Varied Topics

Two Hooking Books for Sale

Recently acquired two older hooking books, both of which I already own. So, I'm offering these two up for sale. The first is called Color in Hooked Rugs by Pearl McGown. Book Description: 1954 first edition hardcover. Book Condition: Very good. No dust jacket. 304 pages. 16 color plates + over 100 in B&W. Author McGown explains the law and order of color, in accordance with the Munsell system. Clean and tight. Red cloth. Owner name written on first page. Price is $10.00 plus s/h.

The second is called American Hooked and Sewn Rugs (Folk Art Underfoot) by Joel and Kate Kopp. It is a softcover edition and is worn on the edges with some fading on the cover. The binding is tight. 141 pages with nearly all photos in color. Cost is $12.00 plus s/h.

If you are interested in either book, please email me at mictype@nycap.rr.com.

Molas

I owe this part of my post to Mary Rita Leyva. Mary Rita wrote to tell me that she had received a shipment of wool from me and said that she planned to incorporate it into a rug based on a "mola" design. Of course, that sent me to google where I was able to find out some information about molas.

From Wikipedia:

"The mola forms part of the traditional costume of a Kuna woman, two mola panels being incorporated as front and back panels in a blouse.

Molas are hand-made using a reverse appliqué technique. Several layers (usually two to seven) of different-coloured cloth (usually cotton) are sewn together; the design is then formed by cutting parts of each layer away. The edges of the layers are then sewn down; the finest molas have extremely fine stitching, made using tiny needles.

The largest pattern is typically cut from the top layer, and progressively smaller patterns from each subsequent layer, thus revealing the colours beneath in successive layers. This basic scheme can be varied by cutting through multiple layers at once, hence varying the sequence of colours; some molas also incorporate patches of contrasting colours, included in the design at certain points to introduce additional variations of colour."

Here are some samples of molas that I found on the Web.

New Hooking Books
Recently got Anne Marie Littenberg's book Hooked Rug Landscapes part of the Framework Series put out by Rug Hooking Magazine. I have seen some of Anne Marie's work at the Hooked in the Mountains Rug Show at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT. To see her work in person is a wonderful sight. But if you are unable to attend, then get this book. The pictures are wonderful and the lessons on hooking landscapes are invaluable.

While browsing on amazon.com, I found another new book—Rags to Rugs, Hooked and Handsewn Rugs of Pennsylvania.The links for both of these books can be found below.