A very old rug......

A Couple weeks ago Mom and I traveled to Vermont for another quick trip.  This weekend had been planned for 2 years.  You see, 2 years prior we had joined my sister at the Orford antique and flea market in Orford, NH.  We were not able to go last year as we were preparing for Rug Hooking week at Sauder Village and we sure missed it because, wow, what a great flea market.  

You can see below, the deals are amazing.  We did not have a big enough car.

One of my goodies had a safe spot with Mom.  I use this old gumball machine in the shop to hold balls of Valdani thread.

And somehow, just somehow, we were able to fit it all in!!

One fabulous piece I came home with is this Eagle!!  Just look at this beauty.  It is not old, but sometimes if you just "feel" it, you don't care.  I collect eagles and this one was going to fit in just fine!

Just look at the patina!

Right now he is hanging over our TV, but it's just not right so he will be moving.  He will be proudly displayed over my large hooked American flag rug.  

Below is some gorgeous scenery from the village of Orford.

So, back to the flea market....I had intended to get more pictures of the goodies, but got so swept away with it all that I forgot to snap pictures.  I did happen to love how one vendor displayed 

their pieces of vintage jewelry.

This next fellow had a wonderful booth.  He had a couple of antique hooked rugs that I was eyeing...

This one was a nice example of hit or miss hooking and had a wonderful repair that the gentleman had done.

But then, all of a sudden....I swear to you, it was if the heavens opened up and a ray of light shone down.  The angels were singing and I spied this....

Yes, this beauty came home with me.  Tell me you see it!  Tell me you see the same thing I do...because my husband just doesn't get it.  Never mind the fact that I own a Rug Hooking business.....I think that ray of light would have still been there.  I knew I had found a treasure.  When he gave me the very reasonable price, I said quickly "I'll take it!!!!"  I believe that was the point my sister quietly said under her breath "you bitch". Said with love of course.  You have to understand the playful banter my sister and I have during a flea market.  The words "don't get ahead of me bitch" are said often as we are afraid one will see something before the other."  Of course we both know what the other is looking for and will usually concede if we must on something fabulous.  My sister did tell me that if I had hesitated at all that this beauty was going home with her.  

So, back to NY it went!

                                      

The wonderful thing about antique rugs is that you just never know what they are made from because women back then did not care that they were hooking with 100% wool that was cut perfectly.  They were making these rugs out of necessity, to block drafts and keep their homes warm.  You know that there was some creativity involved as you can see the naive designs.  You also know that at one time perhaps the color may have been more vibrant.  Over the years they dull and take on the look that many of us hookers now aspire to.

This particular rug looks to be made with several different materials, mostly nylons.  I love the tufts that appear here and there.  It's not perfect, yet it is perfect to me.

When they were done hooking, they probably did not steam them with an iron to make their loops lay flat.  

This rug is hooked in the wonky or hickety Pickety way that I would love to hook but just can't.  See the one strip of darker color amidst the light color....a repair, or intentional, or necessary...a last strip? 

I have made up several stories in my mind of the origin of this rug.  I like to envision a small woman, wearing an apron, sitting in front of a fire on a cold New Hampshire night.  All her chores for the day are done.  She sits to hook her rug most likely from a primitive tool, not the hooks we use today.  She's hooking it to block a particular draft in their small farmhouse, but the hooking brings a sense of calm after her long day.  She's tired but she has to  pull a few loops!

  I  was lucky to have found this rug already mounted.  It is not a perfect mounting job, yet, it seems just right for this rug.  It will hang proudly in our old stone house.   Do you see it's beauty?  I do!

Until next time.....