Traditional Techniques, Contemporary Styles: Penny Rugs and Modern Crafts

Button Rugs are also known as "Penny" or "Dollar rugs" and date back to the early 1800's.

To make them women would collect scraps of wool and felt in rainbow colours from old garments.

Then, using coins as templates, they would create colourful collage-like pieces by stitching together these "wool pennies" on dark backgrounds.

To make the design more rigid at times a penny was stitched under the circles. These rugs mainly had a decorative function and were employed as covers for beds and tables.

The first two images in this post show a button rug I saw at the American Museum in Bath.

The museum showcases a series of pieces that take visitors on a journey through the history of America.

The collection includes displays about the life of the early settlers exploring the stories of the Founding Fathers, the Native Americans and the Civil War through furniture, paintings, crafts and textiles.

This specific button rug dates between 1855 and 1865 and features 3 circles of felt or woollen cloth in decreasing sizes sewn onto a strong sack cloth foundation.

Each circle is embroidered in buttonhole stitch in shades of black, green, orange and red on a brown background. This piece was probably used as a table or chest cover.

The "optical quality" – if I can call it so – of the button rugs, meant that circle-like motifs often resurfaced in fashion.

The latest version of this motif appeared for example in the prints and leather eleborations on jackets, skirts, dresses and bags included in Marni's Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

Can you think about another traditional technique that could be turned around a bit to create uniquely contemporary styles?