Here is the rug I have been working on this month......made for our 11th anniversary and FINISHED in time for Carl’s birthday. Do you remember The New Christy Minstrels? Well, you have to be pretty old to remember them, they were popular in the 60’s and 70’s and played folk music. They had a wonderful song based on a civil war folk tune, called “Jimmy Grove and Barbara Ellen”. Jimmy Grove is killed in the war, his true lo
ve, Barbara Ellen dies of a broken heart and they bury her beside him.
“And from her grave grew a red, red, rose and from his grave a fragrant briar.
They grew to the top of the old white church, to the very top of the steeple spier, they twined and tied in a true love knot, the red, red, rose around the briar.
If you have loved with a love that is true, you must believe the tale I’m telling.
True love will last to the end of time for Jimmy Grove and Barbara Ellen.”
I have always loved this song and decided it should be a rug. And I would make it for Carl. So, his initials are in one pot and mine in the other. And all thru the rug are hidden symbols, hearts, rings, flowers. There is a horseshoe, because historically horseshoes were put in wedding rugs for good luck AND of course, because we have horses. There is a pot of flowers because for 37 weeks when we started dating, Carl had flowers sent to the store every Thursday. I finally had to put a stop to that! And there is a coffee cup.....because I get breakfast in bed every Sunday morning.
The rug is 37in by 72in and there is a perfect spot for it in a spare bedroom. I will write out the song lyrics and sew them to the back of the rug, so someone in the future might understand what the rug means. I love this rug, it was fun to design, to draw and to hook. And it is fun to tell it’s story.
And no, Carl is NOT available!
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Until next time,
Janice
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