Some old rugs just get drab and faded or clash with your decor after a while and thus get shuffled off to dusty guest rooms. As long as the backing is in good shape, there’s absolutely no reason you couldn’t re-boot the design to make that rug a showpiece in your home.
Good Dog, 36”x26.” Wool yarn on burlap. This Irish Terrier rug really got a facelift with this new background.
With a few changes, it’s amazing how pretty older pieces become. Faded flowers with little personality are well worth changing into fresh new flowers. Drab roses may be so brightened that you will gladly add new leaves. Such changes do take a little time, but only a fraction of that required in making a big rug or a complete chair seat, for the chances are that the background is still very good. You are really bringing the older pieces up to date. With the little effort of changing two roses and a few leaves, the hooked chair seat is like new. A whole background was changed when a transition was made from formal to informal décor. While this seems like a lot of work, it is far less than doing a completely new rug and thus takes far less time.
Dorothy Lawless, Rug Hooking and Braiding for Pleasure and Profit, 1952
Penny Runner, 21”x49.” Wool yarn on linen, designed and hooked by Judy Taylor. See what a difference a new background makes to brighten up this hit-or-miss rug? I didn’t rehook any of the pennies, just the background.
Call me crazy, but I have actually (gasp) dyed rugs to freshen up the color scheme. Draconian, I admit, but it can be done. You should only attempt this with small rugs, because you have to be able to fit them loosely in your dyepot. And never attempt to dye a rug that was hooked on burlap. Linen or cotton can go through the dye process with no damage. (you’ll see how I did it in Chapter 12!)
Next Chapter: Gallery of Projects
Judy Taylor Books 