Early Style Penny Rugs

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The Diary of a Rugmaker

There is a long history of rugmaking in Nova Scotia but my discovery of the making of penny rugs came from an article published in Country Home magazine on the rugmaking of artist Barbara Bond.

I scoured my old magazines for antique penny rugs and found one that tugged at my heartstrings (and still does) on the cover of Country Living, April 1986.

I must admit I am one for a challenge but to know nothing about the making or history of penny rugs and to set about making a reproduction of this rug was truly a challenge. I am still learning but that first rug holds a special place in my heart and I keep challenging myself to make more complex and interesting rugs.

I use only vintage woolens that have no further use, and threads are a process of ‘make do’ with string or something that can be unravelled and dyed.  It does not matter how old or how you age your woolens they still do not have the ‘time worn’ look of the antique.  I am working on these techniques and methods to have my rugs not only look like the reproduction rug but to ‘feel’ like them as well.

Please visit my website at Early Style Penny Rugs to view my rugs and their stories.  I will update my blog on the progress of my rugmaking and my life stories for there are many at this time in my life.
New rugs and new beginnings for cee.