OCC meets on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Thursday of every month unless there is a conflict with a major holiday. The 1st Saturdays of January, May, August, and November include official business meetings, along with the rug hooking that takes place at all meetings. While there is no cost to members for business meeting days, members and guests are encouraged to donate $10 at all other “social hooking” meetings to cover the cost of room rental. OCC currently meets in the Antioch Room of Zion Lutheran Church, 222 N East St., Anaheim, CA 92805.
Additionally, the chapter endeavors, every other year, to put on a Members Only Workshop with a nationally recognized teacher. In 2024 we hosted Nola Heidbreder who presented a 3-day workshop on Hit and Miss techniques.
Chapter History
Orange Coast Classics (“OCC”) was formed in the spring of 1996 by a friendship group of rug hookers in Orange County, California, who occasionally met in the home of Ann Turnbull. It was at one of those meetings that June Britton, the
chapter’s first president, challenged the group to form a local chapter of ATHA. Charter members for that first year totaled 22 people.
OCC has been very active during its entire history sponsoring many demonstration events for both adults and children. For many years the chapter has hosted an annual Southern California ATHA Hook-In and invited other local
ATHA Chapters, as well as new rug hookers. OCC has also provided financial and physical support in the establishment of a sister ATHA Chapter in Idaho, as well as the Las Rancheritas Rug Hookers of Mexico.
In 2008 OCC partnered with the Beauport Sleeper-McCann House Museum in Glouster, MA to recreate and donate one of the museum’s fragile antique hooked rugs.
In 2013, OCC led region 12 in the planning and operation of the Long Beach ATHA Biennial Convention. OCC most significant current project is the establishment of a free web site to document and communicate the groups historical and current work.
