Rug hooking has been part of American women's household tasks for a long
time. In southeast Pennsylvania, frugal sewers saved and shared their
textile scraps to create useful, pretty rugs, especially in the late
19th and 20th centuries. To document the region's hooked rug arts, The
Heritage Center of Lancaster County conducted the Lancaster County Rug
Harvest from 2004 to 2006, which culminated in their lavish exhibit,
Rags To Rugs, Pennsylvania Hooked and Hand sewn Rugs, in 2007. This book
serves as a permanent record of these rugs, the Rug Harvest, and the
exhibit. The book documents each step and evolving techniques to design,
make, sell, and use hooked rugs. It features regional details to look
for and credit to many talented people who contributed to the art and
its heritage. Over 170 color photographs display the designs, from
abstract to botanical and pictorial, and illustrate the styles. Many
families have shared this tradition in their homes and proudly display,
use, and collect them today. They will find the descriptions here
fascinating, and may be inspired to carry the skills forward to future
generations.