Everyone loves the look of traditional penny rugs. Not everyone wants to seek out the wool fabrics usually associated with them. Here is how to get the look, the feel and all of the fun of making and displaying your own penny rugs using cotton quilting fabrics.

Traditionally penny rugs might include any of these 4 basic elements.
1. Penny Stacks
2. Tongue Border
3. Blanket Stitch Embroidery
4. Folk Appliqué Motifs
Any of these elements can be easily done with cotton.

PENNY STACKS
Penny rugs are named for one of the common household items used as a pattern for cutting circles. I'm sure other objects were used since most rugs were made up of several size circles. The circles or pennies were either arranged in stacks of 2 or 3 concentric sizes and blanket stitched together or left single and embellished with embroidery. The completed pennies were then appliquéd to a background fabric or sewn together at their edges to form giant rectangles, hexagons or diamonds.

TONGUE BORDERS
Lambs' tongues, fish scales, pen wipers, petals, scallops, shoe heels and tabs are just some of the names given to the floppy borders of penny rugs. Lots of variations are possible with different combinations of size, shape and arrangement.

BLANKET STITCH EMBROIDERY
Perle cotton, embroidery floss or plain sewing thread are a few possibilities for the blanket stitched edges.

FOLK APPLIQUE MOTIFS
Flowers and animals are the most frequently seen motifs on penny rugs.

Copyright © 2001 Janet Carija Brandt.
Visit : Carijarts.com