DISSECTING AN ANTIQUE RUG (long)

That rug would happen to be the design I'm presently working on.   When finding antique rugs I'm always wondering why the rug hooker designed a rug and what it meant to them.  The 1870 Horse original is no exception and is shown below.

The central figure is the horse, of course.  But is the rug celebrating the life of the horse or the life of the owner/rider?  The heart below the horse makes love an obvious emotional connection.  Do the unoccupied shoes represent the rider/owner?  The two dog motifs were probably companions to the horse as well.  

The circle to the left, and behind the horse could very well be an orb floating into the heavens where there is a star waiting to carry it to heaven.  Am I really reaching here, lol.  Yeah, probably, but there's more reaching ahead...

Regarding the motif above the horse's back, I did an AI search on the design and here is what I gleaned from that search:  'cross step design showing 4 cardinal directions indicating balance in nature'.  Hmm, heavy stuff but I still don't know if the rug was celebrating the life of the horse or the human.

Okay, so moving clockwise there are two figures.  The top one looks almost like a naive primitive humanoid shape and are those wings where arms would be?  And the motif below that one ~ is that a stylized human or a 3 leaf clover?  Also, that darker color hooked in the area to the left of that clover, is that a riding boot or just color change due to running out of the wool color?  So many unanswered questions as the hooker is not here to tell me.

Now to the purpose of this lengthy and probably boring post ~ I love questions and comments, I love my  followers and wish I had more 😉.  While I'm honored to have followers who do not hook, I sometimes forget to write so they understand the mind of a rug hooker.  Case in point, someone recently asked me "what the motif was on the side of the horse".  I interpreted that as she wanted to know what the odd shape on the right side of the horse was (what I thought was a clover or person).  

Nope, she meant the pink oar shaped area hooked in pink 'on the side of the horse'. 

While it could be interpreted as a semantics issue, it really was more of I didn't know what she didn't know.  (HA!  make sense out of that sentence won't you?)  Then I explained how rug hookers, particularly those from long ago who didn't have a wool stash like we crazy women have, would  use what they had.  If they ran out that textile or color mid motif, they filled in with whatever was available.

Other examples of rug hookers "using what they have" are these few rug examples where different colors were used to fill in spots on the animal.

Even modern hookers will mimic that look in their design to give it an aged look of making do and using what is available even if they do have enough of the same wool.

Years ago the common person would use up and hand-down clothing to the younger siblings.  Am sure you've heard the saying which I hooked a few years ago "Use it up, Wear it out, Make it Do or Do without".

And their colors were limited because they would often use bits and pieces of fabric to make quilts for warmth.  Colors were usually drab from army uniforms, cotton stockings, long johns, etc.  If they wanted color they would do natural dying.  The pink in the horse rug was more than likely dyed with pokeberries and she used what she had to put some color in her rug.  Click on the pokeberry link to check out the natural dying site.

Sorry for such a long post but perhaps it will be interesting to some poor soul who pushed thru reading it.  Happy hooking everyone.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

JUST A RUG SHOW

Intentions were to give an update on the horse rug.  But want to completely hook the horse before doing that.  So it is a rug show instead.  This rug depicts a dog barking at a bird in flight.  This is a sight I so often saw my silly Rottie Panzer doing, he'd even leap in the air thinking he could catch them.  No date on the rug but measures 20 x 38 and part of the living estate of Nancy Roth.

Advertised as love birds on the auction site, this rug is Canadian, circa 1930 and dimensions are 23 x 39.  Yeah, had to stare to find those birds, eh?

An historical rug of New Deal Civilian Conservation Camp  (CCC) near Frederick, MD.  Another rug from the living estate of Nancy Roth (26 x 50).  As a teen I remember our 4-H club would meet at the Georgetown, DE CCC Camp.  If you want to know what the CCC Camp was about, you can read about it HERE.

Horse rug dated between 1920-30.

It's still a couple months until Easter but Walmart has their Easter inventory out already.  So, to get you in the mood to hook a bunny here are a few ideas.  This rug was said to be hooked 1930's.

A bunny  sunning itself.  Found it on FB so no idea as to date or size.

The shape of this bunny rabbit is stink'n sweet.  Was given a date of 1900's and is a Canadian hooked rug measuring 28 x 38.  

Sure wish the rug photo had been taken full frontal.  Sure appears to be an antique but no information was provided.

A naive rabbit rug measuring 24 x 35 was hooked late 19th century.

Colorful rabbit rug hooked sometime in the 20th century so may not be antique at all.  It measures 28 x 45.

And one more for good measure.  Am thinking this next one was hooked by the same person as above. It measures 18 x 40.  Both are too colorful for me.

Welcome to a new week, happy hooking.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Are any of you lucky enough to remember cards such as these that we, as kids, would hand out in school classrooms?  What an innocent and cherished time that was.

I enjoyed seeing Kim's (My Field of Dreams) hooked hearts and thought I'd post some of mine.  I've posted them before I'm sure, but here they are again.  

An antique adaptation pattern I purchased from Barb Carroll named Olde Hearts.

The rug below I named The Cat's Meow.  The original antique was hard to decipher as the picture of the rug was dark and displayed on the wall of a log cabin home.

Another antique adaptation and the original had odd blocks of color hooked in the background.

Horses and Hearts rug recently replaced another on the floor.  It is a Marion Hamm pattern in an American Country Crafts book.

This next one will be a familiar sight to sweet Robin.  Hope she got hers finished to display this year.  And if not, there's always next year.

Westmoreland Ponies is a Barb Carroll design and was a free to hook pattern in a previous issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.  I'd forgotten about the freebie thing and ended up buying the pattern from her.

Last but not least is the one most recently finished hearts during the Heart Hook-along.  Sadly I chose to hook mine with a faded appearance and it looks rather anemic to me now.  Sure wish I'd chosen darker outlines like Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) did.

Happy Valentine's Day to all.

Saundra

THE NEW MUSE

Yes Lauren, one could say I was 'holding out on you'.  But you probably expected this one to be on the frame anyway.  Here's the present object of my attention, drawn 26 x 30.5 so there's a lot of horse to hook.  In person the wool of the horse doesn't look pink.

Look at the outline around the muzzle and neck of the horse.  It appears to either be a row each of pink and black wool or wool which has both colors in it.  Probably the hooker was concerned that just using pink would blend in too much into that tan color so wouldn't delineate the horse from background.

Well take a look at how lucky I am to have narrow cut strips which resembles that used in the antique.  Plus now you can see the horse isn't pink.  A few years ago I was gifted with lots of narrow cut strips in every color imaginable.  Most of the very bright colors I gave to my former rug camp roomie.  There have been many times when I've needed thin outlines or very narrow strips for something or other.  So those have come in handy often.  Never turn down a gift of wool no matter the cut size.

What's on your frame?

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

BINDING ENSUES

The hooking is done so binding process ensues.  I don't have a favorite or consistent binding technique, so this time the rug calls for a wool whipped edge, me thinks.  Friend Robin feels I'm making double work for myself by doing the two-step process of pre-whipping with thread then again with wool.  But I find it easier not having to fidget with getting the roll tucked in while whipping.  

The plans for distant trees didn't work as planned.  A couple places appear to be trees but imagination is required to see others.  Yet am happy this design finally got hooked and can cross it off my list.

Binding isn't as fun as hooking a rug but I've made peace with the task.  Afterall, I can't enjoy the rug if it isn't completely finished.  There's already a place in mind to hang it where it will be visible daily.  It will replace the Angel and Crow so that one will retire until I find another location for it.  I think Mother with the Fishbowl would approve.

It was a month ago today that I posted my start of this rug, you can see that post HERE.  Well, back to pulling loops on my pattern until 5 p.m. when it will be wine and binding time.

Oh, but first, I just checked the level of propane left in the tank and I need to order another fill.  The last delivery was  made 1/13/26, and today is the 10th.  Since that time I have burned through 197 gallons of propane to the tune of $679.93 PLUS whatever electricity was used to generate the fan and heating via heat pump when temps are above 39 degrees.  Of which there have been few.  Oh well, it's only money, right?

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

SWITCHEROO of WINDOWSCAPE

Walls in every room of my house have rugs hanging on them, as well as rugs on table tops, chests, etc.  And to maximize the display of rugs decided to do a WindowScape.  Plus it hides me from view at night as I sit near a window to hook.  This is the third switcheroo at the window now.

Sorry the photo is so dark as it was taken with my iPad since the digital camera needs a new battery which hasn't arrived yet.  However, for those of you who may not have seen the rug when it was finished in 2022, here it a better photo.  Geez, hard to believe it has been 4 years since it was hooked.

And, just in case you're wondering, it is an antique adaptation of the rug shown below.

Very soon I'll have a photo of a finished Shadow Sleighride to show you.  Which means there will be another something-or-other on my frame to keep me occupied.  Try and stay warm.  I'll try and stave off cabin fever by happily hooking.

Saundra

www.facebook.con/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

SMORGASBORD RUG SHOW

 A little bit of everything ~ folk art, floral, critters...well the works.  But first, for those of you who commented on Donna Beaupre's works on Happy Mail , go back and look at the reply she made to each of you.  She doesn't have your email address but wanted to acknowledge she read your comments.  Now on to the show.

Are you looking forward to spring like me?  Here is a stylized robin hooked 19th century and measures 18 x 31.

Interested in doing a hand torn floral?  Not a complex floral, but a simple design which could easily handle a hand torn or very wide cut.  No date but it does appear to be old to me,

These furry friends appear to be a cat and dog.  No date was provided but dimensions are 18 x 19.

Just found this NGS (Nancy Gertrude Scott) hooked mat of Jamaican kids  listed on ebay.  For those of you who may not know, she was the daughter of Barbara E. Merry (BEM) of whom I've posted many rugs.  Barbara had a farm and had Jamaican farmhands.  So often Nancy will hook this type folk art from her memories as a child.  This one of Nancy's is listed for $1,250.  Although a cute folky piece, I don't think it will have any takers for that price.  

I really like this landscape but wouldn't care to hook it.  Look at all the detail of the home.  No information at all as it was borrowed from FB.

Can't recall where I found this handsome rooster either.

And then there's these folk art primitive roosters.  It must have been a printed pattern years ago as I've seen numerous variations hooked of the design.

A lamb dated between 1864-1876 which is most likely an E.S. Frost design.

No info on this old horse rug but I like it.  Most likely I found it on FB.

Kissing hearts said to be hooked in the 1900's but no indication if that is early or late 1900's.  If you need a Valentine piece to hook before Valentine's Day, here ya go.

So much for the short-lived acceptable winter weather yesterday.  The arctic air, wind and frigid low temps will be arriving this evening and hang around until about the middle of next week.  Don't know how you folks up 'nawth' manage to live in these and worse conditions?  It has been so cold and with frozen snow that I haven't picked up pinecones from my yard in weeks.  There will be several hundred to pick up by the time I can see them.

Meanwhile, I'll be happily hooking inside until then.  Stay warm and happy hooking to you as well.

Saundra

HAPPY MAIL

In January I posted a Barbara Merry rug I'd not seen on auction sites before.  Donna Beaupre purchased a group of old rugs then searched the internet looking for a name to match those initials.  And it was serendipitous that her search led to my blog.  If you would like to see that post and group of rugs she purchased you can find them HERE.  The rugs and more info about Donna is toward the end of that post.

Now to my happy mail ~ it was a photo of a whimsy lady cut out hooked by Donna and the matching "Give Beauty" poem below was written by her as well.  

Give Beauty, by Donna Beaupre ... 

She also hooked another cut-out of Lady Liberty.

And these whimsical faces of kids.

This antique rug was once owned by Donna's grandmother who lived in Louisburg Nova Scotia before moving to Boston.  It is not known if her grandmother hooked the rug or if she just took it with her when she moved.   Sorry the photo is a tad blurry, but you can still capture it's beauty.

Donna said she just drew a memory rug of her aunt and her youngest son from stories she used to tell him.  Am looking forward to her sharing that with me later as hooking ensues.  Wish she had a blog so I could put a link to it on my side bar and she could share with many more people.

Sometimes keeping up a blog seems like having a job, but I'd miss the opportunity to meet wonderful new friends and get happy mail without it.  Happy hooking everyone.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs

ANOTHER RUG SHOW

 A few new to me rugs to share with you.  Must admit that none of them float my boat so none will be put in the 'to hook' list.  With nothing else going on in my small little world thought that instead of absence on my blog, I'd do this show.

This one reminds me of an argyle sweater or socks for some reason.  What I do find interesting is how the hooker achieved those blocks...did she hook a thin light strip of yarn/textile between the colors to achieve the stripe?  Would imagine so since it would be difficult to find striped textured wool in all those colors.

The next one with the central design of leaves is less interesting than the border.  Wonder if this was a printed pattern or did the rug hooker draw it?  And if she drew it why would she choose leaves instead of something more interesting?  Hooked late 19th to early 20th century (19 x 32).  But saved it anyway.

A round 15" mat hooked early 20th century.

A floral hooked 19th century measuring 29 x 39.

No information on the delicate looking rug with birds and flowers.  Lovely rug but I wouldn't want to hook it.  No other information was posted.

Some of the images on the rug below are difficult to see.  On the left is a cat or dog wanting to climb a tree, a couple images undecipherable, a donkey and woman with a child on a swing.  No date or size provided.

Cat and kittens with hit and miss border was taken off FB when someone visited an antique shop.

An old flower and stars hooked rug, photo borrowed from the same FB post.

Tattered deer rug, 25 x 36 with no estimate of age.

Having a heatwave....it reached a high of 32 degrees Fahrenheit today in my neck of the woods.  But the white rock-hard snow still won't melt from the previous snowfall.  So rug hooking is in my forecast.

Saundra

www.facebook.com/woodlandjunctionhookedrugs