—Lancaster Farming, Saturday. July 16, 1977 52 Rug hooking helps this farm woman to relax By JOANNE SPAHR MARIETTA, Pa. - “Oh, I guess I am just always looking for something new to get into” says Mrs. Grace Bixler with a laugh, describing how she became interested in a craft she has been doing for nearly 20 years now - rug hooking. According to this Marietta R 1 farm wife, who is a part time farm worker, 4-H leader, active church member, and grandmother of 11, an advertisement in the Sunday paper one day in 1958 made her curious about the primitive art of rug hooking. So, she joined a class at the Landis Valley Farm Museum and has been doing it ever since. “Oh, it’s easy,” em phasizes the energetic craftswoman with a wave of her hand. “Anybody can do it, but it does take time and a little imagination.” In her nearly 20 years of working at the art, Mrs. Bixler has created ap proximately 13 floor rugs which she keeps for herself or gives away to her six children. In ‘most cases, these rugs are used for living room or bedroom rugs. “When I make them, I blend in the color scheme for the room I have in mind,” she says, pointing to the green and gold rugs on her hardwood living room floor, But, when it comes to judging how long it takes her to hook a floor rug, she shakes her head, shrugs her shoulders and remarks, “I just don’t know, to tell you the truth, because I work on them when I have time, and I use them for relaxation.” Continuing in her train of thought, she chuckles and says, “One time I tackled a big project - it took me seven years to complete!” That project was a 6’ by 8” rug comprised of four burlap bags sewn together. Materials she finds around the farm are usually what Mrs. Biiler uses for her backing materials. “When rug hooking was first brought to this country by the English, who learned COMPLETE FARM PAINTING We Use Quality PAINT AERIAL LADDER EQUIPMENT * Modern and Efficient Method * Reasonable Prices * Spray On and Brush In Method * Sandblasting if Necessary FOR FREE ESTIMATES WRITE ' ESH SPRAY PAINTING (OanielS Esh-C Ralph Miller; SPRAY-ON AND BRUSH-IN PAINTER B ox 350 A Ronks, PA 17572 or call this number 717-687-9155 INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL Mrs. Grace Bixler, Marietta Rl, does rug hooking for relaxation and fun. She has made 13 rugs in nearly 20 years of working on the craft. it from the Scandinavians, the backing used was made of coffee bags or grain bags,. and today I use seed corn or alfalfa seed bags.” Mrs. Bixler says that with this material for backing, and wool purchased at rummage sales, her rugs are relatively inexpensive to create. “I’ve never really priced my rugs, but I use old woolen clothes and have some given to me, plus I go to sales', so the materials are cheap,” she explains further. There are times, however, when she does buy the materials for her backgrounds. A big cash outlay for her in the beginning was the rug hooking frame, which sold for $26. She also uses a wmmmmmmmmmmmmm Stop at A.L HERR and BRO. and see why FEATURING FOR JULY - MODEL 1830 Comparison of Case 1830 Uni-Loader with major skid-steer competition. p . lir „ Case Model Model Model reaTure 1830 A* B* C* Engine, cooling Water Air Air Air Maximum number of g 3 4 4 sprockets per chain Cham adjustment Recommended interval 200 hrs 50hrs 200 hrs 50hrs Separate oil reservoirs v , (chams-hydraulic system) es ° ° 0 r , . 2 levers 3 levers 2 levers 3 levers uomros 12 pedals! 2 pedals) 2 pedals 'Names of competitive brands and models available upon request from dealers handling Case Uni-Loaders or by writing directly to J I Case Com pany, Dept 951,700 State Street, Racine Wl 53404. A.L HERR & BRO. QUARRYVILLE, PA. 17566 (717) 786-3521 quilting frame for some of her work. The process of hooking rugs is very easy, according to this 20 year veteran. After the wool is washed (the fabric must be wool for primitive rug hooking), it is cut into thin strips by either a rug shredder or by hand. The rug shredder, of course, makes uniform strips, while hand cutting is more open to human variation. Then, using a rug hook, a. tool about 4Vz inches long with a tip that resembles a crocheting needle, the wool is pulled up from underneath the backing, and hooked. In rug hooking there is no knotting or tying of ends, since both the starting and CASE IS NO. 1 finishing ends are pulled through the top of the rug. Of course, there is a certain amount of creativity involved in making up the designs. Mrs. Bixler has created some of her own, but she also uses other people’s designs. She copies them onto pieces of tobacco paper and stores them in a cup board for future use. Right now she has a store of about 10 to 12 designs which she says, “ought to keep me pretty busy in time to come.” But, if her rug hooking doesn’t keep her busy, her weaving, antique collecting, gardening, and crocheting will. Plus, she’s just beginning the craft of scherensnitte, or paper cutting* Her home is decorated [mminiiPd nn P a » ™ is 3 £ 9rdener at hear *. Here, she works on her [Continued on Page 53[ circular flower beds.
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