The last three photos were taken at an exhibit of the rugs at The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles
KNOTTED RUGS
After years of working with rag weaving I began to think about knotting the rags on the warp and creating a pile rug. Previously I had sewn a pile rug for a show called Bedroom Tableau at Functional Art, and so the seeds were there for a long time. In 2010 for my Rugs: Recycle and Re-imagine show at Craft in America, I began experimenting with this idea of knotted rag rugs.
Coincidentally, as I was finishing the first rug, I learned about the boucherouite rugs of Morocco. These rugs are made from recycled fabrics and other “post-industrial” materials, as a replacement when access to wool is restricted or not possible. My interest in how craft traditions are affected as the world changes is a big part of my ongoing work with textiles. I am always amazed at the connections between one’s own process and how that connects to the wider web of textile making.
