May 2026 In Person RHGNS Rug School Course Descriptions

RHGNS Rug School Committee is pleased to present the 

2026 In Person Rug School for RHGNS Members at Mount Saint Vincent University,

Sunday May 3 to Friday May 8, 2026 in Halifax, Nova  Scotia

Jane Steele, Nova Scotia

Inspired by the charm and depth of vintage black-and-white photography, As Time Goes By focuses on monochromatic rug hooking with a striking twist—an intentional pop of colour to highlight the focal point and bring your piece to life. This colour accent can be anything from an object to the sky or any element you wish to emphasize, creating a captivating and modern contrast.

Participants can choose from approximately 30 pre-designed patterns (25″ x 13″, $70 each) or bring their own ideas for a custom-drawn design. Full kits are available upon request, and the class includes access to a wide selection of wools, fibres, and specialty materials.

Throughout the course, students will learn a range of advanced techniques such as sculpting, chain stitch, bead stitch, reverse hooking, combining cut sizes, and blending wool with other fibres. These methods offer exciting ways to add depth and texture to your work.

Suitable for all skill levels, this workshop is both creatively rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable, offering participants a meaningful project to complete and take home.

Tatiana Knodel, Ontario

This workshop is for those interested in adding a geometric design rug to their collection.

Students will use a mixture of solid and textured wool. Squares 4.5” x 4.5” will be used to design the rug. The students will choose the size of the project and will learn how the direction of hooking and alternating the textured wool with solid wool will change the design of the rug. The size of the wool strips should be #6-cut to achieve the desired look. For those who like the circle shape, the rug can be done as shown in the photo. .

The students can use their own backing and wool. Tatiana will work with students before class on the colour scheme.

Gail Lambert, Nova Scotia

Celtic ancestry runs deep in my veins, and I know I’m not alone in enjoying this fascinating culture! My Celtic class looks at the history of colour, the meaning of design and the more modern interpretation of this art.

I have all the Celtic alphabet available and many other designs to choose from, as well as free patterns in my book, “Hooked On Celtic”. I will communicate with students before class regarding patterns and supplies.

Come connect with the ancient Celts and discover how to unravel these complex designs – where to start, the importance of overs and unders, how to park a strip, how to hook a clean circle and crisp points. And to ease those tired brains I have a variety of beautiful Celtic music and books to help inspire you. Create an heirloom that will be enjoyed for years to come!

Shirley Joyce, Nova Scotia

Welcome to beginner shading, a class that will teach you how to use your stash to create beauty with 3 values and not be afraid to use a 6-value swatch. There are 2 patterns with flowers and one pattern for the rug hooker who is a beginner. You will learn how to transfer a pattern using red dot, how to prepare for value shading, hooking mock shading, fix or change a pattern plus more.

By the time we are finished on Friday, hopefully you will be comfortable hooking multiple values. After my first class learning how to hook with values, I was surprised with myself, wanting to add more than one color to the simplest things such as my home, I saw many different colors when first I thought it was just a plain white house.

Come along and add more color to your life.

Dawn Liu-Smyth, Ontario

Let’s celebrate Canada!
Join Dawn Liu-Smyth for an immersive rug hooking workshop week celebrating the rich cultural tapestry of Canada. In Hooked on Canadiana, students can either work on an existing Canadiana pattern or design their own original rug inspired by iconic Canadian landscapes, wildlife, history, motifs, and folk traditions. Whether you’re drawn to the rugged coastlines of the Maritimes, the vast prairies, northern wilderness, or vibrant urban scenes, this workshop will guide you as you turn your vision into a stunning hooked rug.

Suitable for both novice and experienced hookers, participants will explore design principles, colour planning, and technique development. Students will receive personalized instruction in transferring their concepts onto foundation cloth, colour planning, choosing and cutting wool, and mastering hooking techniques. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) will also be introduced and explored as a design tool.

The week will provide a supportive environment for students to push their creative boundaries and connect with others who share a passion for Canadian heritage and fibre art. By the end of the week, each student will leave with a strong start on a meaningful project and the tools to complete it confidently.

*** The instructor will provide students with a list of existing Canadiana patterns and where to purchase them. For students who wish to design their own rugs, the instructor will offer pre-workshop consultations. For those wanting to incorporate artificial intelligence into their design process, the instructor will schedule a bonus zoom workshop session approximately 4 weeks prior to the school.

Charlene Miller and Debbie Miller, Prince Edward Island

Got a memory that deserves more than a dusty photo album? Join artists Charlene and Debbie Miller for Hooked on Memory—a deep-dive into storytelling through loops and lines. This isn’t just about drawing what you see, it’s about feeling your way into a rug design based on the moments, people, and places tucked into the corners of your heart.

Debbie’s got a knack for teasing out the memories, colours, sounds, and emotions you didn’t even know were hiding in your brain. You will explore the elements of a good design, and Charlene will share with you how to leverage digital tools (like AI and palette builders), to translate thoughts and ideas into a pictorial memory that can be transformed into a rug design with some key elements of colour planning.

By the end of the week, you’ll walk away with a custom-designed rug pattern, hand-drawn on linen, infused with your story, and the confidence to keep exploring your creative voice.
Course Objectives

By the end of this 5-day course, participants will:

• Learn how to translate personal memories and stories into original rug hooking designs—without relying on photographs.
• Gain skills in composition, balance, and storytelling through design elements like shape, line, and colour.
• Understand how to hand-draw a pattern directly onto linen or rug warp with confidence.
• Explore how to use digital tools (AI, palette builders, and more) to support, not replace, their creative process.
• Develop an eye for colour—selecting and building a palette that evokes the memory they want to capture.
• Begin hooking their custom design, applying colour placement and texture techniques that enhance their story.
• Build confidence in their creative process—and leave with a one-of-a-kind rug design infused with personal meaning.

Caroline Simpson, New Brunswick

Do you have a favourite photo of your pet? Or have you always been drawn to photos of wild animals? This course for intermediate to advanced rug hookers will focus on hooking realistic portraits of animal faces, up close and personal, using photos for reference.

You will need to have a cell phone or iPad with your reference photo saved on it, as we will be zooming in closely to capture all the details of the animal’s features. We will use a variety of fibres (both fabrics and yarn), and will explore the basics of design, colour theory, values, textile characteristics, and how to plan a design.

You will learn how to start hooking the design, how to hook eyes, noses, mouths, fur, feathers, and skin. We will discuss how to best finish these pieces for display. You are encouraged to create your own pattern of a favourite animal—I will need to see the image well in advance of the class to ensure that it is suitable for what I am teaching—but for those not so inclined, I will have PDF patterns of a fox, cat, or raccoon for sale.

You will be responsible for transferring your chosen pattern onto linen or burlap backing and for supplying your own hooking materials; however, I will have a selection of worms and novelty fibres to share. Most of the hooking will involve fine cuts (#s 2-4), but larger cuts may be used in the background.

Dwight Gallagher, NS

Have you ever wanted to hook a landscape mat? Or try a classic NS Bluenose/Garrett pattern? In this class, you can do both!

We’ll explore how to hook different landscape features like buildings, trees, shrubs, treelines, water, sky, clouds, and rocks—plus a few extra details to bring your scene to life.  You’ll learn how to plan colours based on the season, time of day, and lighting effects such as reflections. We’ll mainly use a three-value shading method to give your mat depth and dimension.

You’ll also learn a bit about the history of the Bluenose/Garrett pattern company. You can view patterns S45 and S46 on the RHGNS website. You may use either Bluenose pattern S45 or S46—or a landscape pattern of your own choice.

Students will be asked to bring their pattern on backing, wool to complete the mat, and their usual hooking tools. I’ll bring a selection of “bits and bobs” of materials that you can use for highlights and shadows.

Before class, I’ll contact everyone to answer any questions you may have as well as provide an estimate of how much wool you’ll need (you may already have it in your stash). Please support the Rug Hooking School’s chosen vendor for any additional wool purchases when possible.

Handouts will be provided so you can refer back to what you learned once you’re home.

Linda Marchbank, Prince Edward Island

If you are interested in creating an authentic interpretation of a Maud Lewis image this course will explore your options and support your journey. Discussions will include insights into Maud’s creativity through exploring her environment, subject matter, use of colour, painting techniques, and the iconic idiosyncrasies of her work.

During the week, a visit to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia to view her “tiny” home is planned to provide further insight into her working conditions.

Classroom demonstrations of hooking techniques and guided instruction will enhance your skills and aid in translating “paint to wool.”

A selection of hand drawn patterns on premium backing will be provided by the instructor. Images will be approximately 50 cm (20 inches) square and require #3, #4, #5 cuts to hook. Although simple in design, the details in the images require intermediate hooking skills and experience.

A full range of coloured wool will be available in the classroom for further project support. If this appeals to you, please join in to create your own treasured “Maud Lewis.”

Robin Whitford, Ontario

Explore your punch needle journey with personalized guidance from Robin. Bring your own project or have a custom kit prepared in advance. Whether you’re new to the Oxford Punch Needle or building on your experience, you’ll refine your technique, gain confidence, and discover how colour, texture, and design create original work.

Through hands-on work and short creative exercises, you’ll explore colour theory, value, and composition in playful, inspiring ways. Leave class feeling supported, energized, and ready to keep creating.

You’ll Learn:
 Personalized project coaching
 Oxford Punch Needle fundamentals and success tips
 How value guides effective colour planning
 Creative exercises to expand artistic vision
Robin will help you select your project or kit before class to ensure a relaxed, creative week.

Mary Grant, New Brunswick

Do you see yourself as a rug hooking teacher?  Do you make presentations to beginners, other rug hookers or to the general public?  This course will help you in any one of these situations.  If you would like to become a Rug Hooking Teacher, with the RHGNS Teachers Branch, this is a required course for certification.  Subjects covered in the course are:

• Code of Ethics,
• Copyright Law,
• Creating a Resume,
• Preparing a Course Outline and Lesson Plan,
• Problem Solving in Classroom Situations,
• Teaching Techniques as they apply to teaching Rug Hooking, and
• the Use of Visual Aides.

Class discussions will focus on various topics relating to the classroom.  Participants will make short presentations on selected topics to their fellow classmates.  Join our Teacher Training Course for a week of supportive learning at Rug School 2026.

No Instructor

If you didn’t see a course that suits your fancy or you couldn’t get the one you wanted this year, you don’t have to stay home, missing all the fun and comradery of rug school. Join the On Your Own group where you won’t have an instructor but will have friends (old and new).