The inspiration for this challenge is from my teaching. My graduate students are always asking me how I write so many articles and publish so many books. I tell them, "Between classes. Every ten minutes adds up."So my thought is, let's apply that to rug hooking and make it even more fun by including a prize give-away, one of my 10 by 10 pocket packs which I will hook and sew and give to one of the formal challenge participants every January 31st for as many years as this challenge goes on.
Here are the guidelines:
1. Work on your rug at least 10-minutes a day, six days out of the week, except holidays, for at least six months. "Work" includes anything rug-related: designing, drawing, laying out, dyeing, hooking, binding, even shopping for materials and attending guild. NOTE that the 10-minutes is not accumulative, so if you hook for 30-minutes one day, this does not count as three 10-minute days. The challenge is to work on your rugs at least 10 minutes every day. You are your own log-keeper.
2. Send me your name and e-mail address (click my menu button "Contact" and send me this information via email with the flag: Ten-Minute Challenge) so that I can include your name in the formal participant list and drawing. There will be a drawing every January 31st for everyone who is participating formally in this challenge. I will create one of my 10 by 10 pocket packs and give it away to one of the formal participants through a blind drawing.
3. Copy the challenge badge in my sidebar and upload it on your own blog, webpage, or network page like you might have on The Welcome Mat or Rug Hooking Daily. This badge is meant to serve as a visual cue to inspire you and others who visit your website or blog to rug hook every day. If you don't have an internet "home", then you might print out the badge and make a pin for yourself to wear or post it near your rug hooking station.
4. Leave comments on your progress, struggles, questions, encouragements and accomplishments in the Ten-Minute Rug Hooking Challenge Forum (a box located in my sidebar) or join the Ten-Minute Rug Hookers group on Rug Hooking Daily where you will find an ongoing discussion.
5. Have fun making rugs!
Click here for the archive of information about the TEN-MINUTE CHALLENGE
TEN-MINUTE RUG HOOKER Pins are available for $7.50 plus $2.50 shipping. For more information, view my Pattern and Novelty Mart.Monthly Reflections Rug Challenge
Participants hook a monthly rug for one year (September 2009-August 2010) based on the theme that my church announces each month as a daily reflection. We are hooking each month in a 12 by 12 square on a grid of 12 squares, 3 across the width and 4 down the height, with one inch border between and outside border of 4 inches. January will be the first month on the grid (top left corner), and then February will be the second square just to the right of January, and then March will fill out the top line (top right corner). Participants are hooking their own reflections on the theme into this same grid pattern. And at the end of the year (next September) we will display our rugs together, maybe even in published format.The invitation remains open to others who want to hook their own versions of this meditation rug. For more information, join the Monthly Reflections Rug group on Rug Hooking Daily and read the archive of information about the challenge stored HERE.
2010 Abstract Rug Challenge
A group forum for this challenge is available on Rug Hooking Daily HERE. Joining is as easy as clicking the button "Join this group" on RHD page.This challenge has two goals: to learn about abstract art and to hook an original abstract rug.
1. Each month, challengers will read and discuss published information about abstract art.
2. Challengers are encouraged to go to an art museum at least once during the year to view abstract art and share their experiences of it by writing about it on the group's comment wall.
3. Challengers will complete at least one hooked abstract project, no less than 400 square inches, in any shape, using any materials that will hook.
4. Challenge will be completed on December 31, 2010.
5. Challengers are encouraged to discuss their progress, ask questions, upload pictures, share information and support via the group's comment wall.
6. In order to organize things, we will reserve the Discussion Forums for our discussion of the published materials we are reading and the art museums we are touring.
7. Challengers may decide to jointly publish an article in ATHA Newsletter or Rug Hooking Magazine about the challenge and its results.
An archive of activity about this challenge can be found HERE.
