PORT PERRY STAR -- Tues. February 26, 1985 -- 11 Rug Hooking brings group together in 1959 You don't hear too much from the Louise Patterson Handicraft Guild. Its members pretty much keep to themselves and the only time you really hear them tooting their own horns is once a year, when they host their annual springtime show. Still, for the last 20 years they've been building a strong group individuals dedicated to learning more and more about crafts and in par- ticular, about rug hooking. In fact, it all started with a rug hooking class held in 1959 by the Women's Institute. Mrs. Louise Patterson, a Nova Scotia senior citizen (now deceased) with a keen artistic bent, led the class. Her enthusiasm, and the enthusiasm of those she taught, led to another class, and yet another, until the ladies decided to form a Guild in 1965. In honour of their teacher, they named it the Louise Patterson Craft Guild. On Monday, February 8, 1965, the Guild welcomed its first ex- ecutive, including Louise Patterson as President, Dorothy Naples as First Vice President, Catharine Martyn as Secretary and Audrey Kent as Treasurer. Twenty years later, the Guild organized a special anniversary meeting, but foul weather forced its cancellation and another one has been slated for March 13th, at 10 a.m. in the basement of St. John's Presbyterian Church in Port Perry. Energetic Described by Mrs. Naples as an "energetic and enthusiastic lady, Louise Patterson learned to hook rugs from her mother at 16, while living on a farm near Pugwash, Nova Scotia. While married and raising five children, she'd hook a rug whenever the time allow- ed, always enjoying the creation of beautiful scenes from her native province. But in 1954 she came to Port Perry to be with her daughter, who was work- ing at Community Memorial Hospital. In new surroundings, with time on her hands, she began to hook rugs again. In 1962, Mrs. Patterson travelled to the Rit- termere Farms Studio at Vineland, where she took formal lessons and ob- tained her license to teach the craft. She started off giving demonstrations to women's groups in- cluding the YWCA and by 1967 had more than 100 graduates to her credit. Many of her students lived in Port Perry and it was these students who formed the Louise Pat- terson Handicraft Guild, which had 28 members at its first meeting. Now the Guild boasts 42 members from all around the area, in- cluding Sunderland, Bob- caygeon, Lindsay and Blackstock. Still, the Guild has never lost its original in- tent, which is to allow its members to share their love of crafts---especially rug hooking. Still Hooked "We're not a moneymaker organiza- tion. We just like to learn and show what we know," says Dorothy ~vaples, a past president of the Guild. "We don't have to answer to anybody. We're just an individual group and do our own selfish thing!" Each member shares tips and ideas with other members and subjects have included exotica such as punjab weaving, silk ribbon flowers, crochet flowers, Christmas ornaments, pine cone wreaths, tat- ting, crocheting, needle- point, pom pom cushions, aran cushions, glass etching, herbs and nylon net brushes. You name it, and the Guild has tried it. And while the rest of the-world moves on to the plastic future, where crafts are often a thing of the past, the Guild con- tinues to attract young members who share an interest in learning skills their grandmothers took for granted. "It's relaxing. It's creative. You're not limited,' says Mrs. Naples about her favourite craft. 'I'm really hooked, after all these years." Bob Rae to address NDP at Durham- York meeting Party leader Bob Rae will be on hand March 6 when Durham York New Democrats choose their candidate for the next Ontario election. Rae will be guest speaker at the nomina- tion meeting to be held at the Senior Citizens' Drop-in Centre, 132 Queensway South, in Keswick. The meeting gets underway at 7:45 p.m. Former candidate Marg Wilbur of Port Perry is the only person seeking the nomination at this time. Wilbur, 45, was the riding's candidate in the 1981 Ontario election. She is currently a member of the provincial executive of the Ontario New Democratic Party and is ry SIPCO We SERVE NO HOCKEY PUCKS! NO HAMBURGS! NO ASHTRAYS! NO WATERGLASSES! JUST $$$ Use Our Discount Coupon and Save $$$ | SIPCO OIL LTD. This promotion entirely financed by the following independent SIPCO dealers in the area: Seagrave Store, Raglan Store, Greenbank Store, Manchester, Brooklin Garage. | SIPCO OIL LTD. DISCOUNT COUPON WORTH 1¢/LITRE ON ANY FILL UP AT THE FOLLOWING INDEPENDENT LOCATIONS: Seagrave Store, Greenbank Store, Raglan Garage, Manchester Sipco, Brooklin Garage, Bass Lake Sipco, Bob's Discount, Orillia; Bill's Service Centre, Brighton. 2 past-president of the South Central Ontario NDP Area Council. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting, but only NDP members in good standing may vote. For further details call Marg Wilbur at 985-2444 or the NDP regional office in Oshawa at 723-5917. Durham York riding includes the townships of Scugog, Uxbridge, Brock," Georginaand East Gwillimbury and the north section of the Town of Pickering. "| do my rug hooking at night when my husband watches the sports,'"' says longtime member of the Louise Patterson Guild Dorothy Naples. The Guild celebrates 20 years of craftiness this month. See story for details. HAS ARRIVED! Drop by and experience the feeling of spring in our bright, bold, new fashion designs. New spring stock arriving daily. Clothes for the Contemporary Woman. 2 7 a by / 229 QUEEN ST. - 985-8551 PORT PERRY 80 BROCK ST. - 852-3683 UXBRIDGE