Mats That Matter (to You)

Here’s to Song, 18" x 34", #2- and 3-cut hand-dyed wool on linen. Designed and hooked by Debbie Ballard, International Falls, Minnesota, 2013.  Photo courtesy of Klausen Framing & Gallery.

Most of the time, you’re happy when you can spare an hour or two to hook, but once in a while you feel that you would like to rekindle that creative spark that seems to have flickered out somewhere along the way. You take workshops and go to your regular group get-togethers, but you feel like you are just pulling up loops and filling in spaces. You’re doing the same kinds of things over and over and over again. There’s a little spirit inside of you who wants to make something really amazing—something that has you sitting down at your frame with your morning coffee and burning the midnight oil.

How do you fan that flickering flame and get out of a creative rut? For me, it is all about hooking something that is meaningful to me or to someone who is important in my life. Managed in steps, creating your own design is nowhere near as hard you might think. In fact, with the tools available today, you can create just about anything and be quite happy with the result.

This article is from the November/December 2013 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.