Janey Scott

Urn, 22" x 34", #7- and 8-cut wool on linen. Adapted from a pattern in The Rug Book by Thom Boswell. Hooked by Janey Scott, Plattsmouth, Nebraska 2015.

Janey insisted on the light blue in the rug and the rug was color planned around the light blue. Janey had everyone stepping out of their dark and primitive box with this rug.

When you ask a group of rug hookers “Why did you first begin to hook?”, you will no doubt get a wide variety of answers: My mother did it. I attended a class and really enjoyed it. I had friend who got me started. The list of reasons goes on and on.

But when you ask rug hookers why they continue to hook, I suspect that the answers will be these two: I love this art form, and I love the group of ladies or men with whom I hook.

What is the power of a rug hooking group? It is immense. Sometimes we might step out of our comfort zone to try something new then develop self-doubt and nitpick our work. Or we stick to what we know best and hook “comfortable” rugs. But if we do that, are we growing as artists? This is where that group of rug hookers you hook with plays a vital role. The group is the force that helps you finish rugs, challenge yourself, and stoke your love of rug hooking. One such fire-stoker and champion was Janey Scott.

Janey Scott was a member of our rug hooking community in Omaha, Nebraska. She passed away at 81 in March of 2018, following an extended battle with cancer. She was a member of our small rug hooking group that met every two weeks. Those of us in the group consider ourselves blessed and very lucky that our lives intersected at just the right moment to all be together and learn from Janey.