How to collect New England penny rugs for your home

Knowledge of the subject
Common patterns to look for within pieces
Excellent sewing stitchery that will be evident within the work

In the 1800s, women would use scraps of wool or wool felt from old clothing and hats to create designs for mats or rugs . They would make circles using coins as a template. Each piece was then stitched in blanket stitch fashion. Sometimes, the mats or rugs were backed with old burlap bags or feed sacks. And to make the piece lie flat, a penny was stitched under one of the circles to weigh it down. Coins were so valuable then, that in today's world, if you are fortunate to find an antique piece containing one, you would have a very rare piece. 19th century women were very creative and not wasteful.

When you are collecting penny rugs the first thing that you need to know is, if it is made out of wool fiber. Many of the women that made these gems recycled all of their wool coats, hats, scarves and anything else that was made out of wool since it was readily available to them. They recycled things before it was a chic as it is now. So before you buy a penny rug find out if it made out of wool fabric that has been felted.

The next important thing to look for with your search for penny rugs is to notice the button hole stitching that is in the work itself. Is it even with the tops of the stitches lining up? If the stitches are uneven or stair stepped is it the all the way throughout the piece? Or is the piece stitched with a random confusing overall look to the piece? In the examples that I have shown you, there is a look to each piece that is even and consistent without puckers or gaps within the work.

Lastly, when you are wanting to buy a New England penny rug, you want to look for a New England pattern in style. Not something that is mixed with another feel from a different style. If you are not familiar with the New England style, there are many resources that you can study on the web that can help you to know what you are looking for when you look for a penny rug. A few symbols that you might want to keep an eye out for are: circles, crows, tongue shapes, cornucopia baskets, and simple shaped blossoms.