On the second floor of St. Lawrence Episcopal Church in Libertyville, a group of area women gathers once a month to create intricate works of art, which they celebrate with glasses of champagne upon completion.
Joining a national niche of hobbyists, the women create rugs through a process called rug hooking. The group is called the Loopy Ladies Rug Hooking Guild and is made up of around 25 members.
Sue Minorini is a member of the group and president of one of the national guilds.
“It’s an international love,” she said of the hobby. “It’s like a sisterhood. When you have a passion about something, it forms a sisterhood.”
On a recent Sunday, the women popped open the champagne and quickly got to hooking. They displayed their ornate rugs on the floor, joking that it was OK to step on the creations.
Minorini says Libertyville is unique because the women place an emphasis on camaraderie.
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“We’re friends I think more than anything,” she said. “We also happen to share this love of rug hooking, but we are friends first.”
Phyllis Monjar, president of the local group, said the artistic pieces started with a more practical purpose, but the art dates back to the 1800s and is now most popular on the East Coast and in parts of Canada.
“A lot of these rugs won’t end up on your floors,” Monjar said. “They really become something else other than rugs. They will become an artistic piece. They’re very personal.”
While each piece is unique, there are times when the group hooks a piece together. Most recently, the women researched a style specific to that of the 1830s to fit the Clarke House Museum in Chicago. The piece was donated and fits among other items that represent life before the Civil War.
Monjar said her favorite part of the hobby is the creativity.
“It’s something that is truly your own. You see it from the beginning to the end,” she said. “Every piece is a learning piece. Rug hooking is about color, design, and putting yourself into the piece.”
Karen Maddi, another member, was working on a rug visualizing the story of her and her husband. The rug is bordered with the initials of the couple and shows flags from the U.S. and the U.K., where they each grew up. On the rug are several milestones, including homes they lived in, places they’ve worked, and even a clock tower with the time of their marriage.
Krista Blevins is a daughter of a member of the group and attested that the pieces her mother makes are very memorable and lasting to her.
“These are pieces we can all keep and cherish, and she enjoys it so much,” she said.
Blevins said her mother Jeri Powers is currently making a rug based on an art project that her granddaughter made in school, but has made many Christmas stockings in the past.
“These pieces are one of a kind,” Blevins added. “They’re a special way to make memories with a family.”
Tom Ackerman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.