Something Small

Zack’s Pillow, 11" x 11", embroidery floss on linen backing. Designed and hooked by Lynda Latner, Toronto, Ontario, 2016.

In June 2014, when my middle daughter told me she was expecting her first child, I decided to make a little birth gift for the baby. “Little” was a new concept for me, as I had only made large primitive hooked mats in the past to celebrate the arrival of each grandchild. There were only two grandchildren, and they had received hooked rugs closer to their second birthdays, as I needed time to plot, plan, and hook each mat. My modus operandi was to wait for inspiration and follow up with a design. Lately, I have discovered that inspiration cannot be ordered like videos on demand.

With that in mind, I was determined to plan a small, manageable project that could be completed by the January due date of my yet-to-be-determined granddaughter or grandson. That didn’t mean, however, that I would choose something simple or a pattern I’d already hooked before.

Lynda Latner is a rug hooker, vintage clothing website founder (vintagecouture.com), mother of four, grandmother of three, and a lifelong handcraft enthusiast. She is willing to risk combining techniques not often seen together and is a firm believer in keeping one’s hands busy. 

This article excerpt is from the November/December 2016 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.