Area Rugs Crafts

Craft Site Directory: Rugs and Rug Making
A guide to handcrafted rugs and rug making supplies and how to instructions on the Internet, covering rag rugs, weaving, rug supplies, patterns, kits, crochet, handmade, oriental, Indian, hooking and wool.

Penny Rug Background, History
They don't lie on the floor, and pennies aren't used to make them. But many rug makers have adopted penny rug making into their creative mix. Penny rugs are decorative coverings for beds, tables and mantles. They were even used as wall hangings. They seemed to have started around the time of the Civil War in the United States, and are made out of felted wool scraps that are appliquéd with a blanket stitch to a wool background. Some designs feature circles (or pennies.) Coins such as pennies were used as templates for the circle appliqués, thus the name penny rug." This webpage gives some history into penny rugs, and is very informative.

Rug and Hooking Supplies
The Woolery offers a complete stock of rug hooking supplies including books, patterns, wool, yarn, printed patterns, bent scissors, hooks, hoops, frames, wool cloth cutters, thrummed knitting supplies and much more. Site features rug and mat hooking as a handcraft that originated more than a century ago. Today there is a growing interest in the use of many different materials to create original designs. Soon you will have your own collection of beautiful hooked mats and rugs that will eventually become your family heirlooms. Includes a gallery of rug patterns including landscapes, animals and other designs. Supplies include custom dyed wool, cutting machines, rug frames and hoops as well as rug hooks and prodders.

McGown Guild
This is the website of the National Guild of the Pearl McGown Rug Hookrafters for fans of rug hooking. Includes a feature rug teacher guide, as well as information about other rug crafts and the history of rug making. A wealth of library materials are offered here for those interested in rugs, and the guild can send packages of rug information. This is a well known rug association.

Meet Other Rug Hookers
Perhaps the best way to improve your rug hooking and do a bit of socializing is to meet other rug hookers. There is a website called Meetup.com that facilitates people with common interests getting together in the local areas where they live. With Meetup.com, you can join an existing group, or create your own. If there is no group in your area, and you don't want to take the initiative, you can also sign up to express an interest so that someone who is organizationally minded can see there's some interest and start a group. At this writing there are groups in Sydney, Australia, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Tucson, Rochester, Mich., and Astoria, NY, but there's a fairly long list of locations with people who have expressed interest.