ARCHBOLD – In conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the Sauder Village Rug Hooking event, rug hookers
from around the world are in Archbold this weekend for what many consider one of the top rug hooking
events in the country.
The event, which opened Wednesday, continues today and Saturday with an emphasis on education, fellowship
and fun.
The 2011 event features hundreds of hooked rugs on display, workshops, lectures and special displays –
for a celebration of this traditional craft.
Hooked rugs are on display in Founder’s Hall in a number of categories including original designs,
people/places/pictorials, animals/birds/insects, Orientals/crewel/geometric, fruit/floral and mixed
media. There is a variety of colors, patterns, sizes and designs as well as outstanding skills and
techniques.
To help celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Sauder Village event, the 2011 Theme Challenge is "In
the Middle of a Cornfield." Challenge participants are encouraged to share Sauder Village rug
hooking memories from the past 15 years . . .making new friends, working with talented teachers,
shopping at great vendors, being inspired, the smell of corn growing, the taste of fresh baked pie, the
sight of craftsmen working or the sounds of livestock and the train whistle.
The "Celebration Exhibit" featuring award-winning rugs from Rug Hooking Magazine’s 21st annual
"Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs" issue is another show highlight. This is the fourth year the
"Celebration Exhibit" will be displayed exclusively at Sauder Village. All of the Celebration
award-winners have been invited to share their rugs in this exhibit featuring some of the best examples
of rug hooking from around the world.
The featured exhibits for this year’s show pay tribute to the work of four outstanding rug hookers –
Magdalena Briner, Evelyn Lawrence, Jenny Rupp and Patty Yoder. Gallery Walks and Talks as well as
special publications accompany the exhibits.
2011 vendor booths are Alice Strebel Designs for Kindred Spirits, Bee Line Company, Door Mill Store, Let
Nola Do It, Northwoods Wool, The Oxford Com-pany, The Red Saltbox, Ruckman Mill Farm, Rug Hooking
Magazine, Tomorrow’s Heirlooms and The Wool Studio.
There are half day or full day workshops for all skill levels. For details visit the Sauder website at
www.saudervillage.org
To round out the weekend, guests may want to include a visit to the adjacent Historic Village, where
skilled craftsmen work at making baskets, pottery, tin, wooden buckets, glass marbles and more. The
Historic Village is also the place where the lifestyle of the early settlers is showcased by costumed
staff in shops and homes built more than a century ago.
There is a "show-only" admission to the Rug Hooking Exhibit of $10 or for $4.50 more the adult
admission includes the entire Historic Village. Admission is $7.50 for students ages 6-16 and children 5
and under are free with family. Historic Village hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and
Sunday noon-4 p.m. The Historic Village is closed Mondays.