Gene Shepherd Teams Up with Rug Hooking Magazine

Enthusiasm for rug hooking is contagious, and Rug Hooking magazine is determined to meet that growing interest. Published author, Rug Hooking contributor, and innovative designer Gene Shepherd visited the Ampry Publishing LLC studios (publishers of Rug Hooking magazine) last week to film brand new content for Rug Hooking readers. These new videos—coming soon—will be aimed towards introducing beginners to this wonderful craft and teaching them the basics.

Gene is the perfect choice for the role of teacher in these videos and brings a lot to the table from his many years of experience. His credentials include a collaboration with Jane Olsen that produced The Rug Hooker’s Bible, a comprehensive collection of rug hooking information for all skill levels. He has also focused in on the prodded rug technique in Prodded Hooking for a Three-Dimensional Effect, which gives historical information on the technique and step-by-step instructions. On top of all that, Shepherd is a dye master and experienced video teacher: he is the author of Prepared to Dye, a series of DVDs called Dyeing with Gene Shepherd, and Learn at Home DVDs Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Ampry Publishing LLC staff gladly took advantage of Shepherd’s visit to get in a little training of their own. With backing material, wool strips, and hooks in tow, Shepherd held a class in the studio, demonstrating techniques before setting the group free with their materials. As everyone began hooking their own floral and linear designs, Shepherd jumped in to help when needed, starting everyone down that addictive and rewarding path to their very first rugs. Take a look at some behind-the-scenes photos from the class!