First up, we stopped at Flora's. Mostly we needed a pit stop, but it was interesting to see so many small mats available for purchase. There was also someone demonstrating in the store.
The next place we visited was the craft Co-op. I found the selection and variety of mats was much better here, and although there were a lot of the stereotypical mats with flowers and birds, there were many, many other designs to see. I was also amazed by seeing some larger pieces (even 3' by 2') and more pictorial scenes. The hardest thing for me at a place like this is to be able to take the piece out of the current context and imagine it far away from all of its cousins (which can be hard to do because there are so many).
The museum in the basement below is a sweet treat. There are several hooked rugs on display, including this one which was my favourite...
Unfortunately there wasn't anyone from the Museum around at the time whom I could ask to unroll these rugs (or 3 others on a nearby trunk)...so their complete designs remain a mystery.
By far, the best spot for rug hookers to visit in Cheticamp is les Trois Pignons and the Museum of the Hooked Rug and Home Life. Although small, everything inside is interesting and very well laid out. I was also appreciative of their permission to take photos of the rugs in their collection (no flash). Here are just a few of my favourites...
I love old hit and miss rugs...and especially this one with its organic shapes.
This next rug appears to be quite faded. I wonder what it looked like when it was first hooked...
I just love (love!) the faded background on this room-sized rug...
By far the best part of the whole collection is the Elizabeth LeFort gallery (click on the link for a brief history of this amazing rug hooker). Like all hooked rugs, any pictures do not do the work justice...you really need to see them up close and personal to really appreciate them. There are likely a couple of dozen pieces in this section (and 3 are very large, wall-sized works...such as 55 square foot Crucifixion)
I really liked the background (sky?) in this piece.
and closer....
And here is Jackie O. Once again, I love the background, especially on the left side...
In short, if you're a rug hooker or love rug hooking, you'll love Cheticamp.
