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Chiara Rosa's Rug

Chiara Rosa's Rug. I'm a member of St. Stephen's on the Green Episcopal Church in Middlebury, Vermont and in 2009 our rector, Terry Gleeson and his partner, Dennis Manalo adopted a beautiful baby girl named Chiara Rosa. The congregation commissioned me to make a rug for Chiara to celebrate her baptism. I worked with Terry and Dennis to design a rug especially for Chiara. The design is based on a painting by the late Middlebury artist, Prindle Wissler, and features some of the buildings in Middlebury that have special meaning to Terry and Dennis including (from the bottom center going clockwise) St. Stephen's, The Painter House, the family's home, the Middlebury Inn and the gazebo on the green. Chiara is shown riding an appaloosa Pegasus with her two dads (Father Terry is wearing his clerical collar and Dennis, a triathlete is wearing his race clothes). The roses in the border are to represent Rosa, and the special significance of her name. Dennis used to live in the South of France where Van Gogh famously painted, so the sky is inspired by the artist's "Starry Night" painting. Chiara's initials and birthday are punched into the border. Thank you to Terry and Dennis for allowing the rug to be included here. Made with a #14 Mini and a #13 Mini With Heels Oxford Punch Needle and worsted weight yarns. 36" x 24".

The back of Chiara's rug

The back of Chiara's rug. Note how there is a space between the punched rows. With worsted weight yarn you can leave a gap between the rows; if you don't, it gets over packed.

Flying over Middlebury.

Detail of a rose. Eight shades of yellow were used.

Detail of a rose. Eight shades of yellow were used.

The Middlebury Inn (front of rug).

The Middlebury Inn (front of rug).

The Middlebury Inn (back of rug).

The Middlebury Inn (back of rug).

The real Middlebury Inn.

The real Middlebury Inn. Note how the hooked version was simplified. There wasn't room on the rug to punch all these windows!

St. Stephen's with the flowers in bloom.

St. Stephen's with the flowers in bloom.

Chiara's friends, including one dog friend.

Chiara's friends, including one dog friend.

This label was made especially for Chiara's rug by parishioner and artist Ceil Murdoch.

This label was made especially for Chiara's rug by parishioner and artist Ceil Murdoch.

 Falling Leaves Raffle Rug

Falling Leaves Raffle Rug.
In 2011 we started a new group at my church called the St. Stephen's Ruggers. ("Ruggers" sounded more dignified and appropriate than "hookers" and after 27 years I've grown weary of the hooker jokes... but needless to say it's hard to avoid the humor of the "H-word" in this situation!) We met every Wednesday afternoon from January to May to make this punched rug to raffle off at our annual church fair. Twenty-one people worked on the rug which raised over $2800 for local charities. The design is the McAdoo Rugs Falling Leaves pattern, which I enlarged especially for the project. I had a frame made that was big enough for 8 of us to sit around at once (three on each side and one at each end). We made the rug just a tiny bit smaller than the frame. To make life easier we decided not to move the rug. The 8 person seating arrangement/frame was the perfect size for a runner! Made with #9 Oxford Punch Needles and wool rug yarn. 82" x 29". (6' 10" x 2' 5"). The rug was won by a local resident.

Detail from Falling Leaves

Detail from Falling Leaves

Learning to punch on small practice trivets which we backed with wool fabric. These were also sold at the fair.

Learning to punch on small practice trivets which we backed with wool fabric. These were also sold at the fair.

"Hmmm, which color goes where?"

"Hmmm, which color goes where?"

"Snipping and poking" to tidy up the rug.

"Snipping and poking" to tidy up the rug.

The day the punching was finished with the rug still on the frame.

The day the punching was finished with the rug still on the frame.

Bear in Tree

Bear in Tree. Design adapted from a painting by Rufus Porter. Punched with a #14 fine Oxford Mini Punch Needle and worsted weight yarns. 20" x 28". This rug was made as a gift for Inez Gornall in 2011 to celebrate her 50th anniversary as an instructor at Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts in Ludlow, Vermont. The rug was a group effort and was made by some of Inez's friends including Amy Oxford, Layne Herschel, Jean Borrelli, Carolyn Scott and Pamela Tyndall.

Detail from Bear in Tree.

Detail from Bear in Tree.

Detail from Bear in Tree.

Detail from Bear in Tree.

Sheep Flower and Bud.

Sheep Flower and Bud. Designed and punched by Amy Oxford. Made with a #9 regular Oxford Punch Needle and a #14 fine Oxford Punch Needle for the sheep. If children come from a cabbage patch, it only makes sense that sheep could come from a sheep flower. The flower is surrounded by white fluffy buds. Note that one of the buds on the far right has opened to produce a tiny lamb. This piece was made with over 30 different types of fancy "novelty" yarns found in knitting stores. It isn't durable enough for a high traffic area but makes a luxurious bedside rug. 14" X 29".

Detail from Sheep Flower Rug.

Detail from Sheep Flower Rug.

Little Dragonfly Bag (Front).

Little Dragonfly Bag (Front). Designed and punched by Amy Oxford with the #14 "Mini" Oxford Punch Needle and fine cotton yarn. 6 1/2" X 4".

Little Dragonfly Bag (Back).

Little Dragonfly Bag (Back).

Tree of Life.

Tree of Life. This commission featuring an oak tree was made for a Vermont family and designed by Amy Oxford. Punched by Amy with help from Kit Donnelly, Margot Weber, and Melissa Coleman. Made with wool rug yarn and Craftsman Punch Needles set to #9. (The rug was made before the invention of The Oxford Punch Needle.) This room-size rug is 8 1/2' by 11' and weighs 63 pounds! The initials of each of the family members are hidden in the background. There is also a gnome hidden in the tree. Can you find him? Note how the ivy border is growing off the left side of the rug.

Pierson Family Stair Runner

Pierson Family Stair Runner. 24' Long X 30" wide. Designed by Amy Oxford and punched by Amy with help from sisters Hamida, Hanka and Sabaheta Dzankovic. Each of the 16 risers represents an important part of the family's life including birth places, childhood horses, schools and colleges, family pets, different homes they have lived in over the years, children, hobbies and important life events such as a wedding, a graduation and a house raising party. The runner was made in three sections, took 6 months to design and 6 months to punch. Made with a Craftsman Punch Needles set to #9 and wool rug yarn. (This rug was made in 1995, just before the invention of the Oxford Punch Needle.) Wool rug yarn on monk's cloth. Collection of Mitchell and Louisa Pierson, Victor, NY.

Looking up at the Custom Stair Runner

Looking up at the Custom Stair Runner. Designed by Amy Oxford and punched by Amy and sisters Hamida, Hanka and Sabaheta Dzankovic.

Detail of Custom Stair Runner

Detail of Custom Stair Runner

Looking down at the Custom Stair Runner

Looking down at the Custom Stair Runner. Designed by Amy Oxford and punched by Amy and sisters Hamida, Hanka and Sabaheta Dzankovic.