A 19th CENTURY TECHNIQUE

Recently I found a beautiful rug which was advertised as "folded wool" a rug from early 19th century and hails from Canada.

At first glance I thought it was a braided rug until I enlarged the photo.  Below is a closeup of the center.

I mentioned it was advertised as a folded wool technique.  However, in a hardback book (below) on antique rug styles that technique is called "fabric-bundle shirring".  It went on to describe how to perform the technique ~ it uses small pieces of fabric which have been folded and sewn together at the center.  Then the pieces are sewn to a foundation for support.  In  looking at the above photos, it seems to me the maker cut circles and sewed at the tiny point and stitched to the foundation.

So decided to cut a couple examples ~ depending on thickness of fabric it could have been a full round piece of fabric or perhaps even half round if it was a nice fulled piece of wool.  See the samples below and how many folds are in them.

From the top, the rug almost gives the appearance of being proddy, until you see the back of the foundation.

While the rug is wonderful I don't think I'll give up my hook and do that technique.

In other boring personal news ~ my dentist called to ask if I could go in today instead of next Monday as my permanent crown had arrived.  And I did.  So that reduces the anxiety of my next appointment a week away ...yay!  All done and $1,695 less in my checking account.

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

American Sewn Rugs

This new purchase just arrived today.  I first got a look at it when in a class with Ali Strebel as she had taken a copy to show us.  Ali also taught us how to do all those old rug making techniques depicted in the book and which our foremothers did many years ago.

A photo of the front cover.

A photo of the index or contents of the hardback book.

And there are several pages of beautiful examples of antique rugs with close ups of the various types of shirring, yarn sewn rugs and many other techniques used back then.

Then I sat down and started reading about how rugs were used then. Most of us oldies have learned they were used as table covers or bed rugs (bed spreads known today) and not until the turn of the 19th century were they used as rugs "under foot".  I didn't want to put the book down but now plan to start all over from the very front of the book and read it cover to cover to refresh my knowledge of the history of hand created rugs.

It was researched and written by Jan Whitlock with Tracy Jamar, if you wish to own a book of your own the ISBN is 978-1-4675-4866-3.

Have a great evening and thankfully there was not much accumulation for me here these past couple days. 

Saundra