ATHA is frequently asked: Why should I join ATHA? What do I get out of it?
ATHA is not just about rug hooking, it is about our community of textile artists getting together and promoting rug hooking techniques – everything from traditional rug hooking and Oxford punch to tufting and latch hook!
Your membership will provide:
- The very beautiful, professional, and informative jam-packed full-color magazine that is intended to help inspire and educate you. The magazine is published six times/year.
- Access to our website which has an online archive of photos, magazine articles, and patterns. You are able to search through this material based on your interests and needs. Looking for a topic or pattern that you read about or saw in the magazine, but can’t remember what month? Likely we have it in our Pattern or Article Library.
- Via our website photo gallery, you also have the option to share your work with other rug hookers and continue to be inspired while seeing their work! Want to know more about rug hooking through ATHA’s history? Look at the thousands of rug hooking photos in our Photo History.
- Get connected and find out about chapters in your area or across the continent to see what they are working on or about their history. Access our Chapter Resource materials that are particularly relevant for demonstration handouts, beginners, or ideas for challenges.
- The opportunity to gather together with other textile artists at an ATHA Convention, a hook-in, or rug camp, to learn together, share our finished projects, and be inspired to even greater heights while we share friendship and laughter. ATHA members are much more likely to know what is going on in rug hooking.
- The frequent sharing of ideas and the unparalleled glory of rugs, wool, and projects. Some of the best friends you will ever make will be through your rug hooking group. ATHA is frequently asked by new or relocating members – where can I find other hookers (or group) closest to me? The searchable website chapter pages provide this information directly to our membership.
- One of the most important criteria in being taken seriously in any endeavor is being part of an organization of like-minded individuals to share ideas with and challenge each other to grow in our craft.
- If you need a real or virtual hug, a suggestion for what direction to go in, or someone to cheer you on, your ATHA family is the place to go.
And most importantly of all, your membership will help the non-profit organization of ATHA continue to promote rug hooking wherever we can! It’s not just the National organization that promotes rug hooking – it’s the chapters too!