The Cream City Rug Hooking Guild of the greater Milwaukee area meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. On the 2nd Wednesday, we meet at the First Congregational church in Wauwatosa (1511 Church Street, Wauwatosa, WI). The 4th Wednesday, we meet at the Family Center of Wisconsin Memorial Park, 13235 Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI). Our meetings are from 9am to 1pm. Be sure to check our website calendar (or contact a chapter officer) for updates of meetings occasionally held at other locations. Email: creamcityrhguild@outlook.com
Magazine Articles:
Oct/Nov 2024 – Alphabet Challenge
History
In 1985 several rug hookers lost their teacher – Lyn Raffensperger, who taught in Whitefish Bay, WI. They formed a group to hook together. Joyce Krueger, Waukesha, WI started teaching classes of rug hookers and helped the group get started and grow in size.
The group met on the 2nd Wednesday of each month and met for several years. In 1989 the group of 20 members voted to join ATHA. Each member joined ATHA and applied for a chapter charter. They wrote by-laws, selected a name, and planned events promoting rug hooking. In 1995 the group chose to meet twice monthly, meeting again on the 4th Wednesday of the month.
As part of the process of organizing, the group formed their own identity with the selection of their original name – the Cream City Rug Hookers. One member, Linda Petech from Lake Geneva, WI used her skills as an artist to create an original logo for the group. The logo is a cream colored brick home with a red roof and surrounded with green pine trees. The words on the logo are drawn around the house and colored red. The home has meaning to the rug hooker for many of her pieces are used to beautify and personalize her home. The cream color and use of brick recalls to us the historical architecture in southern Wisconsin using the “cream city” brick material for building many homes.
Events
The Guild is active and does a number of different events throughout the year. These include:
- Organizing a Hook In and Rug Show with 150 – 200 guests in late April;
- Demonstrating rug hooking at the Wisconsin State Fair;
- Demonstrating and setting up a rug show, Art Underfoot, at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival;
- Demonstrating at Hawk’s Inn, a historical sight;
- We invite teachers twice a year to teach 3 day workshops;
- At our meetings, members share mini lessons and rug hooking tips and tricks.
