Rags to Riches:
Handcrafted Rugs
A Texas HELP Exhibition
Programming Guide
Gloria Crouse, Chivoree, 1992, yarn and yardage remnants, 56 3/4 x 48 3/4
inches; courtesy the artist
HELP, a program of ExhibitsUSA in partnership with the Texas Association of Museums, is
made possible through the combined vision and generosity of The Brown Foundation, Inc., of
Houston; The Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation; Houston Endowment, Inc.; The
Meadows Foundation; the Texas Commission on the Arts; and the Institute of Museum and
Library Services, a federal agency that fosters innovation, leadership, and a lifetime of learning.
© 2002 All Rights Reserved, Mid-America Arts Alliance and ExhibitsUSA
Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs
A Texas HELP Exhibition
Programming Guide
Table of Contents
Introduction.....................................................................................................................1
Overview
Exhibition Description .............................................................................................2
Educational Materials Checklist ..............................................................................3
How to Contact ExhibitsUSA..................................................................................6
Reference Materials
Text Panels...............................................................................................................7
Exhibition Checklist.................................................................................................10
Tour Schedule ..........................................................................................................12
Artist Biographies ....................................................................................................13
The History of American Rugs ................................................................................19
Exhibition Essay ......................................................................................................22
Introductory Readings..............................................................................................23
Glossary ...................................................................................................................25
Texas Rug Resources...............................................................................................28
Bibliography ............................................................................................................32
Videography.............................................................................................................41
Web Sites .................................................................................................................42
Programming Resources
Community Even Planning, Funding, and Programming Suggestions ...................45
Rug Interview Form.................................................................................................50
Slide Show Script.....................................................................................................53
Speaker List and Resources .....................................................................................59
Museum Activities ...................................................................................................62
Pre-Visit Lesson Plans .............................................................................................66
Post-Visit Lesson Plans............................................................................................72
Gallery Guide................................................................................................77/Sleeve
Introduction
This programming guide has been developed to provide resources and activity ideas for
education curators, docents, and teachers. We hope these materials will provide you with
a number of useful tools that will make the exhibition a success for your organization and
for your community. This copy is yours to keep. Each venue receives a copy, so please
DO NOT pack this guide into the crates. Please contact ExhibitsUSA at 800.473.3872 if
you have questions or suggestions regarding the content of this guide.
The programming guide is divided into three sections containing the following:
Overview
This section provides a brief description of the exhibition, a materials checklist, and
information about how to contact ExhibitsUSA.
Reference Materials
This section provides copies of text materials that will be displayed in the gallery along
with information about topics related to the exhibition. It includes:
•
•
•
•
Text panels
Introductory readings
Glossary
Annotated bibliography and suggested Web sites
Programming Resources
This section provides ideas and activities for your museum’s educational needs as well as
for teachers whose classes will visit the exhibition. It includes the following resources:
•
•
•
•
•
Slide show
Speaker list
Museum activities
Pre- and post-visit lesson plans
Family gallery guide
1
Exhibition Description
While most contemporary textile exhibitions focus on quilts, this exhibition highlights
another important decorative folk art—rugs!
The creation of contemporary rugs extends a practice that emanates from the American
colonial era. Like most American art forms, these textiles are inspired by many traditions.
Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs represents a variety of artists, styles, media, and rugmaking techniques. This exhibition explores the diversity and utility of creative rug
making, including the use of recycled materials. Rags to Riches features contemporary
rugs created by artists from all over the United States who use a variety of approaches.
Their rugs are woven, braided, hooked, painted, crocheted, and created by other hand
techniques that were popular before World War I and the onset of less expensive,
machine-made rugs.
The techniques illustrated in this exhibition have been handed down from generation to
generation and are here revitalized by contemporary rug makers who use them with a
new vision. The rug makers featured in this exhibition, like all artists, rely on their past to
move forward. Their choice to work within the traditions of rug making is a choice to
embrace the meaning of those traditions.
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Educational Materials Checklist
Several support materials will be traveling with the exhibition. Should any of these
materials be missing or fail to arrive, please call ExhibitsUSA at 800.473.3872 and we
will locate or replace the missing items as soon as possible. Please be sure to repack these
items in the crates before you send the exhibition to the next venue.
Adult’s Books
Allen, Heather L. Weaving Contemporary Rag Rugs: New Designs, Traditional
Techniques. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 1998.
This book explores the history of rag weaving, how to weave a basic rag rug, the most
popular traditional designs, and contemporary techniques for weaving and embellishing
rugs. It is filled with color photographs of rugs by more than forty artists.
Cox, Verna. Rug Braiding with Cotton, Denim, Fleece, and Woolen Fabric. Verona
Island, ME: Cox Enterprises, 2000.
Beginning rug braiders get clear instructions in the craft in this booklet.
––––––––. Rug Braiding with Verna. Verona Island, ME: Cox Enterprises, 1995.
This booklet gives detailed instructions for braiding rugs, with a discussion of supplies,
planning, materials, patterns, and definitions.
Crouse, Gloria E. Hooking Rugs: New Materials, New Techniques. Newtown, CT:
Taunton Press, 1990.
Considered a leader in the art of rug hooking, Gloria Crouse has written this book as a
guide for beginners. It contains step-by-step instructions on getting started and lots of
color photographs of works by Crouse and other rug-hooking professionals.
Davies, Ann. Rag Rugs. New York: Holt, 1992.
This book covers the two main techniques of making hooked rugs from rags, detailing
materials and equipment, basic techniques, and many projects to make.
Irwin, Bobbie. Twined Rag Rugs. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2000.
Twined rag rugs, which are similar to woven rugs, are explored in this book, with
patterns, instructions, a discussion of equipment, step-by-step diagrams, and photographs
provided.
3
Kopp, Joel, and Kate Kopp. American Hooked and Sewn Rugs: Folk Art Underfoot.
Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1995.
With over 250 illustrations, the authors trace the development of the hooked rug, from its
origins in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century yarn-sewn rugs to twentieth-century
examples of hooked rugs.
McCrady, Louise. The Art of Shirrét. 7th ed. Revised and illustrated by Lady McCrady.
Madison, CT: Shirrét America, 1997.
This book will give you everything you need to master Shirrét, a thirty-year-old
needlecraft that combines shirring and crocheting. Lady McCrady, daughter of Shirrét
originator Louise McCrady, has revised this seventh edition of her mother’s book, which
includes step-by-step instructions and a library of patterns.
Children’s Books
Ernst, List Campbell. Nattie Parsons’ Good-Luck Lamb. New York: Viking Kestrel,
1988.
Nattie Parsons and her grandfather are in trouble. Winter is coming and they don’t have
enough money to buy hay for their flock of sheep. Nattie’s good-luck lamb saves the day
as Nattie weaves a shawl out of his wool and sells it.
Heller, Nicholas. The Front Hall Carpet. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1990.
A river in the front hall? A grassy field in the dining room? Acres of blinding snow in the
living room? Let your imagination run wild to see the possibilities in rugs.
Say, Allen. Emma’s Rug. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.
When Emma is born, she is given a small rug. She loves the rug more than any other
possession, and it seems to be the source of her artistic inspiration, until one day her
mother washes it.
Videos
Hooking Rugs. 45 min. Threads Magazine, 1990. Videocassette.
Hooking Rugs is the companion video for Gloria E. Crouse’s book, Hooking Rugs: New
Materials, New Techniques. The video format allows the viewer to observe Crouse at
work and learn rug hooking by watching a master. This video is divided into sections that
allow you to share selected portions of the program with your audience. The list of
divisions is provided in the interior flap of the video case.
4
Rug Braiding with Cotton, Denim, Fleece, and Wool. 21 min. Cox Enterprises, 2000.
Videocassette.
This companion video to Verna Cox’s booklet on rug braiding gives detailed instructions
for beginning rug braiders.
Hands-on Samples
Although the rugs in this exhibition are not to be touched, your visitors will want to
examine how the rugs were made. For this purpose, we are providing five hands-on
samples of the various rug techniques included in the exhibition. These may be used by
staff in delivering a program or shown to visitors by a docent in the exhibition area.
Twined Rag Rug by Bobbie Irwin
Rug Hooking Frame, Needle, Material by Gloria E. Crouse
Swatch with Needle by Lady McCrady
Braided Chair Seat and Tools by Verna Cox
Two Sample Crocheted Rugs in Progress by Gail Lickteig
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How to Contact ExhibitsUSA
If you have any questions or comments, ExhibitsUSA is just a phone call away. You can
reach us by telephone at 800.473.3872 or by e-mail at the addresses listed below. For
questions about specific topics, consult the list below.
If you have questions about...
Contact...________________
Scheduling an exhibition, exhibition contracts
Nicole Forster
Marketing Coordinator
[email protected]
Shipping, installation, or packing
Angie Hart
Registrar
[email protected]
Educational materials, program resources
Nancy Crockett
Curator of Education
[email protected]
Proposing an exhibition
Jennifer Cahn
Curator of Exhibitions
[email protected]
Texas HELP (Hands-on Experiential
Learning Project), training workshops, listserv,
consultants, questions, problems, or requests
Edana McSweeney
Project Co-Director
[email protected]
Brian Crockett
Project Co-Director
801.424.2697
[email protected]
ExhibitsUSA
912 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 700
Kansas City, Missouri 64105
Phone (toll free): 800.473.3872
Fax: 816.421.3918
6
Text Panels
Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs
The craft of rug making, like so many other good things, is rooted in necessity.
Americans of an earlier day used what they had to create the rugs they needed for warmth
on the drafty floors of their inefficiently heated homes. Their rugs were beautiful yet
durable enough for everyday use and constructed from materials that could withstand
traffic and cleaning.
Rag rugs speak well to the nuances and intimacy associated with cloth as part of
everyday life. Once common in almost every home, rag rugs were found at the back door,
in front of the kitchen sink, or beside the bed. Discarded family clothing and other
textiles were recycled—wound into balls of rag strips and woven into rugs. Many of the
rugs featured in this exhibition follow the tradition of using recycled materials, thereby
giving them a new life and simultaneously creating rich surfaces laden with associations.
Perhaps the greatest appeal of these rugs for us today lies in their symbolism: they evoke
images of a simpler era when home, family, and friends were unchallenged as the central
elements of our lives.
In the past, scarcity, frugality, and necessity were the driving forces behind making a rug.
While these remain strong motivating factors today, there is also a growing appreciation
of the artistic value of handmade rugs by contemporary artists from all over the world. As
the role of the handmade rug evolves, so does its appearance. The charm of traditional
designs and the infinite creative possibilities make rug making an appealing artistic
medium.
The men and women whose unique work is featured in this exhibition are of varying
ages, careers, and backgrounds. The factors uniting these artists are that they have chosen
an historically utilitarian craft as their preferred medium and that making rugs is an
intrinsic part of life for each of the designers featured here. Today rug making is no
longer regarded simply as the craft of creating functional items. It is a language adopted
by artists to express their creativity, beliefs, or desire to embrace, challenge, or redefine
traditions. The way they approach their work, their methods of working, and their results
are as individual as the artists themselves.
Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs highlights the manual skill and inventiveness that has
historically been required of rug makers and proves that the tradition of rug making is
alive, relevant, and meaningful in the context of contemporary art.
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Rug-Making Techniques
Each of the following rug-making techniques is featured in the exhibition Rags to Riches:
Handcrafted Rugs.
Weaving:
Rug weaving uses two sets of fabric or yarn––the warp and the weft. The warp threads
are held under tension, usually on a loom. The weft crosses the warp threads at a right
angle. In order to create a strong rug, the weft weaves over and under the warp. Another
weaving technique, ripsmatta, creates warp-faced woven rugs that alternate thick and thin
wefts to produce a ribbed effect.
Hooking:
Hooked rugs are made by drawing loops of rag strips or yarn through a fabric backing
such as burlap. The loops can be sheared or left uncut. There are two basic techniques for
hooking a rug. Hand hooking, which is the traditional method, is worked from the right
side of the backing fabric. The loops are pulled up to the surface from underneath. Punch
hooking is worked from the wrong side of the backing. The hook punches the hooking
material, almost always yarn, through the backing, automatically forming loops of a
predetermined and uniform height on the underside of the backing.
Braiding:
Braided rugs are made from fabric strips stitched together on the bias, or the diagonal.
The strips are carefully folded and plaited. The braids are then stitched together to form a
rectangle or coiled to form an oval or circle. No backing fabric is required to make a
braided rug. The beauty of a braided rug lies in the subtle color changes that are achieved
as the braid develops.
Crocheting:
The basic method of crocheting a rug is the same as any crocheting, with the only
difference being not difficulty, but size. Like braided rugs, crocheted rugs use long,
narrow strips of fabric. Preparation of the rags determines the final pattern of the rug.
Many such rugs are made with yarn instead of rags; much softer than many of the rag
varieties, they require a skid guard to keep them from sliding on the floor.
Painted Floor Cloth:
Floor cloths were used throughout the eighteenth century and well into the nineteenth in
Europe and America. Originally designed as an imitation of an imported carpet or
expensive marble entryway, the floor cloth, a carefully painted canvas, came to be
popular for its own sake. The best floor cloths repel water and stains, providing
protection and easy cleaning. The floor cloth also suits every pocketbook: plain cloths
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with little or no design are less expensive, while more elaborate cloths with stenciled or
freehand designs can cost as much as a carpet.
Shirrét:
Shirring is an appliqué technique wherein scraps of fabric are stitched to a backing and
packed so closely that they remain upright, forming a dense pile. Chenille is the most
popular traditional method of shirring. It involves taking a line of running stitches down
the center of a strip of cloth and then pulling the thread up to gather the strip, which is
then stitched to a backing fabric. Shirrét (shur-ray) is a technique invented by rug maker
Louise McCrady that combines shirring and crochet. Fabric strips are threaded onto a
special Shirrét needle by running the needle in and out lengthwise through the center of
the strip to form shirred folds. By making a crochet stitch and pulling a fold off the
needle and onto the stitch, a strong net that is hidden inside the fabric is formed.
Twining:
A twined rag rug is one in which two fabric-strip wefts twist around each other to enclose
the warp. Warps are hidden except at the top and bottom of a rug. Rag twining is similar
to weaving and shares much of the same terminology, but unlike most forms of weaving,
twining requires at least two wefts that travel in the same direction at the same time and
cross each other to form a row. This construction makes a dense, durable carpet.
Hand Appliquéing:
Hand appliquéing involves sewing pieces of material to a separate surface to create a
design. Felt colors, which are brilliant and flat, lend themselves beautifully to appliqué.
Hand-sewn felt appliqué rugs allow the rug maker to show off needlework skills. The
stitches themselves add textural interest to the edges of the appliqué pieces as they pucker
slightly or draw in as the thread is pulled tight.
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Exhibition Checklist
Checklist summary: 24 items
Dimensions given in inches, height preceding width preceding depth
1. Joyce Barker-Schwartz
7. Grace Eckert
Sunflower
Gardener's Dance: Kimono Series No.
23, rug no. 779
2001
Canvas, acrylic paint, cotton cording,
polycrylic
69 1/2 x 47 1/2
Courtesy the artist
2001
Wool yarn, polyester backing, cotton,
natural rubber latex
60 x 30 1/2
Courtesy the artist
2. Patricia Burling
Salmon Run
8. Grandmother Graves
Hit and Miss
2001
Wool, rayon accents
60 x 36
Courtesy the artist
1900
Cotton warp, mixed fabric weft
62 x 28
Courtesy Monna McGill
3. Carolyn and Vincent Carleton
Suede Grid
9. John Gunther
Blue Lagoon
2002
Suede leather on abaca warp
69 1/2 x 43 1/2
Courtesy the artist
2002
100% hand-dyed wool
80 x 36
Courtesy the artist
4. Verna Cox
Diamond-shaped braided rug
10. Sara Hotchkiss
Betsy's Legend
2000
Wool
39 1/2 x 29 1/2
Courtesy the artist
2002
Cotton
53 1/2 x 52
Courtesy the artist
5. Joanne Cromley
Every Which Way
11. Bobbie Irwin
Twined and Intertwined
2001
Linen warp, Swedish wool weft
65 3/4 x 33 1/4
Courtesy the artist
1998
Knit-pile fabrics, including velour
38 x 25
Courtesy the artist
6. Gloria E. Crouse
Chivoree
12. Linda Klipple-Surace
Buggy Wheel Rug
1992
Yarn, yardage remnants
56 3/4 x 48 3/4
Courtesy the artist
2000
Cotton
45 x 45
Courtesy the artist
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13. Gail Lickteig
19. Claudia Olson Hicks
Crocheted Rug
Untitled
2002
Cotton/cotton blend
43 x 34 1/2
Courtesy the artist
1997
Commercially dyed and hand-painted 8/4
cotton warp, cotton rag weft
63 x 25
Courtesy the artist
14. Meg Little
Violet Ocean Donuts
20. Michael F. Rohde
Shimmer
2001
Wool
58 1/2 x 35 1/2
Courtesy the artist
1997
Hand-dyed wool yarn on linen warp
51 1/2 x 26 1/2
Courtesy the artist
15. Kelly Marshall
Victorian
21. Debra K. Sharpee
Sherbet Dream
2000
95% cotton, 5% linen
54 x 39 1/2
Courtesy the artist
2000
Cotton
45 1/2 x 15 1/8
Courtesy the artist
16. Lady McCrady
Phenomenon 278
22. Alan Vaughn
C COV Floorcloth
1984–2002
Cotton skirts
28 x 27
Courtesy the artist
2002
Varnished acrylic paint on canvas with
nonskid latex backing
60 x 36
Courtesy the artist
17. Claudia Mills
Untitled
2002
8/4 cotton carpet warp, 100% cotton
fabric strip weft
71 1/2 x 24 1/4
Courtesy the artist
23. Barbra Viall
Among the Flowers (snake in the
grass)
1999
Hand-appliqued felted wool with mixed
media
24 1/8 x 15 1/8
Courtesy the artist
18. Rosalie Neilson
Checkers Anyone?
2001
100% cotton
78 1/2 x 36 1/2
Courtesy the artist
24. Unknown
Crocheted Rug
1930
Plastic bread wrappers
32 x 32
Courtesy Robert Cugno
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Tour Schedule
August 1–29, 2002
Hutchinson County Museum
618 N. Main
Borger, TX 79007
Phone: 806.273.0130
Fax: 806.273.0128
September 12–October 10, 2002
West Bay Common School Museum
210 N. Kansas
League City, TX 77573
Phone: 281.554.2994
October 24–Novermber 21, 2002
Matagorda County Museum
2100 Avenue F
Bay City, TX 77414
Phone: 979.245.7502
Fax: 979.245.1233
December 9, 2002–January 6, 2003
Depot Museum
514 N. High Street
Henderson, TX 75652
Phone: 903.657.4303
Fax: 903.657.2679
January 20–February, 2003
Wolf Creek Heritage Museum
PO Box 5
Lipscomb, TX 79034
Phone: 806.653.2131
Fax: 806.862.2603
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Artist Biographies
Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs features the work of twenty-four rug makers from
across the country, presenting a variety of rug-making techniques. The following brief
biographies reveal that, while these artists share a kinship in their craft, they have unique
approaches to rug weaving that are apparent in their work.
Joyce Barker-Schwartz
Joyce Barker-Schwartz of Philadelphia is an artist who has great passion for both the art
of traditional painting and the excitement of functional decorative fiber. By combining
the two areas, she has achieved an innovative and unique alternative in a floor treatment.
Each of her woven canvas rugs is a work of art that is carefully constructed with handpainted canvas strips. The canvases are then sealed with an acrylic medium, which makes
for both a durable and a unique look. She looks to nature, architecture, and her travels to
influence and inspire her sense of color and design.
Patricia Burling
Patricia Burling is a resident of Monroe, Connecticut. She has been a hand weaver for
twenty-two years, creating one-of-a-kind pieces for corporate and residential
environments. Self-taught, she is one of the few weavers in the United States currently
using the ripsmatta or warp-faced technique of rug weaving. She weaves these wool
warp-faced rugs of bold graphic design with rayon accents. Hand manipulation of the
warp at each weft shot creates a painterly effect––a kind of pointillism with yarn.
Nature’s palette is her main source of inspiration.
Carolyn and Vincent Carleton
Carolyn and Vincent Carleton have been hand weaving custom rugs and carpets for the
interior design trade since 1980. Carolyn develops the dye recipes and is the colorist,
while Vincent is the graphic designer and technical wizard. They use all-natural materials
to create their rugs, which are completely reversible and strikingly different on each side.
The Carletons live and work in rural Northern California, where their studio and home
are set in a redwood forest. They claim to construct rugs to last at least a hundred years
by using materials and weave structures that will stand the test of time.
Verna Cox
Verna Cox, a Maine native, has been doing traditional rug hooking for forty-five years.
As a young woman, she was exposed to many crafts utilizing sewing and art skills, but
rug braiding eventually captured the majority of her time and attention. She has been
featured in articles in many magazines as well as on commercial television and PBS. Cox
has also developed several books and videos on rug braiding and hooking.
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Joanne Cromley
Joanne Cromley of Afton, Michigan, has been weaving for ten years. Each tapestry she
creates is designed to express simple, sharp, clean geometric images that utilize precision
weaving techniques. Because she likes to control every aspect of creating her tapestries,
she has taught herself to dye the yarn using both natural and synthetic dyes. Her rugmaking process now combines locating natural fibers, designing the rug, dyeing the
materials, and finally weaving the rug, giving Cromley control of the art form from
conception to the finished tapestry.
Gloria E. Crouse
After graduating from the University of Washington in Seattle with a degree in textiles,
clothing, and art, Gloria Crouse began working in the fashion industry as a custom
designer. Unsatisfied with her job, Crouse searched for an inexpensive creative outlet.
Impressed with the versatility of rug making, she began hooking rugs. In 1959, she
completed her first hooked rug made from recycled materials.
Today, Crouse hooks rugs full time and is the author of several books on the subject. She
claims, “I’m mad about texture, and art––rugs are my outlet for this love of fiber and a
mix of materials. By playing the highs against the lows, the smooth against the rough, or
the shiny against the dull, the texture of each enhances the other. The demands of a wellconstructed rug for the floor discipline the use of materials. In recent work, I’ve enjoyed
breaking away from the typical rectangle and circular forms. Irregular and asymmetric
shapes have been delightful to design, plus they allow for many diversified
configurations and furniture arrangements.” By creating beautiful hooked rugs, Crouse
hopes to bring this little-explored craft the prestige it deserves.
Grace Eckert
Petersburg, Illinois, resident Grace Eckert moved from an interest in painting to a
concentration on weaving. Since 1980 she has worked full time as a self-employed studio
artist creating textile pieces of her own design. Eckert’s rug in Rags to Riches is part of
her Kimono rug series, inspired by Japanese wood-block prints. She enjoys making
strong, simple designs and subtly blending many colors of yarn. She also loves the idea
that her rugs are made to be used, walked on, and seen from many angles.
John Gunther
As a textile designer and weaver, John Gunther has collaborated on hand-dyed woven
fiber pieces since 1975. His current focus is the creation of pieces using ripsmatta
(traditionally a symmetrical warp-faced weave originating in Sweden) in an altered,
asymmetrical fashion that achieves a striking, contemporary appearance.
Using natural white wool yarn, custom spun in New Zealand, Gunther achieves brilliant
colors and subtle harmonies. His weaving represents natural phenomena and his interest
14
in landscapes, geographical locations, and space. “I love working with color and enjoy
the creative freedom [that rug making] allows me within the confines of a complex
textile,” states Gunther. His private studio is located on the outskirts of Abingdon,
Virginia.
Sara Hotchkiss
Sara Hotchkiss set up her first studio in 1974, weaving clothing and household items and
marketing them through craft shows and galleries. Since 1981 she has produced a line of
area carpets, wall hangings, and other home furnishings, specializing in custom designs
and custom-matched colors. Her durable, colorful cotton carpets are handwoven in a
tapestry technique inspired by the designs of antique quilts, Navajo rugs, folk art, and the
tradition of rag rugs. Her color sense is inspired by gardens and the details of the natural
world. Since 2000, Hotchkiss has acquired several large Swedish carpet looms that
enable her to weave seamless carpets as large as twelve feet in length. She hopes to blend
the traditions of tapestry and rag rug making into carpets of the utmost visual and
structural integrity.
Bobbie Irwin
Bobbie Irwin of Montrose, Colorado, has been weaving since 1973. She started out as a
designer and distributor of needlepoint kits but eventually developed such expertise in
rug making that she began teaching courses in weaving for community and adult
education. Today she is self-employed, focusing her business on researching, writing, and
editing for textile-related magazines and newsletters, such as Handwoven Magazine,
Piecework Magazine, Spin Off, Handwoven Treasury, and Interweave.
Irwin concentrates on twining, a technique similar to weaving wherein two wefts are
twisted to enclose the warp. She believes that the best way to perpetuate this craft is to
adapt it for modern materials and designs. She has devoted more than twenty years of
study, writing, and teaching to preserve this worthwhile technique.
Linda Klipple-Surace
Linda Klipple-Surace and her husband Richard both left medical careers to pursue the art
of weaving. They began weaving their own creations on century-old looms in Eastlake,
Ohio, before moving to the studio barn behind Linda’s childhood home in upstate New
York. By the time of Richard’s unexpected death in 1996, they had established It’s a
Linda Handwovens, a textile business featuring their own creations, marked with a red
“L” on every piece.
Inspired and encouraged by her mother and two grandmothers, who were weavers,
Klipple-Surace has been a weaver since childhood. In her work, Klipple-Surace expresses
her creativity and continues the tradition of skilled hand weaving. Using age-old
techniques of rag rug weaving, she ventures to nontraditional avenues to create rugs, tote
bags, purses, and tableware. Her research into historical rug-weaving traditions led her to
15
create her buggy wheel rugs (circular woven rugs). Heritage rugs and hangings woven
from heirloom fabrics are her special contribution to visually displaying the continuity
and bond of families and community.
Gail Lickteig
When she was in her early teens, Gail Lickteig was taught to crochet by her grandmother.
She loved the craft of crochet, and after receiving a rag rug in 1981, she decided to try her
hand at crocheting rugs. Although she had no instructions and no pattern, she embarked
on gathering old clothes and fabric remnants and creating from them a handcrafted rug.
Since that time, she has made about sixty rugs, giving most of them away as gifts.
Today, Lickteig lives on a farm in Greeley, Kansas, where she is a housewife and bus
driver. She teaches classes on crocheting rag rugs and continues to make rugs for herself
and others.
Meg Little
Meg Little taught herself to weave in high school and went on to get a BFA and MAE in
textiles. She became a rug maker about ten years ago while living in England. Making
hand-tufted rugs has given her the perfect opportunity to explore the interaction between
color and pattern. She considers her designs and colors to be “painterly,” using multiple
patterns and lyrical color mixes to define space and evoke movement. Her rugs are
influenced by her background in fine art as well as by traditional decorative textiles and
Egyptian and Roman wall paintings. Little is the founder of On the Spot studio in
Newport, Rhode Island, where she produces hand-tufted rugs.
Kelly Marshall
St. Paul, Minnesota’s Kelly Marshall took her first weaving class in 1979 and started
weaving professionally in 1992. Today she coordinates color into richly toned cotton and
linen custom-made rugs, wall hangings, and pillows. Marshall studied weaving in
Sweden and often draws on this Scandinavian influence when designing, but she looks to
interject her own twist of color and pattern. Her designs reflect other influences, such as
the Prairie Style, the American Southwest, and contemporary designs, to coordinate with
any interior style. Her rugs are reversible, washable, durable, functional pieces of art that
are made to be used and admired every day.
Lady McCrady
From a folk art rug-making technique she learned from her mother as a girl, Louise
“Lady” McCrady of Madison, Connecticut, has been creating a needlework movement
for thirty years. She coined a word to describe it––shirrét (shur-ray). This word combines
shirring and crochet for a new word to describe this innovative technique.
16
McCrady has crocheted and shirréted since she was a teenager. Her method of working is
first conceptual and then process oriented. She works spontaneously and is impatient with
following patterns. She carries the evolving ideas around in her head for weeks before
turning them into a unique and luxurious rug.
Claudia Mills
Claudia Mills studied weaving and sculpture at Ohio University and received a BA in
fine arts. Today, she designs and weaves contemporary rag rugs and bags in a small
studio in Boston, Massachusetts. Her work evolved from many years of combining
different textures, fabrics, and leather with the interactions of color.
Mills has been weaving rugs for more than fifteen years. She works with architects,
interior designers, and private clients to design site-specific rugs. Her work has been
featured in national publications such as Architectural Digest and Metropolitan Home,
and she stays very busy teaching, lecturing, and showing her rugs.
Rosalie Neilson
Milwaukie, Oregon, resident Rosalie Neilson was attracted to weaving because of the
colors she found in weft-faced and warp-faced block weaves. Being part Scandinavian,
she gravitated to the Swedish techniques of weaving and began to explore geometric
designs created by the interchange of two layers of color. Using a sixteen-shaft loom with
computer-assisted treadling, Neilson produces a series of different designs within one
threading system. After weaving for twenty years, she continues to be amazed at the
limitless possibilities for creating abstract color designs.
Claudia Olson-Hicks
As a child, Claudia Olson-Hicks loved fabric and yarn and working with her hands. She
learned to knit, crochet, embroider, and tat. Before she was in her teens, she was sewing
her own clothing and yearning to learn to weave. That opportunity did not present itself
until her youngest child began school in 1989, when her husband bought her a table loom
and arranged for her to take classes. She liked weaving so well that she soon acquired a
larger Swedish loom on which to weave rugs.
Olson-Hicks prefers the traditional Swedish weaving technique of ripsmatta, a warpfaced weave that uses thick and thin wefts to produce a ribbed effect. She uses cotton
warp and rags for weft. Color is a major design element in her rugs. For her, weaving is a
way to express her love for home and family, a way to create something that is at once
beautiful and functional, and a way in which to satisfy her desire to express her Swedish
heritage. The mother of two college-aged children, Olson-Hicks lives in the suburbs of
Seattle, Washington, with her husband, John.
17
Michael F. Rohde
Michael F. Rohde has been a fervent weaver since 1973. Initially, he was self-taught with
a lap loom and a book on hand weaving, but later he received formal training in drawing,
color, and design. Rohde chooses to hand-dye his materials because this process provides
a range of color not possible with commercially available dyes. The rugs are woven of
the highest quality rug wool in a tight twill weave on a linen warp. This imparts the
required strength and durability needed for a textile to be used on the floor.
Rohde resides in Westlake Village, California.
Debra K. Sharpee
DeForest, Wisconsin, artist Debra K. Sharpee has been weaving since 1980. As a child,
she found it magical to watch her grandmother weave rag rugs, transforming strips of
well-worn clothing into new textiles. She found the experience “tactile, visual, and
emotional.” Today, her signature rugs are designed with the aid of a computer but woven
using traditional methods.
Alan Vaughn
Alan Vaughn of Atlanta, Georgia, views himself as both an artist and a rug maker. He
finds this interplay of roles interesting and central to his work. As a rug maker, he focuses
on making a good rug. It must be durable, easy to maintain, and able to protect and define
a certain space. As an artist, he seeks to take the piece beyond “rugness.” He is interested
in making a painting for the floor, creating details to allow the viewer to see something
new with each viewing. Combining the practical and the artistic is the most intriguing
aspect of rug making for Vaughn. He has owned Alan Vaughn Studios in Atlanta since
1987.
Barbra Viall
As the sole proprietor of Heartisan Studio in Ellicott City, Maryland, Barbra Viall
produces a line of patterns for the wholesale craft market as well as hand-stitched wool
appliqué “penny rugs” and related rug-making products. Besides creating handcrafted
rugs, Viall is interested in folk art, antiques, architecture, cooking, and gardening.
18
The History of American Rugs
The following notes are provided to assist docents in interpreting the exhibition for
visitors. Further explanation of the following techniques may be provided by local rug
makers who can also assist with demonstrations of rug making.
It is difficult to study the origins and development of rug making. Because rugs are
utilitarian objects, originally intended to be used until they were completely threadbare
and then simply discarded, hardly any early examples have survived. In addition, rug
making was regarded as a working-class craft early in its history, and therefore was
considered scarcely worthy of attention.
Prior to 1800, the floors of most American homes were kept bare. Most Americans had to
make cloth at home from raw materials, a complex and arduous task. The resulting cloth
was far too valuable to be trampled underfoot. Not until about 1830, when the textile
industry blossomed in this country, were significant amounts of finished yard goods
produced. The tradition of weaving with fragmented strips of cloth began among the
poorer classes at a time in history when cloth was treasured, and mending and patching
were meticulously done to extend the life of every textile. It is difficult to imagine now,
but cloth was once so scarce and highly valued that it was often unwoven for the thread
itself. Thus weaving with rags as a weft evolved out of frugality, ingenuity, and genuine
necessity.
Rags were originally woven not for the floor, but for the bed. The heavy and thick rag
sheets didn’t slip around or allow straw or hay bedding materials to poke through. These
handmade works, created for warmth and decoration, were known as “bed-ruggs,” and
gave rise to the expression “snug as a bug in a rug.”
The evolution of rag weaving is linked to that of the house. Rugs were impractical in
homes where a single room served many functions. Before the 1700s, early American
homes had wooden floors covered with straw, corn husks, and rush woven mats. In 1750,
the first carpets appeared, but only the very wealthy could afford these imports. By 1816,
painted floor cloths were very popular. As the standard of living increased and houses
grew larger, rag rugs moved from the bed to the table to the floor. The earliest woven
floor coverings in America were made with straw wefts, which were later combined with
rag strips. These first rag rugs were highly prized and reserved for use on holidays or
other special occasions. As the standard of living improved in the first half of the
nineteenth century, houses gained more rooms, such as parlors and drawing rooms, where
prized rag rugs could be kept out of the way of everyday traffic. By the mid-nineteenth
century, rag rugs became commonplace in many rooms of the house.
The development of the power loom in 1839 made commercially produced carpets
available. Manufactured rugs were too expensive to be purchased by the general public,
but they did have the effect of heightening the interest in attractive floor coverings.
19
Thrifty but clever housewives were inspired to create a new craft for their homes: the
handmade rug.
The whole family helped in rug making. Men usually made the tools for making rugs––
hooks and frames––while children were pressed into cutting up the old clothes that were
saved throughout the year. The rug makers were usually women, although Scottish and
English sailors made mats by pushing short lengths of yarn or rope through a canvas
backing. These mats were used in the rigging of ships to prevent ropes from chafing.
When the rug was finished, it would be placed in front of the fire in the best room while
older rugs would be rotated around the house; the previous year’s best rug would be
moved to the kitchen, while the kitchen rug would be moved to the back door, and so on.
A well-made rug is often reversible; if not reversible, rugs were often placed wrong side
up and turned over only on special occasions.
Hooked and braided rugs seem to have been brought to America from England around
the beginning of the nineteenth century. Before the widespread availability of burlap
(after 1850), feed sacks were frequently used as the foundation material for hooked rugs.
The recycled fabric was cut into narrow strips to be worked into the foundation using
hooks fashioned from nails, bone-handled forks, or whatever else was readily available.
Rag rugs were relatively quick to work and were made in the evenings or in seasons
when weather made farming or fishing impossible. Rug hooking grew in popularity until
commercial carpets replaced them in the 1920s.
Designs on early hooked rugs were drawn freehand with a piece of chalk, a piece of burnt
coal, or a stick taken from the stove. The motifs and scenes chosen were often taken from
everyday life. The earliest makers depended on vegetable dyes for the colors of their
materials. Hemlock bark, peach leaves, goldenrod, yellow hickory, walnut or spruce bark,
onion skins, sumac, blueberry—dozens of plants were used to create a range of colors.
In 1850, pre-stenciled patterns became available for the first time. Edward Sands Frost, a
tin peddler from Maine, began using metal stencils to stamp patterns on burlap and sold
his pieces door to door. He turned the idea into a thriving business until ill health forced
him to sell in 1876.
Braided rugs did not develop until the early nineteenth century. Their evolution was
influenced by the popularity of braided straw bonnets and floor mats, an interest among
homemakers in floor covering, and the introduction of local factories producing woolen
fabric. Woolen fabric was favored for floor coverings because it was more durable than
cotton or straw and more beautiful as well.
Rug making continued to evolve throughout the nineteenth century. As Americans
traveled across the prairies in covered wagons during westward expansion, they
transported a few treasured possessions, including their rugs. In fact, these rugs became
the pioneers’ primary floor coverings.
20
Rag rugs remained popular in America until the turn of the century, when linoleum was
introduced. At first linoleum was expensive, and a small piece was treated like a prized
area rug. As the cost of linoleum decreased, its popularity and usage increased. The
1960s brought the onslaught of wall-to-wall carpeting, and rag rugs were relegated to the
back door. More recently, however, the infatuation with linoleum and wall-to-wall
carpeting has worn off. Many people are removing these now-dated floor coverings and
rediscovering the beauty and charm of hardwood floors. With the reemergence of the
wood floor has come an increased interest in smaller floor coverings, including rugs.
Like other textile crafts, rag rugs have declined in popularity as commercial products
have replaced them. However, new interest in the craft of rug making is growing among
those using traditional crafts to express their creativity.
21
Exhibition Essay
The creation of contemporary rag rugs extends a practice which emanates from
the American colonial era. Like most American art forms, textile traditions are inspired
by many sources. The current interest in art produced outside the mainstream has
resulted in an increased awareness of the aesthetic contributions of those American
textile artists who have operated in the domestic sphere and those who have worked in
the cottage industry, as well.
Most exhibitions of contemporary textile art attempt to isolate the works
themselves from their association with craft and place them, instead, in the context of
“academic” or “fine” art. Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs, however, not only
acknowledges but also highlights the manual skill and inventiveness that has historically
been required of rag rug makers. The attributes of utility and personal craftsmanship are
presented here as strengths that enhance the aesthetic impact of the work.
The use of recycled and often unorthodox materials in rug production is not new.
Women have historically used stockings, rags, and other cast-offs to produce rugs. The
crocheted bread wrapper rug included in this exhibition delightfully represents this use
of unusual materials. The emphasis in this exhibition on recycled fabrics and their
transformation into cohesive images connects the past with the present. While scarcity
required the inclusion of used materials in American rugs during the pioneer era and
throughout the Depression, today’s industrial excess provides an unending source of
supplies for the modern rug maker.
Contemporary rug makers, like all artists, rely on their past to move forward. The
choice to work within the traditions of rug making is a choice to embrace the meaning of
those traditions. Knowledge of technique and history allows these works to serve as
maps on which the events of creative production can be retraced by the viewer. As the
title of this exhibition suggests, a wealth of visual and technical invention is reflected in
the diverse approaches represented. A significant outcome of the exhibition is the
indication that the traditions of rag rug making are alive, relevant, and meaningful in the
context of contemporary art.
—Judith McNally-Warner
Artist and Educator
22
Introductory Readings
As background for Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs, the following articles are
provided. They relate to the history of rag rug weaving, contemporary rug weavers, and
techniques of creating handcrafted rugs. The following seven articles are included:
Centner, David J. “Weaving as Art.” Interweave (fall 1977): 11–14.
In this article, Centner considers the utilitarian origins of rug weaving and comments on
how the craft has evolved into an art form.
Crouse, Gloria E. “Introduction.” Hooking Rugs: New Materials, New Techniques.
Newtown, CT: The Taunton Press, 1990: vii–xiii.
Gloria Crouse explains how she became interested in rug hooking and gives a brief
history of hooked rugs.
Irwin, Bobbie. “Looms for Kids.” Handwoven (March/April 1994): 44–46.
Weaver Bobbie Irwin provides some criteria for selecting a loom for children. The article
includes a list of suggested looms and descriptions of several products.
–––––––––. “Twisting Up a Rug.” Piecework (September/October 1993): 64–68.
Bobbie Irwin explains the unique weaving form of twined rag rugs and gives a brief
history of the technique.
Johnston, Coleen L. “Rag Rug Revisited.” Handwoven (September/October 1991): 50.
Johnston writes about her experience with rag weaving. A follow-up to an initial article
published in 1987, Johnston reexamines the processes she goes through in weaving a rug
and tells how the rugs have held up over time.
Nylén, Anna-Maja. “Rag Weaving: A History of Necessity.” Handwoven (May/June
1987): 38.
Nylén gives a brief history of rag weaving, including how rag weavings moved from bed
coverings to rugs for the floor.
“Recycling-Ragtime!” Interweave (summer 1978): 22–23.
In praise of the rag rug, this article looks at the works of several rag rug weavers and tells
how the rag beginnings of the rug are a part of their uniqueness and beauty.
23
Trebon, Theresa. “Handweaving in the Industrial Age: 1865–1920.” Handwoven
(May/June 1993): 49–51.
This article explores the proliferation of hand weaving, especially in rural America, in the
years following the Civil War to the 1920s. This period saw great improvements in loom
design and new markets for weavers.
24
Glossary
The following terms were adapted from these primary sources:
Chandler, Deborah. Learning to Weave. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, 1984.
Crouse, Gloria E. Hooking Rugs: New Materials, New Techniques. Newtown, CT:
Taunton Press, 1990.
Meany, Janet K., and Paula Pfaff. Rag Rug Handbook. St. Paul, MN: Dos Tejedoras
Fiber Arts Publications, 1988.
Backing Material on which hooking is worked.
Blocking Process of moistening and shaping handwoven textiles so they conform to the
desired shape.
Block weave Any of several weave structures that produce patterns based on squares or
rectangles.
Carpet warp Heavy cotton yarn, used for weaving rag rugs.
Chain Name given to the rope of warp as it comes from the warping device measured
and counted. In older manuals, “chain” is synonymous with “warp.”
Chaining Loops made in the warp as it is removed from the warping device to keep the
threads from tangling.
Draft Drawing of a weave pattern on graph paper showing its threading and treadling
order.
Drawing-in Pulling in or narrowing of the rug as it is woven to prevent too much weft
tension.
Dressing the loom Process of putting measured warp ends on the loom in an orderly
fashion.
Ear Short end of the weft that protrudes from the surface of a woven rug.
End Individual warp thread.
Fell line Last row of weaving on the loom.
Fiber Raw material that is made into yarn.
25
Fiber content Important information so that one will know how a yarn or fabric will
behave and how to care for it. Most weavers use natural fibers such as wool, cotton,
linen, silk, etc., each of which has its own unique characteristics.
Heading Few rows of weaving at the beginning or end of a rug.
Hit and miss Woven pattern resulting from randomly sewing strips together.
Hooking Weaving technique in which the weaver uses a hooking needle to pull or push
yarn or fabric through holes in a backing material.
Inlay Pattern achieved by inserting short, contrasting, colored fabric strips in the same
shed on top of the last woven rag shot.
Loom Frame for holding the warp ends under tension and manipulating them for
weaving.
Plain weave Weave in which the shuttle passes over and under the warp ends one by
one, as in darning.
Ripsmatta Warp-faced weave that uses thick and thin wefts to produce a ribbed effect.
Selvage Edges of fabric formed by turning of wefts.
Shot Single passage of filling thread through the shed; a single throw of the shuttle.
Shuttle Device that holds and carries the filling through the warp.
Summer and winter Double-sided block weave with interior plain-weave tie-down
warp threads. It is generally used to create geometric designs.
Tabby Plain weave in which the odd-numbered warp ends form one part of the shed and
the even-numbered, the other.
Taaniko Twining technique wherein one weft is hidden following a straight path across
the back side, while the dominant weft makes a full twist between warps to stay on the
surface. The name taaniko is taken from the Maori word for the technique they perfected.
Tapestry Weave in which sections of weft are often discontinuous, used to create
decorative designs.
Taquette Scandinavian form of hand-manipulated summer and winter weave.
Treadles Pedals used to raise or lower the harnesses on a loom.
Twill Four-harness weave in which the weft makes a diagonal pattern.
26
Twining Technique similar to weaving, wherein two wefts are twisted to enclose the
warp.
Warp Lengthwise threads stretched on the loom.
Warp-faced weave Weave in which the warp threads cover the weft.
Web Fabric created by interlacing warp and weft.
Weft Rags or yarns that are interwoven with the warp; also called filling or woof.
Weft-faced weave Weave in which the weft yarns cover the warp completely.
27
Texas Rug Resources
Rocky Mountain Rug Crafts
PO Box 649
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
210.792.3576
800.331.5213
Paula’s Primitive’s and Wool Barn
PO Box 249
Dayton, TX 77535
936.257.9338
[email protected]
Heritage Looms
Route 6
Box 791-E
Alvin, TX 77511
409.925.4161
Primitive Woolens
PO Box 251282
Plano, TX 75025-1282
www.primitivewoolens.com
Handweavers Guild of America
Suzie Roddy, Eastern Texas
Representative
1519 Memorial Drive
Conroe, TX 77304
409.756.1719
Association of Traditional Hooking
Artists (ATHA)
Liza Leggett, President
Dallas, TX
214.528.7454
[email protected]
Contemporary Handweavers of Houston
PO Box 820803
Houston, TX 77282
Bybee Collection, Dallas Museum of Art
1717 N. Harwood
Dallas, TX 75201
214.922.1200
Lone Star Hooking Guild
Janan Cull Ott, President
214.321.5511
[email protected]
El Paso Happy Hookers
Sandy Van de Burgh
4829 Caseta Road
El Paso, TX 79922
915.833.3608
Betty Lew and Ewe
#8 Santa Fe Place
Odessa, TX 79765
915.563.3824
[email protected]
28
Bibliography
There are many resources available to you for further investigation of creating
handcrafted rugs. This selected bibliography lists books by technique and also provides
suggestions for appropriate magazines and videotapes dealing with rug making. Books
and videos marked with an asterisk (*) are traveling with the exhibition.
Woven Rugs
*Allen, Heather L. Weaving Contemporary Rag Rugs: New Designs, Traditional
Techniques. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 1998.
This book explores the history of rag weaving, how to weave a basic rag rug, the most
popular traditional designs, and contemporary techniques for weaving and embellishing
rugs. It is filled with scores of color photographs of rugs by more than forty artists.
Burningham, Veronica. Weaving Without a Loom. Tunbridge Wells, England: Search
Press, 1998.
Learn how to master simple weaving techniques and how to combine texture and color
using sticks, card, poster board, picture frames, and rings. Over 130 color photographs,
along with easy instructions, guide you through a range of simple, inexpensive projects.
Chandler, Deborah. Learning to Weave. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, 1984.
Chandler’s book is written for the beginning weaver. She introduces the reader to basic
terms and weaving techniques and later demonstrates more advanced projects. While this
book does not deal with rag rugs specifically, it does give the reader a knowledge of
weaving fundamentals.
Collingwood, Peter. The Techniques of Rug Weaving. London: Faber and Faber: 1987.
Written for experienced weavers, Collingwood’s book of more than five hundred pages
reads like a text book, but provides a wealth of information about rug weaving. Possibly
the most complete reference on the craft of rug weaving.
Garrett, Cay. Warping All By Yourself. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, 1974.
This book is the A to Z of how to warp a loom, complete with many diagrams and easyto-follow instructions.
*Irwin, Bobbie. Twined Rag Rugs. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2000.
Twined rag rugs, which are similar to woven rugs, are explored in this book, with
patterns, instructions, equipment, and step-by-step diagrams and photographs provided.
32
Johnson, Geraldine Niva. Weaving Rag Rugs: A Women’s Craft in Western Maryland.
Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1985.
The author investigates the rug weaving tradition of western Maryland and provides
profiles and interviews with two dozen crafters.
Ligon, Linda C., ed. A Rug Weaver’s Sourcebook. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press,
1984.
Eight craftspeople, all masterful weavers, teachers, and writers, tell in detail how they go
about doing what they do. The book is full of color photographs of handwoven rugs and
line drawings that clarify the intricate processes.
Meany, Janet K., and Paula Pfaff. Rag Rug Handbook. St. Paul, MN: Dos Tejedoras
Fiber Arts Publications, 1988.
For the beginning rag rug weaver, this book is an ideal starting point. Meany and Pfaff’s
book includes many diagrams, a glossary, and weaving projects appropriate for the
beginner.
Monaghan, Kathleen, and Hermon Joyner. You Can Weave! Projects for Young Weavers.
Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, 2000.
This book illustrates step-by-step projects that build a foundation of weaving knowledge
and skills. The projects rely on supplies that are readily available, such as paper, yarn,
ribbon, string, rags, and beads.
Patrick, Jane, ed. Just Rugs. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, 1985.
This pamphlet presents color photographs and designs for a variety of rag woven
products including clothing, placemats, and rugs.
Selander, Tod, Osma Gallinger, and Josephine Couch Del Dio. Designing and Making
Handwoven Rugs. New York: Dover, 1976.
This book deals with the field of rug weaving and includes a chapter devoted to rag rugs.
The authors write for the experienced weaver, although beginners might also be
interested in seeing some of the rag rug designs that are presented.
33
Rug Hooking
Beatty, Alice, and Mary Sargent. Basic Rug Hooking. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books,
1990.
This volume provides a complete course in rug making, with over forty patterns and
sixteen finished rugs illustrated in full color. It covers bindings, frames, hooking tools
and techniques, borders, backgrounds, dyeing, and special touches.
Boswell, Thom. The Rug Hook Book: Techniques, Projects and Patterns for This Easy,
Traditional Craft. New York: Sterling/Lark, 1992.
Dozens of hooked rugs are featured in full-color photographs in this book. This is a
complete course on making hooked rugs, from the history of hooked rugs to the
principles of design. It covers gathering materials, cutting and dyeing them, choosing a
foundation, working on a frame, binding, and cleaning and caring for rugs.
*Crouse, Gloria E. Hooking Rugs: New Materials, New Techniques. Newtown, CT:
Taunton Press, 1990.
Considered a leader in the art of rug hooking, Crouse has written this book as a guide for
beginners. It includes step-by-step instructions on getting started and lots of color
photographs of works by Crouse and other rug-hooking professionals.
*Davies, Ann. Rag Rugs. New York: Holt, 1992.
This book highlights the two main techniques of making hooked rugs from rags, covering
materials and equipment, basic techniques, and many projects to make.
*Kopp, Joel, and Kate Kopp. American Hooked and Sewn Rugs: Folk Art Underfoot.
Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1995.
With over 250 illustrations, this book traces the development of the hooked rug, from its
origins in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century yarn-sewn rugs to twentieth-century
examples of hooked rugs.
Mather, Anne D. The Art of Rug Hooking. New York: Sterling, 1998.
This book is a primer in how to hook a rug, with step-by-step instructions and patterns.
–––––––––. Creative Rug Hooking. New York: Sterling, 2000.
This book is full of beautiful full-color examples of hooked rugs, with tips on design,
developing your own style, lettering, color, and texture.
34
Moshimer, Joan. The Complete Book of Rug Hooking. New York: Dover, 1989.
Joan Moshimer provides a useful guide to all aspects of rug hooking. She offers details of
the American tradition of rug hooking, basic hooking directions, how to transfer designs,
how to hook specific designs, and how to dye fabrics. Over 130 photographs enhance the
reader’s appreciation of this craft.
Braided Rugs
Bubel, Nancy. Braiding Rugs. Pownal, VT: Storey Publishing, 1977.
This succinct publication details all the steps of using recycled garments to create braided
rugs.
*Cox, Verna. Rug Braiding with Cotton, Denim, Fleece, and Woolen Fabric. Verona
Island, ME: Cox Enterprises, 2000.
Beginning rug braiders get clear instructions in the craft in this booklet.
*––––––––.Rug Braiding with Verna. Verona Island, ME: Cox Enterprises, 1995.
This booklet gives detailed instructions for braiding rugs, with a discussion of supplies,
planning, materials, patterns, and definitions.
Sturges, Norma M. The Braided Rug Book. Asheville, NC: Altamont Press, 1995.
The basics of rug braiding are presented in an expert manner in this book, which is full of
color illustrations of beautiful braided rugs. You’ll also find detailed instructions,
generously illustrated, for braiding the three most popular rugs—the oval, circle, and
heart.
Hand Rug-Making Techniques
Bawden, Juliet. Rag Rug Inspirations. London: Cassell, 1996.
Rag Rug Inspirations offers a collection of work from internationally known rug makers
and fifteen practical contemporary projects for readers to make at home. Lavishly
illustrated, it is an informative sourcebook for the rug enthusiast.
Johnson, Mary Elizabeth. Rugs. Birmingham, AL: Oxmoor House, 1979.
Focusing on design, texture, and color, this book introduces rugs that are crocheted,
hooked, needle pointed, braided, painted, and glued. Colorful photographs and detailed
patterns augment the projects.
35
Laury, Jean Ray, and Joyce Aiken. Handmade Rugs from Practically Anything.
Philadelphia: Countryside Press, 1972.
Here is a gallery of ideas for the amateur rug maker or the professional craftsman, with
chapters on appliqué rugs, latched and hooked rugs, rag rugs, rya rugs, felt rugs, crochet
rugs, and much more.
*McCrady, Louise. The Art of Shirrét. 7th ed. Revised and illustrated by Lady McCrady.
Madison, CT: Shirrét America, 1997.
This book will give you everything you need to master Shirrét, a thirty-year-old
needlecraft that combines shirring and crocheting. Lady McCrady, daughter of Shirrét
originator Louise McCrady, has revised this seventh edition of her mother’s book, which
includes step-by-step instructions and a library of patterns.
Vail, Juju. Rag Rugs: Contemporary Projects in a Traditional Craft. Buffalo, NY: Firefly
Books, 1999.
This book traces the origins and artistry of rag rugs with beautiful color photographs of
early and contemporary designs. Twenty projects are demonstrated with step-by-step
instructions and illustrations.
General
Fassett, Kaffe. Glorious Needlepoint. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1987.
More than thirty-five designs for pillow, floor throws, tea cozies, picture frames,
slipcovers, wall hangings, and much more are featured here.
Lambert, Patricia, Barbara Staepelaere, and Mary G. Fry. Color and Fiber. Westchester,
PA: Schiffer, 1986.
This book covers terminology, projects, and information on color mixing and how light,
dye, and pigment work with fibers. It explains how to use and control color in the fiber
arts.
McRae, Bobbi. The Fabric and Fiber Sourcebook. Newtown, CT: Taunton Press, 1989.
This book is a reference directory to the fiber and textile marketplace, listing about 650
supplies and services for sewing, knitting and crochet, quilting, weaving, surface design,
basketry, and papermaking.
Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher. The Age of Homespun: Objects and Stories in the Creation of an
American Myth. New York: Knopf, 2001.
36
Using objects that Americans have saved through centuries and stories they have passed
along, Ulrich chronicles the production of cloth in early America. Ulrich demonstrates
how ordinary objects reveal larger economic and social structures and how early
Americans and their descendants made, used, sold, and saved textiles in order to assert
identities, shape relationships, and create history.
Von Rosenstiel, Helene. American Rugs and Carpets: From the Seventeenth Century to
Modern Times. New York: William Morrow, 1978.
This book offers a historical survey of rugs, carpets, and other coverings that have graced
America’s floors over the past three hundred years. Beginning with dirt floors, the book
covers matting, rag rugs, linoleum, and the development of the carpet industry.
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Bibliography for Young Readers
Alexander, Martha Ann. Weaving on Cardboard: Simple Looms to Make and Use. New
York: Taplinger Publishing Company, 1972.
More than a dozen variations of the cardboard loom are explained using photographs,
diagrams, and easy-to-follow instructions.
Blood, Charles L., and Martin Link. The Goat in the Rug. New York: Four Winds Press,
1976.
This charming tale of how a weaver makes a rug is told through the eyes of the goat who
provides the wool. Geraldine leads us through the process, from hair clipping to yard
spinning and dyeing, to finally making the loom and weaving the pattern.
*Ernst, List Campbell. Nattie Parsons’ Good-Luck Lamb. New York: Viking Kestrel,
1988.
Nattie Parsons and her grandfather are in trouble. Winter is coming and they don’t have
enough money to buy hay for their flock of sheep. Nattie’s good-luck lamb saves the day
as Nattie weaves a shawl out of his wool and sells it.
Fisher, Leonard Everett. The Weavers. New York: Franklin Watts, 1966.
Focusing on colonial American weavers, this book explores the history, technique, and
terminology of weaving, with clear illustrations to help children understand this craft.
*Heller, Nicholas. The Front Hall Carpet. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1990.
A river in the front hall? A grassy field in the dining room? Acres of blinding snow in the
living room? Let your imagination run wild to see the possibilities in rugs.
Murphy, Shirley Rousseau. Wind Child. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
Unaware of her unusual parentage, Resshie grows up restless and longing to know the
secrets of the wind. She uses her extraordinary ability as a weaver to help achieve her
dream.
O’Reilly, Susie. Arts and Crafts: Weaving. New York: Thomson Learning, 1993.
This book is a great resource for weaving activities for children. Creative and fun
weaving projects are carefully explained and include many color photographs.
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Oughton, Jerrie. The Magic Weaver of Rugs: A Tale of the Navajo. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1994.
Spider Woman teaches two Navajo women how to weave rugs, a skill that feeds their
starving families. This lovely book provides a dramatic explanation of the origin of
Navajo rugs and the skills of their weavers.
Rainey, Sarita R. Weaving Without a Loom. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, 1972.
This book presents numerous hand-weaving projects for young audiences, including
weaving on a pencil, weaving into burlap, and weaving with reed.
*Say, Allen. Emma’s Rug. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.
When Emma is born, she is given a small rug. She loves the rug more than any other
possession, and it seems to be the source of her artistic inspiration, until one day her
mother washes it.
Sola, Michele. Angela Weaves a Dream. New York: Hyperion Books, 1997.
This story portrays the weaving tradition of the Maya Indians, presenting a portrait of this
art through the eyes and hands of a young Maya girl.
Wiseman, Ann. Rags, Rugs, and Wool Pictures: A First Book of Rug Hooking. New
York: Scribner, 1968.
This book inspires children to appreciate the craft of rug hooking, taking them through all
the steps with clear, simple instructions. Especially charming is the book’s emphasis on
creating your own design.
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Magazines
The following magazines are either dedicated entirely to rug weaving or include rug
weaving as a regular topic for articles.
American Craft
American Craft Council
40 W. 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019
Rug Hooking
Stackpole Magazine Publications
500 Vaughn Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
717-234-5091
Color Trends
Michele Wipplinger
8037 9th NW
Seattle, WA 98117
Shuttle, Spindle, and Dyepot
Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.
2402 University Avenue, Suite 702
St. Paul, MN 55114
612-646-0802
Crafts
Crafts Council
1 Oxendon Street
London, England SW1Y4AT
Threads
Taunton Press, Inc.
63 S. Main Street
Newton, CT 06470-5506
203-426-8171
Fiberarts
Altamont Press
50 College Street
Asheville, NC 28801-2896
704-253-0467
Weaver’s
Golden Fleece Publications
824 W. 10th Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57104-3518
605-338-2450
Handwoven
Interweave Press Incorporated
201 E. Fourth Street
Loveland, CO 80537
303-669-7672
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Videography
Showing video programs in conjunction with your exhibition is an easy and effective way
to enhance visitors’ knowledge and interest in exhibition themes. Videos may be shown
in the exhibition space alongside the exhibition, used in an orientation prior to seeing the
exhibition, or offered in special programs.
A Beginner’s Guide to Nantucket Rug Hooking. 28 min. Edeldahl Farm Productions,
1995. Videocassette.
This video is a step-by-step guide for crafting beautiful and valuable rugs using
techniques popularized in Colonial America.
Hooking and Braiding with Joan Moshimer and Verna Cox. 240 min. Cox Enterprises,
1993. Videocassette.
Joan Moshimer and Verna Cox, experts in rug making, join forces to give you all the
creative secrets and step-by-step techniques used to create beautifully crafted hooked and
braided rugs.
*Hooking Rugs. 45 min. Threads Magazine, 1990. Videocassette.
Hooking Rugs is the companion video for Gloria E. Crouse’s book, Hooking Rugs: New
Materials, New Techniques. The video format allows the viewer to observe Crouse at
work and learn rug hooking by watching a master. This video is divided into sections that
allow you to share selected portions of the program with your audience. The list of
divisions is provided in the interior flap of the video case.
*Rug Braiding with Cotton, Denim, Fleece, and Wool. 21 min. Cox Enterprises, 2000.
Videocassette.
This companion video to Verna Cox’s booklet on rug braiding gives detailed instructions
for beginning rug braiders.
Rug Weaving: Block Weaves and Shaft Stitching. 132 min. Victorian Video Productions,
1998. Videocassette.
This video provides a course in weaving a successful, durable weft-faced rug.
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Web Sites
Bug in a Rug
www.ragrug.net/BugRug1.html
A good source for the history of hooked rugs and the tools and techniques of the craft are
found here. The site also features information on supplies, patterns, links, and a gallery of
hooked rugs.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization’s Exhibition Hooked on Rugs
www.civilization.ca/expo/ex01e.asp?ExID=71
This museum has an extensive collection of hooked folk art rugs, with great information
on traditional designs, history, and technique.
Handweaver’s Guild of America
www.weavespindye.org
This organization of weavers, spinners, dyers, basket makers, bead weavers, felters, and
other fiber artists highlights these and related crafts.
Hooked! The Traditional Rug Hooking Homepage
www.rughookingonline.com/hooked/hooked.html
This informational site on rug hooking features a gallery and links.
Lone Star Hooking Guild
www.rughookersnetwork.com/lonestar.htm
This Texas guild displays a patriotic mug rug (with kit, available for purchase) in honor
of the victims of September 11.
Origins of Traditional Rug Making
www.wcushing.com/rug_hooking_origins.htm
This site features an excellent article by rug expert Joan Moshimer on the history of
hooked rugs.
The Rug Hooker’s Network
www.rughookersnetwork.com
This site devoted to rug hooking has a good deal information about workshops, books,
catalogs, guilds, suppliers, teachers, and resources, as well as information for new rug
hookers and a Q & A section.
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Rug Hooking Magazine
www.rughookingonline.com/about.html
This publication has wonderful articles and resources for rug hookers.
Rug Hooking Online
www.rughookingonline.com
This informative site has good information on the techniques and history of rug hooking,
as well as articles, patterns, advice from experts, links, and a gallery of hooked rugs.
Rugmaker’s Homestead
www.netw.com/~rafter4/
This site provides information on traditional rag rugs, with a mission to preserve
traditional rug-making techniques. Articles on the history of rag rugs, advice, a catalog,
links, a rag rug tour, and a discussion of various techniques of rug making are highlights.
Rug Weaver’s Workshop
www.rugweavers.com
A nice selection of woven rugs can be viewed at this site. Information about weaving
suppliers is also available here.
The Textile Museum
www.textilemuseum.org
This museum is dedicated to furthering the understanding of creative achievements in
textile arts. It features an extensive textile collection, library, exhibitions, publications,
and pamphlets on the care and display of textiles.
Textiles
http://encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?z=1&p=2&ti=761561821
General information about textiles can be found at this site. It is a good resource for
learning more about textile fibers, textile production, types of textiles, and government
regulations.
The Weaver’s Friend
www.weaversfriend.com
This site is in progress, but already features interesting articles about weaving rugs and
information on looms. A rag rug handbook is in the works.
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Rug Makers Featured in Rags to Riches
Patricia Burling
www.fiberartists.org
Verna Cox
www.rugmakingwithverna.com
Gloria E. Crouse
www.rughookersnetwork.com/crouse/index.htm
John Gunther
www.guntherweavings.com
Linda Klipple-Surace
www.itsalinda.com
Kelly Marshall
www.kellymarshall.com
Lady McCrady
www.shirret.com
Rosalie Neilson
www.rosalieneilson.com
Michael Rohde
www.michaelrohde.com
Barbra Viall
www.heartisan.com
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Community Event Planning, Funding,
and Program Suggestions
Where to Begin and Suggestions for How to Involve the Community
You should develop ideas for local events and programs by researching the exhibition’s
subject. Begin by utilizing this programming guide, and consider how to tailor your
programs to your traditional audience and any potential audiences you want to attract
with this exhibition.
Identify and contact local groups with whom you’d like to collaborate and secure some
commitments. You will find a range of groups in your community who will have an
interest in this exhibition, such as those listed below, and they may have ideas about other
programming activities.
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•
•
•
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•
•
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quilting groups and other textile enthusiasts
women’s groups
American Association of University Women (AAUW) organizations
church groups
senior centers
elementary, high school, and college arts and humanities teachers
bookstores
libraries
other museums (identify related collections or exhibitions at nearby art, history, or
cultural organizations and publicize jointly)
needlework stores
Involve these groups in your program development planning and invite them to the
exhibition opening or hold a reception just for them. This not only ensures that your event
takes in multiple perspectives and draws a diverse audience, but these organizations can
offer valuable ideas, fundraising opportunities, VIP guest list ideas, and artist and speaker
ideas.
Contact other museums on the exhibition tour schedule found in this guide to ask about
programming ideas that worked for them, or go to ExhibitsUSA’s Web site at
www.eusa.org for current tour itinerary information.
Localize the Exhibition
This traveling exhibition gives your institution an opportunity to offer something fresh to
your community. The exhibition should also enliven your ability to feature overlooked
items in your collection, to acquire new objects for your museum, and most importantly,
to gather and display local stories. We call this “localizing the exhibition,” and it is one
key to your overall success.
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For instance, your institution would benefit immeasurably by mounting a complementary
exhibition of your community’s handmade rugs. The juxtaposition will be eye-catching
and informative and will ensure broad community involvement.
Create a complementary exhibition of your own to augment Rags to Riches. Some
suggested items you may want to include in your exhibition are:
•
•
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handcrafted rugs
rug-making tools
fabric or fabric strips with which to create rugs
historic photographs or illustrations
loom
Invite visitors to research their own family rugs by using the “Rug Interview Form”
found on page 49 of this guide. Compile the stories gleaned from this activity into a book
and display it in your gallery, or reproduce it for sale in your gift shop.
Fundraising
Budgeting for programs and raising funds are both time-consuming activities. Typically,
there are three levels of sponsorship open to museum development staff and volunteers.
First, you can offer the sponsorship of events to local businesses. This is often the easiest
way to locate funding, especially if there is a specific event that might tie in well with the
work of the business. For example, a local fabric or sewing business could supply
materials for an arts education program. Second, there are a variety of nonprofit funding
sources, such as local community foundations, which are an increasingly rich source of
funding for museums. Third, there are national corporations present in the community
(i.e., Target, Southwestern Bell) that should be approached for sponsorships.
For more ambitious institutional fundraising (beyond the scope of this exhibition), you
will need to devote much time and planning. Listed below are some additional Web sites
that may help you to identify other institutional funding and offer advice on how to solicit
these funds.
Cultural Funding: Federal Opportunities–part of the NEA site
www.arts.gov/federal.html
Foundation Center
www.fdncenter.org/
Mickey's Place in the Sun–Foundations, Corporations & Trusts
http://mickeys-place-in-the-sun.com
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National Endowment for the Arts funding
www.arts.gov/guide/
PhilanthrophySearch.com
http://philanthropysearch.com/
Marketing
Making your community aware of your events requires careful strategic planning, as well
as well-established relationships with your media outlets. Publicize programs with local
organization newsletters, the local media (TV, radio, and newspapers) and local Web
pages. Use your partner organization mailing lists, including announcements with letters
sent to schools for teachers, students, and parents, as well as community bulletin boards.
Consider targeting and tailoring your announcements to specific audiences, such as
seniors, churches, and women’s organizations. In addition, create a VIP list of various
community leaders and invite them to your events. This can be made more effective by
involving potential media partners in the planning stage of your programming.
Activities Inside the Museum
The following represents just a sampling of the various exhibit-related events you may
want to host. See page 60 of this guide for a more detailed description of some museum
activities.
An Opening Reception
If you are contemplating hosting an opening reception, consider including live music,
dancing, food, and rug-making demonstrations.
Children’s Reading Circle
Use the children’s texts that accompany the exhibition or the books listed in the annotated
bibliography to create a daily or weekly children’s reading circle at the museum.
Publicize these story times at libraries, bookstores, and in places that the parents of young
children shop.
Family Day
Organize a family day at the museum (weekends are often best), with hands-on activities
related to the exhibition. Collect rug-making equipment for children to see and touch,
demonstrate rug-making techniques, host a visiting rug maker, create a weaving corner,
and establish a reading corner with volunteer story readers. See the annotated
bibliography for suggested readings.
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Hands-On Rugs
Five hands-on rugs are traveling with the exhibition. Talk with your consultant about how
to best use these items in your museum’s overall exhibit design and programming.
Slide Show
Using the collection of slides and the presentation narrative found in this programming
guide, present a slide show in conjunction with the exhibition. In addition to the
information provided here, you may want to include the remarks of a local rug maker.
Experience shows that the slide show can also be particularly helpful with targeted
groups before the exhibit arrives (e.g., Board of Directors, volunteers, docents).
Visiting Speakers
Organize a series of visiting speakers on the topics focused upon in the exhibition, or
create a panel of speakers to talk about the exhibition from different perspectives. Be sure
to include a question and answer period with the audience.
Sponsor a WeaveFest
To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, you might organize a WeaveFest using the
talents of local weavers. The WeaveFest can include demonstrations of weaving
techniques, guided tours of the exhibition, and opportunities for visitors to try their hand
at weaving. This program can also be a fundraising tool by asking participating weavers
to donate the items created during the festival for sale or auction. By enhancing the
festival with food (local specialties are appropriate for this occasion) and musical
performances by folk artists, you will have an event that draws attention to your
institution, publicizes the exhibition, and furthers the public’s interest in rug weaving.
Activities Outside the Museum
Consider arranging activities outside your institution; provide activity suggestions and
plans, and offer speaking engagements and activities kits to local organizations. For
example, utilize the collection of slides and the presentation narrative enclosed with this
guide to offer a program on the upcoming exhibition.
Schools
As early in advance as possible, send program announcements to primary and secondary
schools regarding this exhibition. Invite them to schedule a school tour and indicate that
you have educational materials available to them for use in the classroom. It may also be
productive to host an after-hours reception for teachers at the museum. Show them slides
from the exhibition, discuss the local exhibition components that will be featured, share
the curriculum materials with them, and be sure to discuss how these activities
complement their own teaching strategies and standard curricula.
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Libraries
Inform your local libraries about the exhibition. Also, share the exhibition bibliography
with them and ask them to advertise your exhibition with a special display of related
books and movies. Suggest that the library establish both a children’s and adult’s reading
circle.
Sell Related Merchandise
Consider selling exhibit-related books, fabric, rug-making tools, kits, handmade rugs, and
other merchandise in your gift shop by utilizing the annotated bibliographies in this
guide.
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Rug Interview Form
Although rugs were a common example of women’s creativity and personality, because
they were principally utilitarian, they are often discarded or forgotten. As a result,
recording their histories is an important exercise. This form can be used to preserve
information on your rugs.
Date: _______________________________
Rug Owner:___________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________
City, State:____________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________________________________
Relationship of owner to maker? __________________________________________
Rug Maker: ___________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________
City, State:____________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________________________________
Residence for most of life: _______________________________________________
Date of Birth: _________________________________________________________
Place of Birth: _________________________________________________________
Date of Death: _________________________________________________________
Occupation: ___________________________________________________________
Rug Maker’s Spouse: ___________________________________________________
Occupation: ___________________________________________________________
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Rug Maker’s Mother: ___________________________________________________
Place of Birth: _________________________________________________________
Ethnic/racial background: ________________________________________________
Rug Maker’s Father: ____________________________________________________
Place of Birth: _________________________________________________________
Ethnic/racial background: ________________________________________________
How did the rug maker learn to make rugs? When?____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Why does/did the rug maker make rugs? ____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Did the rug maker make other rugs? How many? _____________________________
Any other information about the rug maker? _________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
How did the owner obtain the rug?_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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For what occasion, person, and/or use was the rug made? _______________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Where was the rug made? ________________________________________________
When was the rug made? ________________________________________________
Rug description (include size, color fabric, technique, etc.)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Any other significant information about the rug?______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Do not store this form next to the rug.
The paper and ink may damage the fabric.
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Slide Show
This slide show provides an overview of the exhibition by focusing on a few rugs. A
copy of the slides can be found at the end of this packet. The slide presentation can be
used as a model for docent tours or as an introduction to the exhibition for teachers and
other groups interested in visiting the exhibition.
Slide Show Script
Introduction
The craft of rug making, like so many other good things, is rooted in necessity.
Americans of an earlier day used what they had—in this case, rags made from worn
clothing—to create the rugs they needed for warmth on the drafty floors of their
inefficiently heated homes. Their rugs were beautiful yet durable enough for everyday
use and constructed from materials that could withstand traffic and cleaning.
The exhibition Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs not only acknowledges but also
highlights the manual skill and inventiveness that has historically been required of rug
makers and proves that the traditions of rug making are alive, relevant, and meaningful in
the context of contemporary art. The attributes of utility and personal craftsmanship are
strengths that enhance the aesthetic impact of these works.
Slide #1: Grandmother Graves
Hit and Miss
1900
Woven with fabric remnants
The tradition of making rugs with rags began among the poorer classes at a time in
history when cloth was treasured, and mending and patching were meticulously done to
extend the life of every textile. It is difficult to imagine now, but cloth was once so scarce
and highly valued that it was often unwoven for the thread itself. Thus rug making with
rags evolved out of frugality, ingenuity, and genuine necessity.
In the past, rugs were often woven on a loom using rags from household textiles such as
clothing that was too worn to be used to make a quilt. Historically, the rags for woven
rugs were prepared in the home and then taken to the local weaver. Often an itinerant
weaver would travel from place to place and weave the prepared rags into rugs for a fee.
Most of these rugs were woven in a “hit and miss” pattern, meaning the rags were woven
randomly with no discernible pattern, just as the balls of fabric were prepared. Today’s
rug makers often use a loom, but they are not limited to using rags to create rugs.
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Slide #2: Patricia Burling
Salmon Run
2001
Woven wool with rayon accents
Patricia Burling, the artist who created this rug, has been a hand weaver for twenty-two
years, creating one-of-a-kind pieces for corporate and residential environments. Selftaught, she is one of the few weavers in the United States currently using the ripsmatta or
warp-faced technique of rug weaving. In this woven rug, entitled Salmon Run, the artist
has tried to capture the subtleties of nature. Using bold contemporary patterns and subtle
color variations, Burling’s wool rug is woven into tube-like ridges, resulting in a threedimensional texture on the woven surface. By hand manipulating the forty-eight warp
yarns at every inch, she is able to create hints of shadow and illusions of depth on the
woven surface––a kind of pointillism with yarn. By using rayon for highlights and
reflections, she creates a painterly effect by causing movement that simulates sunlight.
Slide #3: Verna Cox
Diamond-shaped braided rug
2000
Braided wool
Braided rugs did not develop until the early nineteenth century. Their evolution was
influenced by the popularity of braided straw bonnets and floor mats, an interest among
homemakers in floor covering, and the introduction of local factories producing woolen
fabric. Woolen fabric was favored for floor coverings because it was more durable than
cotton or straw and more beautiful as well.
This rug has been braided using strips of wool fabric that have been stitched together into
long strands. The braids are formed by drawing the outer strands directly to the center of
the braid. The braids are then stitched together to form a diamond. No backing fabric is
required to make a braided rug. Things to look for in a braided rug are evenness of braid
and surface and firmness of the lacing assembly. The three-strand braid is most limiting
as far as design possibilities, but its beauty lies in the subtle color changes that are
achieved as the braid develops.
Slide #4: Gloria E. Crouse
Chivoree
2001
Hooked with yarn and yardage remnants
In this rug, entitled Chivoree, Gloria Crouse has used fabric remnants to hook her rug.
Rug hookers use a piece of material with lots of holes, such as burlap, as their warp. They
use hooks to push or pull fabric back and forth through the holes until they have crafted
their rug. The fabric has to be cut or torn into small pieces that are then drawn through a
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fabric backing. The loops can be sheared (also called hand-tufted) or left uncut. Just as
the painter uses a palette of different colored paints, the rug hooker chooses the colors for
a rug in the same way. Here, Crouse has used a variety of colors, patterns, and textures to
create the feeling of a chivaree, an old-fashioned custom in which newlyweds are
mockingly serenaded with a noisy song. With the aid of both hand and electric tools,
Crouse is able to achieve highly textured surfaces at a much faster pace than the
traditional rug-hooking techniques.
Slide #5: Grace Eckert
Gardener’s Dance: Kimono Series No. 23, rug no. 779
2001
Hooked with wool, yarn
Grace Eckert has worked full time as a self-employed studio artist creating textile pieces
of her own design since 1980. This rug, entitled Gardener’s Dance, is part of her Kimono
rug series inspired by Japanese wood-block prints. “The odd juxtapositions, overlaps,
repetitions, and distortions in flat textile patterns fascinate me,” says Eckert. This playful
and sensual pattern of swirling leaves in autumnal colors combines a strong, simple
design and a subtle blending of many colors of yarn. The eccentric edges form
organically and seem just right for this rug inspired by nature. Eckert loves the idea that
her rugs are made to be used, walked on, and seen from many angles.
Eckert’s one-of-a-kind hooked, loop pile rugs are made by pushing multiple strands of
wool yarn through a tightly woven backing cloth with an electric punch needle. She
makes each rug herself, from design to finish, completing about fifteen square feet per
week.
Slide #6: Bobbie Irwin
Twined and Intertwined
1998
Twined knit-pile fabrics
A twined rag rug is one in which two fabric-strip wefts twist around each other to enclose
warps of string, heavy cord, yarn, or fabric. Warps are hidden except at the top and
bottom of a rug. Rag twining is similar to weaving and shares much of the same
terminology, but unlike most forms of weaving, twining requires at least two wefts that
travel in the same direction at the same time and cross each other to form a row. Twined
rag rugs are constructed with compact twining to make a dense, durable carpet.
This rug is crafted using the taaniko technique, wherein two colors carry both wefts
throughout a row, but one remains hidden except where you want it to appear. In a
finished project, the hidden weft follows a straight path across the back side, while the
dominant weft makes a full twist between warps to stay on the surface. Taaniko takes
more fabric than regular twining since it stays on the surface most of the time, and it
creates a thicker, nonreversible rug. The right side of taaniko resembles regular twining,
55
but the back side has horizontal ribs. The word tanniko is taken from the Maori word for
the technique they perfected.
Slide #7: Linda Klipple-Surace
Buggy Wheel Rug
2000
Woven with cotton on metal buggy wheel frame
Linda Klipple-Surace was inspired and encouraged to weave by her mother and two
grandmothers who were weavers. In 1983, she and her husband Richard both left the
medical profession to make their passion for weaving a full-time job. Although her
husband died in 1996, Klipple-Surace has continued to create heritage rugs and hangings,
woven from heirloom fabrics and symbolizing the bond of families and community. She
made this circular rug by using a metal buggy wheel as a loom. This type of rug was
common a hundred years ago. Buggy wheel rugs are made on a large wheel (about the
size of a hula-hoop) using two- to three-inch rag strips as both warp and weft. The warp
is tied to the edges of the wheel while the rug is being woven. The rag used as weft is
known as the “weaver” rag and it is woven in a continuous circle around the center of the
wheel.
Slide #8: Gail Lickteig
Crocheted Rug
2002
Crocheted with cotton and cotton blend fabric
When she was in her early teens, Gail Lickteig was taught to crochet by her grandmother.
She loved the craft of crochet, and after receiving a rag rug in 1981, she decided to try her
hand at crocheting rugs. Although she had no instructions or pattern, she embarked on
gathering old clothes and fabric remnants and creating from them a handcrafted rug.
Since that time, she has made about sixty rugs, giving most of them away as gifts.
The basic method of crocheting a rug is the same as any crocheting, with the only
difference being not difficulty, but size. Like braided rugs, crocheted rugs make use of
long, narrow strips of fabric. Preparation of the rags to a large extent determines the final
pattern of the rug.
Slide #9: Michael F. Rohde
Shimmer
1997
Woven with hand-dyed wool yarn on linen warp
According to artist Michael F. Rohde, this rug started as an exercise in how colors
influence each other. Two sets of yarn were dyed: hot pinks and dark greens. Either of
these colors alone would be either overly energized or very dull. The combination of the
56
two in an intimate pattern brings their separate characteristics closer together and makes
for a rug that seems to subtly vibrate from the color interaction.
Rohde creates handwoven, hand-dyed rugs. He finds that hand-dyed yarns can be
produced in a wider palette of colors; some of his pieces contain more than sixty shades
of a given color family. As with any craft medium, attention to detail in the execution is
also essential. The rugs are woven of the highest quality rug wool in a tight twill weave
on linen warp. This imparts the required strength and durability needed for a textile to be
used on the floor.
Slide #10: Alan Vaughn
C COV Floorcloth
2002
Varnished acrylic paint on canvas with nonskid latex backing
Floor cloths were used throughout the eighteenth century and well into the nineteenth in
Europe and America. Originally designed as an imitation of an imported carpet or
expensive marble entryway, the floor cloth, a carefully painted canvas, came to be
popular for its own sake. The best of floor cloths repelled water and stains, providing
protection and easy cleaning. The floor cloth was also popular because of its adaptability
to every pocketbook. Plain cloths with little or no design were inexpensive, while more
elaborate cloths with stenciled or freehand designs could cost as much as a carpet.
As a maker of floor cloths, Alan Vaughn considers himself both an artist and a rug
maker. He focuses on making the rug durable, easy to maintain, and an object that can
protect and define a space. As an artist, he strives to make a painting for the floor. This
composition is simple and direct; the colors and textures are dramatic, but it has enough
detail to allow the viewer to see something new with each viewing.
Slide #11: Barbra Viall
Among the Flowers (snake in the grass)
1999
Hand-appliquéd felted wool with mixed media
Hand appliquéing involves sewing pieces of material to another surface to create a
design. Felt colors are brilliant and flat and lend themselves beautifully to appliqué.
Hand-sewn felt appliqué rugs allow the rug maker to show off needlework skills. The
stitches themselves add textural interest to the edges of the appliqué pieces as they pucker
slightly or draw in as the thread is pulled tight.
One form of appliquéd rug that gained popularity in the late nineteenth century was the
“penny” or “button” rug, named after the commonplace items the rug makers used as
makeshift templates to trace and cut around. In these rugs, designs are built up either
entirely or in large part from little circles of fabric appliquéd one on top of another. You
can see this technique in the flowers of this rug.
57
Conclusion
In the past, scarcity, frugality, and necessity were the driving forces behind the
handcrafted rug. While these remain strong motivating factors today, there is also a
growing appreciation of the artistic value of handcrafted rugs by contemporary artists
from all over the world. As the role of the rag rug evolves, so does its appearance. The
charm of traditional designs and the infinite creative possibilities make rug making an
appealing artistic medium. Perhaps the greatest appeal of these rugs for us today lies in
their symbolism, in that they evoke images of a simpler era when home, family, and
friends were unchallenged as the central elements of our lives.
58
Speaker List
One of the best ways to enhance the exhibition is to host a program with a speaker. These
rug experts are willing to speak at your museum.
Deborah Kuster
Route 1 Box 955
Big Sandy, TX 75755
903.769.4444
[email protected]
Deborah Kuster, art teacher and museum educator, has always favored the fiber arts. She
has been exploring the craft of weaving for the past ten years, ranging from delicate
woven lace to durable rag rugs. With personal interest and experience in weaving
materials and methods and a lifetime career in art education, Ms. Kuster is a resource for
demonstrations, gallery talks or lectures, and/or artist-in-residence for family or school
programming.
The following people are Texas rug makers who can speak about rug-making techniques
and materials, do rug-making demonstrations, and/or bring sample rugs.
Paula Alders
PO Box 249
Dayton, TX 77535
936.257.9338
[email protected]
Pat Chancey
3613 Hanover Street
Dallas, TX 75225
214.692.6277
Robin Cox
1301 N. County Road 1050
Midland, TX 79706
915.458.3558
[email protected]
Ronnie Roisman
7112 Scenic Brook Drive
Austin, TX 78736
512.301.7950
[email protected]
59
Speaker Resources
Consider inviting local rug makers, scholars, or textile historians to speak or be part of a
panel discussion in conjunction with the exhibition. On a less academic note, consider
offering lectures or classes on how to make various types of handcrafted rugs.
An effective program can be built around a local scholar, collector, textile expert, or
women’s history scholar. The following organizations may be able to help you locate
such experts who would be willing to be involved in an event at your museum.
The Texas state arts and humanities councils often have traveling speakers that might
meet your needs, or they may be able to refer you to others in your state to speak at your
museum. Contact them at:
•
Texas Commission on the Arts
PO Box 13406
Austin, TX 78711-3406
920 Colorado Street
E.O. Thompson Building, 5th Floor
Austin, TX 78701
512.463.5535
800.252.9415
www.arts.state.tx.us
•
Texas Council for the Humanities
Banister Place A
3809 S. Second Street
Austin, TX 78704
512.440.1991
www.public-humanities.org
You may also find speaker suggestions from the following Texas organizations:
•
The Center for Studies in Texas History
Texas State Historical Association
2/306 Sid Richardson Hall
University of Texas
Austin, TX 78712
512.471.1525
www.tsha.utexas.edu
60
•
The Institute of Texas Cultures
801 S. Bowie Street
San Antonio, TX 78205-3296
210.458.2300
www.texancultures.utsa.edu
•
Texas Folklife Resources
1317 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
512.441.9255
[email protected]
www.main.org/tfr
•
The Texas Historical Commission
PO Box 12276
1511 Colorado
Austin, TX 78781
512.463.6100
[email protected]
61
Museum Activities
Weave a Picture
Materials:
•
•
•
Pictures cut from magazines
Scissors
Tape
Instructions:
1. Find two brightly colored pictures and trim them so they are the same size.
2. Fold one picture in half horizontally.
3. Starting at the fold, draw vertical lines about one inch apart, ending about an inch
from the edge of the paper.
4. Cut along the lines and open the picture flat.
5. On the second picture, draw horizontal lines about one inch apart.
6. Cut one strip at a time from the second picture.
7. Weave each strip into the first picture, which now serves as a paper “loom.”
8. Cut and weave one strip at a time, going over, then under, each paper strip. Make
sure each strip is facing the same direction. Tape the edges in place as you go.
9. When finished, you will have two pictures blended together, creating an
interesting composition. Glue the woven picture onto a larger piece of colored
construction paper if you wish.
Variation:
•
Choose a color picture from a magazine and photocopy it. Cut one copy for warp
and one for weft. Weave the two images together, matching areas as carefully as
possible.
Braided Rug
Materials:
•
•
Fabric torn into strips that are 1" to 2" wide
Heavy needle and strong thread
62
Instructions:
1. Sew three strips of fabric together at one end.
2. Braid the three together. They don’t have to be the same length, because as you
get to the end of a strip, you will sew another one to it with needle and thread and
keep going.
3. When your braided piece gets to be about 3-feet long, start coiling it into a rug.
Twist the braided strip around the end you started with, keeping it flat as you go,
wrapping it around and around. Sometimes it is easier to start by twisting and
beginning around a small piece of cardboard or a wad of paper.
4. Sew the coils in place as you go with a heavy needle and strong thread.
5. Continue wrapping and sewing until the rug is as big as you want it.
6. When the rug is just as you want it, tuck the loose ends of fabric back into the
braid and stitch the ending in place with needle and thread. Small rugs can be
used as coasters, covers for wooden seats, or whatever you choose.
Weaving
Materials:
•
•
•
•
Rectangle of thick cardboard, 9" x 12"
Scissors
Safety pin
Strips of cloth, ¼" to ½" thick
Instructions:
1. Cut notches ¼" apart into the 9-inch sides of the cardboard.
2. Tie a strip of cloth to one corner of the cardboard, then wrap it back and forth
between the notches.
3. Tie the other end of the strip at the corner of the rectangle that is diagonally across
from the one you began with. You have now made your loom.
4. Attach another strip of cloth to the safety pin and close the pin.
5. Begin weaving by threading the pin under the first strip at the top of your loom.
Push the pin over the next strip, then under the one after it. Continue in this way,
over and under, all the way across the loom.
6. When you reach the end of your loom, weave back the way you came, looping the
cloth strips. This time, however, go under each strip you went over the first time,
and over each strip your went under.
7. Continue this for each row you want to weave, pulling the cloth strip over and
under the loom. Make sure not to pull the strip too tight, or the edges of your final
product will not be even.
8. Once you have woven a few rows, push the rows snugly together. If you come to
the end of a strip of your weaving material and want to keep weaving, tie on a
new strip with a strong double knot.
63
9. When you have finished weaving, be sure you are at the end of a row. Tie off
each end of your cloth to the loom strip next to it and lift both strip ends off the
loom.
10. To remove your work from the loom, bend down the tabs between the notches
and slide the loom out. You can also break the loom by cutting it in half and
removing the pieces.
Single Strand Chain Braids
Chain braids are the oldest type of braids and are the basic technique from which crochet,
bohemian braid, Swedish braid, and “toothbrush” rugs evolved. These two braiding
activities are simple enough for children in elementary grades to accomplish with adult
supervision.
Materials:
•
Use any strip of fabric sewn to a continuous length and wound into a ball secured
with pins.
Directions:
1. You may want children to be seated when doing this exercise to help prevent
stepping on one another’s braids.
2. Remove pins from fabric balls before conducting this activity with children.
Unwind the ball of fabric completely and let the excess fabric fall beside your
chair. Using your fingers or a large crochet hook, chain a tight series of loops. To
start the braid, make a loop with one end of the fabric.
3. Twist the loop once. Use your thumb to push a little bit of fabric through the loop
and tighten. When you tighten the loop it will grab the loose end of fabric and
hold it in place.
4. Make another loop and push some more fabric through. Tighten. Repeat this
process until you have braided the entire length of fabric.
The resulting chain braid is coiled and either sewn or laced to form a rug. To unchain,
just pull from both ends. Re-roll for packing and pin to secure.
Box Flap Loom
Materials:
•
•
Corrugated box flap approximately 6–12" long and 6–8" wide
Carpet yarn to dress the loom (the length of yarn should be roughly the length of
the box flap x the number of notches)
64
•
•
Filler (the thinner the filler material, the more of it you will need to fill the loom);
do a sample activity first to gauge the amount of material you will need
Two T-pins per loom
Directions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cut ½-inch notch at ½–1-inch intervals across width of flap.
Cut corresponding notches at other end of the flap.
Tie the carpet yarn to one corner of the loom.
Dress the loom by winding the yarn back and forth between the notches at either
end.
5. Tie off the loose end of the yarn to the last notch.
6. Starting at the bottom of the loom, weave the material through the yarn (warp)
while alternating crossing over and going under each strand. It is a natural
tendency to pull the filler taut after weaving each row. However, this pulls the
sides of the warp inward and distorts the shape of the loom. Tell your participants
to gently wrap their filler around the outside strands and use T-pins to help these
strands from being pulled inward.
7. If you use fabric as filler, you may have rag material that is printed only on one
side. When weaving, the material will sometimes turn upside down and expose
the underside of the fabric. This may bother some participants. You can explain
that the differences in shading between the top and bottom of the fabric will make
the finished product look more interesting than if only one side was exposed.
The best way to understand and prepare for presenting this activity is to try it using
different size box flap looms and various materials as filler.
65
Pre-Visit Lesson Plans
Lesson #1: A Closer Look at Rugs
Objectives:
•
•
Students will discuss what we recycle and why.
Students will discuss the similarities and differences between art and craft.
Students will examine the types of rugs in their own homes and how those rugs
are used.
The rugs shown in the exhibition Rags to Riches: Handcrafted Rugs are all handmade
using a variety of techniques. After your students see this exhibition, hopefully they will
never look at rugs in the same way again.
Discuss with your class the following ideas:
•
Rag rugs frequently reuse fabric that originally had another purpose, such as
clothing. When most people think of materials that are recycled, fabrics do not
normally come to mind. We’ve grown accustomed to recycling paper, glass,
aluminum, and plastic, but rag rugs have a long tradition of being the result of
recycling clothing, draperies, and other textiles. Discuss with your class the goals
of recycling and whether they recycle at home. What is the difference between the
process of recycling a newspaper and recycling a pair of jeans? Have your
students discuss the reasons we recycle and the kinds of things they recycle at
home and at school. Then ask them to consider how they might recycle old
clothing or other textiles.
•
Rugs have a utilitarian history as floor coverings, but they can also be works of
art. Discuss with your class other examples of art forms with origins as useable
products (ceramics, glass, metal works, etc.). At what point does a craft become a
fine art (i.e., why do you wipe your feet on one rug and see another in a museum
gallery?)? Discuss the difference between craft and fine art.
•
Homework: Have your students look through their homes for the following
information:
1. List household items made of fabric and tell how the fabric is used.
2. Count the number of rugs in your home. Pay attention to the design and
use of the rugs. Have a class discussion about how rugs are used in the
home.
3. Have the students bring a rug from home. Compare each of the rugs for
design, materials, color, and intended use in the home.
66
Lesson #2: Techniques for Handcrafting Rugs
Objectives:
•
•
•
Students will understand some of the various techniques for handcrafting rugs.
Students will recognize these techniques when looking at slides of sample rugs
from the exhibition Rags to Riches.
Students will practice the plain weave.
There are several rug-making techniques on view in the exhibition Rags to Riches:
Handcrafted Rugs. Discuss with your class the following methods of creating a
handcrafted rug.
Weaving:
Rug weaving uses two sets of fabric or yarn––the warp and the weft. The warp threads
are held under tension, usually on a loom. The weft crosses the warp threads at a right
angle. In order to create a strong rug, the weft weaves over and under the warp. Another
weaving technique, ripsmatta, creates warp-faced woven rugs that alternate thick and thin
wefts to produce a rib effect.
Hooking:
Hooked rugs are made by drawing loops of rag strips or yarn through a fabric backing
such as burlap. The loops can be sheared (also called hand-tufted) or left uncut. There are
two basic techniques for hooking a rug. Hand hooking, which is the traditional method, is
worked from the right side of the backing fabric and the loops are pulled up to the surface
from underneath. Punch hooking is worked from the wrong side of the backing and
requires that the design be marked as a mirror image. The hook punches the hooking
material, almost always yarn, through the backing, automatically forming loops of a
predetermined and uniform height on the underside of the backing.
Braiding:
Braided rugs are made from fabric strips stitched together on the bias. The strips are
carefully folded and plaited. The braids are then stitched together to form a rectangle or
coiled to form an oval or circle. No backing fabric is required to make a braided rug. Its
beauty lies in the subtle color changes that are achieved as the braid develops.
Crocheting:
The basic method of crocheting a rug is the same as any crocheting, with the only
difference being not difficulty, but size. Like braided rugs, crocheted rugs make use of
long, narrow strips of fabric. Preparation of the rags to a large extent determines the final
pattern of the rug. Many such rugs are made with yarn instead of rag strips; much softer
than many of the rag varieties, they require padding of a skid guard to keep them from
sliding on the floor.
67
Painting floor cloths:
Floor cloths were used throughout the eighteenth century and well into the nineteenth in
Europe and America. Originally designed as an imitation of an imported carpet or
expensive marble entryway, the floor cloth, a carefully painted canvas, came to be
popular for its own sake. The best of floor cloths repelled water and stains, providing
protection and easy cleaning. The floor cloth was also popular because of its adaptability
to every pocketbook. Plain cloths with little or no design were inexpensive while more
elaborate cloths with stenciled or freehand designs could cost as much as a carpet.
Shirréting:
Shirring is an appliqué technique wherein scraps of fabric are stitched to a backing and so
closely packed that they remain upright, forming a dense pile. The most popular
traditional method of shirring is the chenille method, involving taking a line of running
stitches down the center of a strip of cloth. The thread is then pulled up to gather the strip,
which is then stitched to a backing fabric. Shirrét (shur-ray) combines shirring and
crochet. Fabric strips are threaded onto a special Shirrét needle by running the needle in
and out lengthwise through the center of the strip to form shirred folds. By making a
crochet stitch and pulling a fold off the needle and onto the stitch, a strong net that is
hidden inside the fabric is formed.
Twining:
A twined rag rug is one in which two fabric-strip wefts twist around each other to enclose
warps of string, heavy cord, yarn, or fabric. Warps are hidden except at the top and
bottom of a rug. Rag twining is similar to weaving and shares much of the same
terminology, but unlike most forms of weaving, twining requires at least two wefts that
travel in the same direction at the same time and cross each other to form a row. Twined
rag rugs are constructed with compact twining to made a dense, durable carpet.
Hand Appliquéing:
One form of appliquéd rug that gained popularity in the late nineteenth century was the
“penny” or “button” rug, named after the commonplace items the rug makers used as
makeshift templates to trace and cut around. In these rugs, designs are built up either
entirely or in large part from little circles of fabric appliquéd one on top of another to
form small targetlike pieces that the rug makers then stitch into endless varieties of
geometric patterns.
Show your class the Slide Show with its accompanying narrative, provided to you by the
host museum. As you view the slides, ask students to determine which of the above
techniques is being utilized in the creation of each rug.
After viewing the Slide Show, give your students some practice in weaving. Paper
weaving is a fast and inexpensive way to introduce students to the weaving process. The
following lesson builds on the basic over-and-under technique of weaving. Once students
understand this concept, they can experiment with different color and weave
combinations.
68
Paper Weaving
(Cited from You Can Weave! by Kathleen Monaghan and Hermon Joyner)
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
Construction paper, one piece 9" x 12" and 1" x 9"
Pencil
Scissors
Glue
Ruler
Directions:
1. Choose one sheet of paper. This will be the warp. Fold the paper in half so that it
measures 9" x 6" and draw a line approximately 1" from the open end. This line
will be a guideline for cutting.
2. Draw 5–6 lines from the fold to the guideline. The lines may be straight or
curved. Make sure the lines are not too close to the edge of the paper. Curved
lines should not be too complex or the project will be difficult to weave.
3. With the paper still folded, cut along the lines from the fold to the guideline.
Unfold the paper. These strips are the warps.
4. Using a different color strips of 1" x 9" paper, begin weaving across the warp in
an over-one, under-one pattern. If the weft begins over the warp in the first row,
begin the next row under the warp. It is the alternating rows that create a solid
structure in weaving. Continue weaving this pattern until all the warps are full.
Make sure that there is no extra room between weft rows. The pattern is more
striking if the wefts are packed tightly together.
5. Glue the edges down on both sides of the paper.
Variations:
Encourage students to try some variations using plain weave:
• Vary the shape and size of the warps. Try combinations of thick and thin warps.
Repeat the thick and thin patterns in the weft.
• Vary the size and color of the wefts. Try to create a pattern in the color of the
wefts.
• Use patterned or printed papers for the warp or weft. Try weaving two images
together. Consider the content of the image and weave similar or opposite ideas
(e.g., pictures of different plants for similar content or images of night and day for
opposites).
• Using a third sheet of paper, cut out an interesting shape from the middle of the
sheet and glue the remainder of the paper over the finished weaving. The positive
shape in the middle will be the weaving showing through.
• Use a small stamp to print a pattern on the warp or weft.
• Draw or paint on the warp paper. This can be done before or after cutting the
warps.
69
Lesson #2: Ribbon Weaving
Objectives:
•
•
Students will practice warping a loom.
Students will practice the plain-weave technique.
(Cited from You Can Weave! by Kathleen Monaghan and Hermon Joyner)
This project introduces students to using a cardboard loom with string warp. The weft
strips in this project are cut the same width as the cardboard, and are not woven back and
forth across the warp. This allows students to become comfortable with warping and
weaving.
Materials for each student:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
8" x 10" piece of cardboard (cereal boxes work well)
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Masking tape (2 pieces, 1" long)
String for warp (thin, strong, and smooth, about 8 yards for each project)
Ribbon, yarn, or paper for weft (strips of different widths, cut into lengths to
match the width of the cardboard)
Directions for Making the Loom:
1. Mark every ¼" along the two short sides of the cardboard. With scissors, cut a
small line on each mark, about ½-inch long. These cuts are the notches that will
hold the warp threads
2. Tape the yard to one side of the cardboard. This will be the back of the loom. Pass
the thread through the first notch to the opposite end of the loom. Wrap the thread
through this notch to the back, through the second notch to the front, and back to
where you began.
3. Pass the thread through this second notch, to the back. Come around notch
number 2, through number 3 from behind, and along the front to notches 3 and 4
on the other end.
4. Continue winding the warp thread this way until all the notches are full. The warp
should be only on one side of the cardboard. If it is on both sides, then the threads
are not being brought around the notches, only through them.
5. Tape the end of the thread to the back.
Directions for Weaving:
Refer to the paper-weaving project in Lesson #1 and review the plain-weave pattern with
students. Tell them they can weave the same pattern on their cardboard looms. Remind
70
them to begin at one end with a weft strip, weaving over one, under one, across the warp
threads, then continue with the next row, making sure to alternate with the row below.
Have students repeat this pattern until no more wefts can fit onto the cardboard. Explain
that because the warp is thinner than the weft, more of the weft will be visible. This is
called a weft-faced weave.
The weaving may be removed from the cardboard or left attached. If the cardboard is
removed, students may want to add a small dowel at the top of their weavings. Students
also may wish to add beads, charms, or other small ornaments to the end of their
weavings.
71
Post-Visit Lesson Plans
Lesson #1: Reflecting on Rags to Riches
Objectives:
•
•
•
Students will evaluate and discuss the exhibition Rags to Riches.
Students will relate the exhibition to their own lives.
Students will create a rug design of their own.
Discuss how the rugs in Rags to Riches compare with the rugs the students have at home.
1. How do the rugs in Rags to Riches compare with the rugs your students have at
home? How are they the same? How are they different?
2. What rugs were your favorites? What did you like about these rugs?
3. What did you learn about rugs or rug making that you didn’t know before?
4. Which rug-making technique did you find most interesting? Which seems most
difficult? Why?
5. What is worthwhile about practicing a traditional craft such as rug making? Why
not just buy rugs from the store?
Ask students to describe how they would create a rag rug made from recycled fabrics
from their own homes (older students could write such a description down). Ask them to
answer the following questions:
•
•
•
•
What rug-making technique would you use?
What materials would you use?
What colors and textures would you include?
Is this a rug to be walked on, or is it intended as art, or both?
Ask students to draw a picture of their imaginary rug. Older students creating a rug with a
design in it could create a gridded pattern for the rug.
72
Lesson #2: Straw Weaving
Objectives:
•
•
•
Students will practice weaving the plain-weave technique with yarn.
Students will understand weaving terminology.
Students will gain skills and confidence needed for more advanced weaving
projects.
Discuss with students the following weaving terminology:
Warp Lengthwise threads stretched on the loom.
Warp-faced The warp is set so closely that the weft does not show, and the warp, often
striped, stands out boldly and provides the design.
Web Fabric created by interlacing warp and weft.
Weft Rags or yarns that are interwoven with the warp; also called filling or woof.
Weft-faced The usual design of a woven piece; the warp is set so far apart that the filler
sinks down between its threads and forms a thick weft surface. Any design or change of
colors must be provided for in the weft, since it covers the warp.
Drawing in Pulling in or narrowing of the rug as it is woven to prevent too much weft
tension.
Tell students that in straw weaving, the weft threads are packed closely together,
completely covering the warps. This creates a weft-faced fabric.
Straw-Weaving Activity
(Cited from You Can Weave! By Kathleen Monaghan and Hermon Joyner)
Materials:
•
•
•
•
Straws (five beverage straws per student, cut in half)
Yarn for warp: worsted weight rug yarn (5 pieces, 12" to 14" long)
Masking tape (five pieces, 1" long)
Yarn for weft: 8 yards total, several different colors
Directions for Setting Up the Straw Loom:
1. Thread five warp yarns through the straws. You can use wire with a small loop on
the end to pull the thread through the straw or suck on the straw until the thread
comes through.
73
2. Use a small piece of tape on the end of each straw to secure ½" of yarn to the
outside of the straw.
3. Knot all the warps together at the opposite end.
Directions for Weaving a Bookmark:
1. Hold all the straws in one hand between your palm and your thumb.
2. With your other hand, weave a one-yard length of weft around each of the straws.
You can anchor the weft with the thumb holding the straws in place. Start at one
side and weave to the other. Come around the last straw and weave back to where
you began. Continue weaving in this manner until you reach the end of the first
weft.
3. Tie your second weft thread onto the end of the first and continue weaving. As the
weaving progresses, you will no longer need to hold the straws in place; the weft
will do that. As you weave, gently slide the weft down an inch at a time.
Eventually the weft will fill all the straws and “fall off” the end onto the warp
thread. This is good because you want to have all the weft off the straws at the
end of the project. However, if you slide all the weft off the straws before you are
finished weaving, the straws will no longer be in order and it will be hard to
continue the weaving.
4. Continue to add weft in the color sequence of your choice and to ease the weaving
down the straws and the warp.
5. When the weaving is as long as desired, pull the tape off the straws. Slide the
warps out of the straws and tie a knot close to the last weft. Once both ends are
knotted, you can slide the weft around on the warp threads to make the weaving
more even.
Variations:
•
•
To simplify this project, have students use only one color of yarn. Do not cut the
yarn into lengths before starting. Provide balls of yarn and instruct students to just
pick up the end and leave the yarn attached to the ball. Variegated yarn will
produce stripes in the weave without students having to change threads.
Students may choose to make a belt or a guitar strap. Have them start with warp
threads 12" longer than the desired finished length.
74
Lesson #3: Woven Basket
Objectives:
•
•
Students will practice weaving with yarn.
Students will gain skills and confidence needed for more advanced weaving
projects.
Here is a chance for students to use their weaving skills to make baskets. Baskets are
woven around in a circle. This basket can be made in different sizes. The directions given
here will make a basket about 3" x 4".
Woven Basket Project
(Cited from You Can Weave! by Kathleen Monaghan and Hermon Joyner)
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Glue stick
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Construction paper (one strip of 1" x 18" in a color to match the yarn)
Yarn (worsted weight, a variety of colors, about ten yards total)
Tag board or index paper (2 pieces, 4" x 8" and 3" x 9")
Directions for Making the Bottom and Spokes:
1. Draw a line 2 ½" from the short end of each piece of tag board.
2. Glue the two pieces together at a right angle, matching the lines to center the
pieces.
3. Fold each of the flaps in, overlapping the center rectangle. Now unfold the flaps.
4. With a ruler, or by estimating, divide both 3-inch wide flaps and one 4-inch wide
flap into an even number of strips. This could be four or six, but it is important
that it be an even number.
5. Divide the last flap into an odd number of strips. These will be the spokes of the
basket. It is important to have an odd number of spokes in order to weave plain
weave around in a circle.
6. Cut each spoke from the edge of the flap to the edge of the center rectangle. Do
not cut the bottom of the basket.
Directions for Weaving the Basket:
1. Begin anywhere, weaving a strand of yard over and under the spokes. Once you
have gone completely around the basket, you should be weaving the opposite
75
2.
3.
4.
5.
pattern from the first row. Take a moment to tighten the yarn enough to make the
spokes stand up straight.
Weave around the entire basket a second time. Adjust the tension on the yarn so
that all the spokes are upright, none of them leaning into or out of the basket.
Continue weaving around the basket until you wish to change colors. Leave a 3inch tail of yarn hanging on the outside of the basket. Lay the new color in the
same pattern as the old color, overlapping the yarns for four or five spokes.
Continue weaving around the basket with the new color.
Make sure to pack down the yarn as you weave around the basket. The yarn
should cover the tag board spokes completely.
Stop weaving when you are ½" from the top of the spokes. Have them fold the
long strip of construction paper in half lengthwise, put glue along the entire length
of the paper, and place it carefully around the top edge of the spokes. Overlap the
construction paper so that there is no gap in the top edge of the basket. Trim off
any tails on the outside of the basket even with the surface.
76
Gallery Guide
This gallery guide is designed for children who attend the exhibition with their families
or another non-school group. It is intended to focus attention on the rugs in the
exhibition. It is not designed as a substitute for a docent-led tour or other educational
activity.
You may want to consider copying the gallery guide on cardstock, as it may be easier for
children to write on as they move through the gallery. Also, as an incentive, be sure to
arrange for the children to turn in their completed card for a small museum memento or
treat.
Answers to the Treasure Hunt:
1. Betsy’s Legend by Sara Hotchkiss
2. Diamond-shaped braided rug by Verna Cox
3. Crocheted Rug by Unknown
4. Checkers Anyone? By Rosalie Neilson
5. Among the Flowers (snake in the grass) by Barbra Viall
6. C COV Floorcloth by Alan Vaughn
7. Chivoree by Gloria E. Crouse
8. Sunflower by Joyce Barker-Schwartz
9. Buggy Wheel Rug by Linda Klipple-Surace
10. Every Which Way by Joanne Cromley
77
Treasure Hunt
Below are clues to finding certain rugs from Rags to Riches: Handcrafted
Rugs. Use the clues to find each rug.
Rug #4:
Rug #1:
• This rug is a tribute to Betsy
Ross.
• It is perfectly square with a
large star in the middle.
What is the title of this rug?
• This rug has a checkerboard
in the middle of it.
• It has a fringe on both ends.
What is the title of this rug?
Who is the artist?
Who is the artist?
Rug #5:
Rug #2:
• This is the only braided rug
in the exhibition.
• The rug is shaped like a
diamond.
What is the title of this rug?
• This rug features a bright
yellow background.
• A purple snake slithers
through the scene.
What is the title of this rug?
Who is the artist?
Who is the artist?
Rug #6:
Rug #3:
• This rug is round.
• It is made from plastic bread
wrappers.
• This rug was painted.
• Its jagged design looks like
something that has been
cracked.
What is the title of this rug?
What is the title of this rug?
Who is the artist?
Who is the artist?
Rug #7:
Rug #9:
• This hooked rug has a
variety of textures and
patterns all over it.
• It is edged with a green
border.
• A wheel was used as a loom
to make this rug.
• It is perfectly circular with
long rag fringe.
What is the title of this rug?
What is the title of this rug?
Who is the artist?
Who is the artist?
Rug #8:
Rug #10:
• This rug has a green section
with painted leaves on it.
• It also has a big brown circle
that represents the center of
a flower.
What is the title of this rug?
Who is the artist?
• This rug is woven in a
geometric design with both
halves mirroring each other.
• It has bold red, green, and
black designs on it, with a
yellow strip running down
the center.
What is the title of this rug?
Who is the artist?
Draw a picture of your favorite rug in
the exhibition in the space below.