Laurie Lausen

Minneapolis, Minnesota
woolyredrug.com

“Folk Art Rugs”

4 Day Retreat:  Tuesday – Friday, August 14 – 17, 2018
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
$350.00 / Sauder Village Members $330.00 
Heritage Inn – Gathering Room A

DESCRIPTION:  Simple, naïve, charming, primitive…all good terms to describe folk art rugs. In this open retreat, students will add to their skills and gain confidence in their techniques. Develop your own style while hooking a pattern of your choice or one of Laurie’s many folk art designs. The focus of this retreat will be on cuts # 8 and up, but each pattern “tells you” what size is best!

Laurie likes to combine a variety of over-dyed and as-is textured wools in her rugs, especially her backgrounds. You will learn how to choose wool to create depth and movement in your rugs. Prior to class, Laurie will help you make initial wool choices from your stash or custom dye wool for you. She will also bring a variety of wool or help you shop the many vendors on site.

As a group we will explore how color choices affect the mood and sentiment of our rugs. Come prepared to accomplish a lot of hooking. Each day we will have SHORT demos and group discussions, but the emphasis will be on individual attention to set you on your way to completing a fabulous folk art rug.

BIO: 
Laurie has been doing some sort of handwork since her Mother handed her a needle and thread at age 5. While still in school and with limited resources, she began designing and hooking rugs in 1970 after seeing an article in Early American Life magazine.

Known for her keen sense of color and whimsical, folk art designs, Laurie has been teaching rug hooking and various fiber arts around the Twin Cities for over 30 years. Her goal for each student is to relax and enjoy the process, while gaining confidence in their technique and ability to make each project truly their own. Laurie’s patterns have been featured in many publications including Wool Works and Rug Hooking Magazine.

She is currently a faculty artist/instructor at Minnetonka Center for the Arts and a member of numerous organizations including TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Arts List.

2017 marked the 30th anniversary of L. J. Fibers, her fiber arts business that became The Wooly Red Rug in 2002 when Laurie opened the doors of her studio to the public. Her museum quality hooked rugs, wool applique and needle punched pieces are part of private collections across the country and have earned her recognition as one of America’s top traditional craftsman by Early American Life magazine…where her passion began.

SPECIALTIES:  Dyeing and color planning, rug hooking, punch needle, wool applique and embroidery.