There Are No Rules

More Rugs I Have Seen

Penny rugs of different colours shapes and sizes.

Use what you have, have what you use.

There are no rules for the size of your pennies, here are great examples of that.

Look at the rug on the wing back chair. Modern yet primitive and look how the colours work in the decor. This really shows that if you love it, it will work in your decor. I love this photo from Country Home October 2007 issue.
(check your closets and storage bins! More to follow!)

The rug below is more "prim" and worn. I spotted this photo in Country Livng
August 2008 page 89.

Here's another rug that shows what a great effect age can have. Find this rug in the pages of Country Living issue April 2002 page 135

I totally HAVE to MAKE this RUG!
It's on my to do list for next year. I am so inspired to trim the tongues *(lamb's ears) with binding and make my own version. You need to look closely to see that it is a one penny pattern stitched to the main body of this mat. Check out the article in Country Living page 91 thru page 97 about Tom Pryor's interior design. You'll fall in love at first site. There is a visual treat for rug hookers two pages further on.

Ah, look below, this one looks truly worn. Is it? page 107 of Country Living issue July 2001

Mary Knowles. Where are you!
Let's talk!



I saw this article in Creative Home Fall 2007 and aso in another magazine. (have you ever noticed how magazines recycle photos and articles?) (well, if you don't read alot of magazines, like I do, you wouldn't notice....)
Mary, let's talk about penny rugs! Write me!

Here's a beauty! Look at those teardrops! Good ol' Country Living again, check issue January 2006 page 90,

This is a shout out for my dear friend Arleen. We joined a penny rug group a few years ago. Our mentor Cee, and founder of the original group, encouraged us to stitch our penny rugs, our way. Arleen was scouted by Early American Life and featured in this issue! Way to go Arleen! Check Issue June 2007 and see Arleen Oliver's rug on page 68!

I always need to know more. Never satisfied. I search issue upon issue.



This issue of Piecework, March/April 2006 sheds even more light on the history and early works of penny rugs. Good reading. Check pages 34 thru 39.

Do you have any magaginze articles about penny rugs? Let me know, if you have some worthy contributions.

(I'll check my magazine stash, I need to know if I've missed any!)

Next blog post, more inspiring photos. I'll share some from "American Patchwork & Quilting".....

Happy Stitching from Colleen, PennyRugsandMore.Blogspot.com.

P.S. I'm working on more templates. I will be listing in my Etsy shop before Christmas.

I've Been Busy

But I HAD to share my latest organizational triumph.!

You know how you keep thoughts and ideas in the back of your mind and then you can't live with the thought anymore, you just have to jump in and do it?

Well, okay, maybe you don't, but that's my life. Long story short, I purchased a "machinist's chest" to house my beauty supplies. All those baskets and boxes and misplaced beauty products in one handy, lovely, but huge, organized lover's space! I'm so happy!

It was all Arlette's fault! I've love reading Arlette's blog Polka Dot Pineapple She has great tutorials if you like to stitch! It was some time ago that she blogged about her organized machinist's chest for her makeup, in her December 2008 post. Check it out.. Thank you Arlette! I purchased my chest here in Langley, BC at Princess Auto.

More Magazine Rugs to share

I'm going to share my favourite photos with you from favourite magazines over the next little while.

Here's a penny rug in the April 2007 issue of Country Living.

It's gorgeous and was made by the owner's grandmother. She mentions that it is 30 x 60 inches. (right where my camera flashes on the page...!)
Country Living has appraised it at $950.00


I really like the variety of colours in the traditional layout. Click on the photo and you'll get a closeup.

Would I make up all my stacks first for this one? Or would I make a section up and then get to assembling on the mat base?

Lots to think about and imagine. The colours to collect and dye.

Purging and Cleaning the Studio

I'm purging and cleaning my studio over the next few months.

I have listed these wonderful 7", 10" and 14" doll bodies in my etsy shop.

Some of the dolls are tea dyed.They all have wired arms and legs.

Skip the tedious sewing and stuffing, get to the creative part!

They make great Santas, snow men (with legs) or dolls.

I've even made Canadian Moose from them!

The sorted and purging will be ongoing. We're renovating again!

(sadly my studio will be smaller but the master bath will be larger!)

Rugs I have seen

I am a magazine junkie, there I said it. My friends know it, now the world does too.

(well, my blogland world)

Penny rugs and magazines, is there anything else, oh excuse me, of course! Grandchildren!

But really, when I see a picture of an old penny rug, I'm all over it. Trying to decide how it was made, what was used.

The next best thing would be finding a vintage one in real life.

Perhaps one day, in the meantime, let's talk about some of my research... a small sampling.

This is a great book, look for it in thrift stores and on ebay.

Better Homes and Gardens

Traditional American Crafts

The pattern for the rug below is in the book.

Country Living's
Handmade Country, I just found this book, and I love it

I've seen photos of these rugs on the internet before, but now I have my own copies...

There are more penny rug photos and a pattern for the above rug in this book

(oh, yes, I like cross stitch too)

on to magazines, I have lots and lots of photos, but I just found this one in a Canadian House and Home Issue of April 2008. Nice article about a build in Nova Scotia.

Check out the cool modern looking rug on the leather sofa, bigteardrops around the sides, I love the colours!