattacini. Rug hooking patterns are available from Honey Bee Hive Rug Hooking and viewed at rughook.com.
