As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Wendie and I were fortunate enough to take part in a Hooked Rug Seminar at the Textile Museum of Canada last week. There are too many pictures for just one post, so I've broken it down into two.
While I was thrilled at the opportunity to take pictures of the rugs, I will admit that my photos are less than stellar. We were not permitted to use a flash, and many of the pictures were taken while the rugs were being held up (rarely square to me...and moved on a dime to show various participants). If you want to see more perfect pictures of the entire rugs, much of the Museum's collection (including all of these rugs and more - 260 or so in total) can be viewed online here.
When we entered the room upstairs, this is what awaited us....
....a giant stack of rugs sat in the middle of the table. There were white cloth gloves available for anyone who wanted to touch the rugs (which I'm pretty sure included everyone)...and we all sat around the table, poised to feast.
One by one, Roxane and Natalia (curators at the museum) held up the rugs and pointed out interesting features and facts about the mats.
This incomplete rug dates from 1925-1935
Close-up. You can really see the variety of material used...
The edge was folded to the front and basted. I'm curious to know what the next step would have been.....
Beavers are so Canadian! What a simple design.....
This particular circle reminded me of a blouse my mum used to wear when I was very small....
Quebec
It's hard to tell in this picture, but this rug is hooked from handspun yarn...and the sheep is three dimensional, almost sculptured. My favourite part is the background....
From the back....
Georges Tremblay....from the front....
And a close-up from the back (much less faded)
Another Tremblay - front
and back
This was my FAVOURITE rug of the whole night. Two Grouse in Courtship. Clarence Gagnon (1881-1942) was a well-known painter and had a sort of hooked rug industry, similar to Tremblay. It's the only rug I've ever seen that is more faded on the back (above) than it is on the front (below)! I think it's because of the way the piece was framed....
Every motif and part is outlined in a different colour....
It was the rug that I would have liked to have taken more and better pictures of....but these will have to suffice.....
