Rag rugs & textiles in Cumbria

 While on a little break in Cumbria, I took the opportunity to visit the Tullie House Museum. I just love learning about new places & the history that shaped them. 

What a fascinating museum  charting the long history of this border town. 

The museum was also hosting an exhibition of rag rugs by Winifred Nicholson. 

This spring, we are delighted to be hosting Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs. Although Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981) is best known for her paintings and her position as a highly respected figure in 20th century British art, this is the first exhibition dedicated to her relationship with the tradition of rag rug making.  

  

Rug making had been a big thing in Johannesburg in the late 1980's & I hooked two large rugs with wool. It was a time consuming but interesting experience so I was interested in this exhibition. 

Rag rugs was a primitive exercise in past times - old clothes or any rags were knotted through hessian or other coarse fabrics to provide rugs to cover cold stone floors; they were colourful because the maker used whatever textiles there was. 

New fabrics or textiles would not be bought to make rugs from - it was the end use of clothes that had become threadbare from multiple uses.  It was a time when clothes were expensive & they were much valued unlike our fast fashion today.  Mass production has resulted in overconsumption, waste & environmental consequences. 

This is the wall in the exhibition where the public were invited to add a piece of fabric from the box of textiles. 

Several of living museums have examples of rag rugs & they sometimes share the techniques. It is a simple activity with a large hook, hessian & fabrics, seldom making a shape & that is how it was in the past. 

The patterns were interesting - the nature of rag rugs & the making is sometimes more craft than art. However, this exhibition had some beautiful rugs with colourful patterns & details. This was really interesting to see the skill involved in these items.  

These are my photos from the exhibition, it was very interesting & you can read more about Winifred from this link

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The rugs were all very striking & there were a few that really caught my eye ....

Do you have experience of rag rugs or are they something you still see in your environment? Tell all & thank you for stopping by & visiting with me, 

Dee 🖼️🏠🧺🪡🧵