Hooked on Storytelling: Textile Artist Laurie Milne on the Incredible Artform of Primitive Hooking She Uses to Turn Memories and Moments into Pieces for the Home
by Suzi Mitchell
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Art with Altitude.
Some people belong to book clubs, Steamboat Springs artist Laurie Milne prefers her hooker’s circle. To be clear, Milne’s medium is non-traditional primitive form rug hooking, an artform she has perfected over decades, and it’s appreciated by several others who occasionally join her.
Antique chairs dot her workroom—a sunny re-purposed space in the family home where she creates and sometimes invites others to sit, hook and share ideas. “Hooking in North America started in Nova Scotia and Massachusetts, when women made rugs to warm the floors and beds in the old days,” she says. Laurie made her first rug in 1992 and six years later, she launched Get Hooked by Laurie, a successful endeavor of custom pillows, rugs, ornaments and bespoke furnishings she currently sells at the Jace Romick/ R-Diamond Gallery and a handful of Farmer’s Markets in downtown Steamboat.
“I’ve represented Laurie’s work on and off for 20 years,” Jace Romick says. “The quality and uniqueness are incredible, and I love how she weaves Steamboat into so many of her designs.”
Laurie begins the process by drawing an image on linen. “In the past they used burlap, but it disintegrates over time, so linen is a much better option,” Laurie continues. She curates the colors for each piece, picking from a smorgasbord of richly hued wools she keeps stacked in neat columns in various repurposed antique furnishings.
She pulls the wools based on tone and thickness, then cuts them into strips on an old drafting table. With passion and purpose, the wool is hooked, and if it is a pillow, she hand sews a flange and backing material to complete the piece. Occasionally the hooked linen is used to cover footstools or benches. Lately Laurie tends to avoid rugs due to the size and time commitment, but she will endeavor to do most things for custom orders from her loyal client base.
Many times, her pieces relay a story, with logos, creatures, flora and folklore woven in. She’s done everything from people’s pets to favorite flowers, personalized named pillows for client’s grandchildren and Christmas stockings for families. “Doing the initial drawing is a lot of fun and there is no such thing as the wrong colors for anything,” she says. “Everyone has their own eye with color and how they perceive it.”
Sourcing the material can be a treasure hunt for Laurie, who is happy to rummage at second-hand stores for women’s wool skirts and pants she can repurpose. “Pleated clothing is great as it requires more material,” she says. “I’ve even found kilts, which have the most. The bigger the clothing the better,” she adds with laughter.
Her finds are washed, shrunk and redyed, a process she does in the kitchen sink. “On those days, I clear everything, so nothing touches food surfaces, and I have specific dye pots,” she says. Much of her material comes from sources in Massachusetts.
When not working on commissions, Laurie veers towards local inspiration for her designs. Wildlife and ski scenes quintessential to Steamboat are favorites, along with seasonal depictions of Santas, pumpkins and geometric patterns of flowers.
It’s been almost 30 years since Laurie got hooked on a hobby which would become an artist’s legacy of telling stories and capturing memories, one loop at a time.
Elevate the Arts: Visit GetHookedByLaurie.com to see and purchase Laurie’s work. SM
