Sally Holmboe with her finished rugs.
Dee-Dee Patrick
You can always count on Sally Holmboe bringing her smile and creativity to our PebbleCreek rug hooking sessions. A part-time resident of PC for 10 years, this retired nurse has been hooking for almost that long. Sally describes being introduced to this fiber arts craft observing members of the club demonstrating at a Fall Festival. She immediately thought, “Oh my gosh! I found it!” Prior to beginning primitive rug hooking, Sally had mastered just about every other needle craft including knitting, crocheting, quilting and needlepointing. This, however, is the craft that she loves the most.
She enjoys hooking so much that she managed to locate a group near her summer home in Washington State. Although they only meet once a month, Sally hooks daily on her own, describing it as relaxing; bordering on therapeutic. She even described herself as getting “crabby” if she is unable to hook during the day. She prefers to do her work under natural light and frequently spends the mid-afternoon hooking at home with her pet dog, Hank, at her feet. Her husband knows this is her private do not disturb time.
As evident in the photo, her designs are both colorful and multidimensional. The robin motif is done in a style known as Woldoboro, named after an artist in Maine who invented the sculpted style. This affords additional dimension to the pattern as it is done in relief. Sally learned this method at a class she attended in Long Beach, California. The Five Dancing Girls was the project she found the most fun to do. She sees her daughter and four granddaughters in the rug designed by Deanne Fitzpatrick.
Sally has turned items she has hooked into pillows, rugs, wall hangings and Christmas ornaments. Many of these reside in either her Arizona or Washington residence or in the homes and dorm rooms of her immediate family. Whatever item her family is gifted with, they know that it will be a work of art made with individualization and love.
The Rug Hookers meet every Monday afternoon from noon to 4:00 p.m. in the Fiber Arts Room in the Creative Arts Center. For further information, contact our current club President DeeDee Abolins at [email protected] or phone her at 253-278-1230.