Friday, September 16, 2011

First Rug

I was looking through some old photos recently and found some pictures I had taken in 1995 at the Green Mountain Rug Camp. It was my very first rug camp, and I was a new hooker. Took class from Patsy Becker and had lots of fun watching her dye wool during the week I was there. Also learned about binding rugs with yarn, points on stars, color selection, etc. I think the best part was the rug show at the end of the week. I saw a caliber of rugs that I never had seen before, and it made me want to try all sorts of techniques. I'm sure a lot of you experienced the same thing as you began hooking.

Anyway, included in the packet of photos was a photo of my first real rug. I completed a chair pad when I first learned to hook, but this was the first rug that to me was actually a rug. At the time I started this rug my niece was planning her wedding, and I decided to give the rug to her on the occasion of her marriage. I often wonder how I ever decided to give away what was basically my first rug.

Dick LaBarge was my teacher at the time, and he walked me through all the color choices, dyed wool for me, and really encouraged me that I could do this rug and complete it on time.

Here is the rug:

I don't know who the designer of the rug is, but what I remember most about the rug is that my hooking was very tight. At times, it looked three-dimensional!! I have to say though, I had a lot of fun working on the different objects in the rug.

Sadly, the couple who received the rug have divorced, and I'm not sure where it is. I'm sure is rolled up and stored for now. Hopefully, it will see the light of day some day.

Do you know where your first rug is? Did you learn a lot from that experience?

WOOL GIVEAWAY COMING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 2. If you are a member of my blog you will be automatically entered. If not, join!

2 comments:

newburyarts said...

*****this rug is very famous. the pattern is available from w. cushing company in kennebunkport, me. the name of it is the "wedding rug" and the original antique has
been written about many times. there is a version of this in the
hook book by alice beatty in which
she hooked a version quite similiar
to the original. joan moshimer also hooked the rug and wrote an article in the old rug hooker news and views. here in new england the tradition was for the bride and groom to stand on the rug during their wedding vows. most were florals because the wedding took place at thanksgiving time and very
little, if any, flowers were available for the festivities of a wedding. hope this helps.

Woolly Mammoth Woolens said...

Thanks so much for the info. I probably knew some of it at the time I hooked the rug, but since so much time has passed, and I hadn't written it down(!), I'm glad to hear about it. I'm going to make a note on the back of the photo.