![]() Another “test” I read in the book “Finnish American Rag Rugs” is hold the rolled up rug in your hand, palm up, at shoulder level, the rug should not droop, and happily, it doesn’t. It seems to meet the tests of a good rag rug ~~ you can’t put your fingers through anywhere, and when rolled up and stood on the floor it stands. It lays quite flat, selvedges are nicely even, and only a tiny bit of “smile.” Here are two recent prize-winning examples from Finnish country in northern Wisconsin.Here it is, my first real rag rug completed and on the floor! Looking at it now, I like the warp stripes and colors, as well as the weft colors. Most old rugs received hard use, so few have survived. Loom at The Hanka Homestead Finnish Museum The practice was and remains an important aspect of cultural identity. ![]() Weaving helped women cope-sometimes financially, sometimes emotionally. Finnish American immigrants wove rugs that were practical and beautiful. There was, of course, much more to the story. “What’s there to learn? Rags were made into rugs. “You did,” Chloe allowed, “but I still want to help the Rankinen interpreters by learning more about–” “I told you not to waste time on that ridiculous proposal, did I not?” In The Weaver’s Revenge, when Chloe wants to research both patterns and the social implications of Finnish American rag rug weaving in the Upper Midwest, Petty is not impressed: When I learned that, Chloe’s boss Ralph Petty popped to mind. In Chloe’s time-the 1980s-some scholars considered rag rugs too commonplace to warrant study. The photo below provides a closer look at a spectacular rug. Rag rugs for sale in Puutori in Turku, Finland, 1955. Many traditional weavers went further by creating more complicated designs, such as twill, rosepath, and tabby. (The National Museum of Finland) (The National Museum of Finland) The two examples below show controlled stripes and gorgeous palettes. However, the skills Finnish weavers brought to the New World included color and design. Historically, most American rugs were created this way. ![]() Some “hit and miss” rag rugs reveal a largely random approach, with irregular pinstripes. Although this craft was widely practiced by people of different origins, scholars note that Finns have been most successful at maintaining the tradition. Practical weavers collected worn clothing, cut the fabric into strips, sewed the strips together, and used them as weft. When I chose to focus on Finnish immigrants in the 11th book, The Weaver’s Revenge, I wanted to spotlight the tradition of weaving rag rugs. Most Chloe Ellefson mysteries celebrate a folk art relevant for the featured ethnic group. Thanks to the Morellos-and all of the museum volunteers who make things happen! Hank’s many tasks included loom repair and assembling donated looms that arrived in pieces. She also helped preserve the tradition of braiding wool rugs, as shown below. In the photo above, she’s on the left, preparing cloth. Doris is of Finnish descent and wanted to learn how to weave. Her parents, Doris and Hank, were longtime museum volunteers. Special thanks to Julie Morello for her help with this post. Busy day in the weaving room, some time in the 1990s. And that’s an important part of the story. That camaraderie seems to define the good energy in the Iron County Historical Society’s weaving room as well. Just a bunch of neighbor-women sitting around the old woodstove in somebody’s kitchen drinking coffee and preparing their rags. “You know what I love most about weaving? This. In The Weaver’s Revenge, the 11th Chloe Ellefson Mystery, Chloe attends a cutting bee where local weavers have gathered to prepare their strips.
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