More Heirloom Designs

I must be getting excited about the September Heirloom Rug Class coming up, because I have been thinking about favorite 'antique' looking rugs and what is so appealing about them.  First of all, they are so useable.  You don't feel bad about throwing them down on the floor and walking on them day after day, when the wear just makes them look more desirably older.  I also love the simple patterns, not too much detail in these primitive oldies.  Most of all, they fit in so perfectly with the antiques in my home and store.  I have had the antique store for 31 years, and the rug hooking portion of it for 12 years.  That makes me officially an antique lover first.   The rugs in my house have to look like they belong here.

The 2 horse rug on top is always a favorite in the store.  This pattern was sold by Patsy Becker.  I used lots of variety in my black horses, but the real fun was the background.   I pulled out some of my over-dyed favorites, Pecos Sand and Toasted Almond, with a wide range of values from light to medium.  I knew there was a lot of background in the rug, so rather than do a random draw for the background, I drew in these simple shapes and figures.  I gave the design corners, gave it the simple triangle border on the top and geometric contours where ever I could fit them in.
Then, darker values for the figures and a lighter mixture for the rest.  It is a fun rug to study, from a distance you see a tan background, as you get closer you start to pick up the different points of interest in the background.

To compare, I am showing the deer rug I made for my son's room. (No, I did not give him this one either)  When my son moved out years ago, I redid his room but kept the deer theme.  He had pictures of deer all over the room, so I thought I should keep the deer around to remind me of him (Not that I could ever forget that big galoot).  I hooked this rug and it is on the floor at the foot of his bed.  This is a Quail Hill pattern from an antique design.  I am showing it because it makes such an interesting contrast with it's straight line background.  The rug is so simple, with 2/3 or more of it's background being the sky, that I thought I would keep the background simple as well and chose to do straight line hooking.  That is a technique often seen in old rugs and it can give a quick and simple 'old' look to a rug.  The interest in this background is the color of the wool I used.  It is ECLIPSE and is one of my own recipes.  It is tanny green and looks old, old, old.

So contours and figures or simple straight lines, both can give a rug an antique look.  The plan and the application of the plan are the key to success.

I have to go check on my kittens, now.  They visited the vet yesterday to get shots and altered.  They are 6 really irked kittens right now and they are barely speaking to me.  I better go try to make amends.

Soon,
Janice