This is the final story in a three-part summer feature series on unique Montague County artists.
By BARBARA GREEN
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Betsy Strickler wants the colors she creates to “sing” and the brighter the better.
While she shares her dyed fabrics through her company The Ringgold Kid Wool Fabric and Patterns, she also takes those colorful strands to create hook rug art. Her rural home is cozy with her artwork from geometric patterns to people, animals and landscapes.
Strickler, 56, and her husband Frank, both retired commercial airline pilots moved to the Ringgold area in 2012 from Decatur. They found themselves moving further away from the Metroplex so they could enjoy being in the country. Frank spends his time working around the property while his wife cultivates her growing business.
Her interest in rug hooking may have been stimulated by her mother who had been a quilter, and after she and her other daughter took an afternoon class on hook rugs they“got into it whole hog.”
“I picked up a hook and started it, but eight years ago I started my business selling fabrics and dying them. My sister also got me interested in dying and I read a lot of books to learn about it. Many dyers are proprietary about their recipe and others publish it all,” explains Strickler.
Read the full feature in the weekend Bowie News.

Bowie News readers shared lots of first day of school photos from across Montague County. See a few here and in the weekend print edition, and of course on our Facebook page. Have a great year. Thank you to everyone who shared their first day. The Bowie News staff looks forward to covering all your kids in the new year.

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Make plans to attend the Bowie 4-H Club’s back to school meeting at 2 p.m. on Aug. 18 in the high school ag. classroom.
Students in grades 3rd-12th are invited to attend. Those with questions can call Terry at 940-531-1934.