Antiques for inspiration and learning

I’m up early this morning and perusing the net looking at antique rugs.  I feel that my style is changing to brighter colors these days, but I’m still drawn to the shapes and simplicity of many of the earlier rugs.

This is the first rug I came across this morning.

It is on Baker and Co. Antiques website and is listed at $5,500.

“Late 19th century. New Hampshire origin. Great muted and vibrant country colors. Wool and cotton fabrics hooked on burlap with unusual braided saw tooth border. Measures 31" wide by 26" high, professionally mounted. In very good condition.”

The braided saw tooth border is intriguing to me….I don’t think I have ever seen a rug with this treatment either in pictures or in the flesh.

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Here is another old rug featuring someone’s prized cow

Again, simple and naive. I love the bright  colors in the border of this one.  It is featured on JCS Antiques for $675.

I think you will start to see a trend that I am pulled towards animals when I’m looking at older rugs.

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This one, below, just pulls at my heart strings. You can click on it to see it larger.  It looks like the cats have wings. Did the hooker think her cats were angels or were they already departed. Just makes me wonder.  I also love the really muted colors of this one.  It is from Nancy Fishelson Designs and is SOLD. Sorry

A note thought on the muted colors in the rugs we are hooking today.  I know that many of us are drawn to the muted colors in vintage hooked rugs and many try to emulate this.  However, if our rugs fade over time, will there be anything left to see? Just a thought.

Her website is especially clean and beautiful.

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Next up is something I aspire to do….not so much a runner like this is, but a “big ass” rug that makes a statement.  My only trouble with working on something like this is I’m always afraid I’d get bored out of my freaking mind….soooooo repetitive, but I’m sure in the end it would be sooooo worth it.  I don’t have ANY halls in my house, but this is definitely AWESOME!

This is from Nazmiyal Collection and is 2’ x 17’.

“Antique American Hooked Rug, circa 1900 - Antique American hooked rugs tend to evoke the image of traditional folk arts, but this exciting example is strikingly modern. Consisting of irregular multi-colored concentric circles on a light cocoa ground, this long rug or runner evokes the effect of Venetian millefiori glass or the mosaic architectural decoration of Antonio Gaudi. Versatility is highly desirable in a rug. This one would nicely complement a Windsor chair or streamlined modern furniture.”

Perhaps something to work on over a lifetime of hooking? Something to pick up and put down during your hooking career, using up your left over strips?

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Yes, it’s more animal love!

Who can resist this guy? Plus, add the flower chain around the border….it steals my heart! I found this one at AAAWT. 40” x 44” for $4,200.

I really love the stripey effect on the dog and where you can see that they ran out of one color and tried to find something close in color to match it. I’ve tried to emulate this in some of my rugs and those are always some of my favorites when they are completed.

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Here is yet another dog rug that I found on, believe it or not, “The Martha Blog”.  She said:

“ This very large hooked rug was the centerpiece in the gallery of Stephen Score, Inc. He always has show stoppers/heart stoppers.”

Okay, thanks for visiting my blog today. I know I never say this, but any comments you leave are so much appreciated….otherwise I feel like I’m just talking to myself :)

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy