Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador

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RHGNL Historical Tribute Selling Well

In late 2006, the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador in partnership with DRC Publishing Inc. released Hooked Mats of Newfoundland and Labrador: Beauty Born of Necessity, a collection of hooked mats compiled from the Heritage Hooked Rug Registry. The book also highlights the history of mat hooking in the province and the formation and growth of the rug hooking guild itself.

“We are thrilled with the success of this book,” said RHGNL past president Alice Kelly. “It’s been many years in the making and represents countless hours of volunteer work. We’ve known for years about the existence of these delightful pieces of material culture and it’s wonderful to be able to share these pictures and stories with others.”
 
The Heritage Hooked Rug Registry (HHRR) started in 1997 when Guild member Joan Foster began photographing mats, many dating before Confederation in 1949 and made in communities throughout the province. To accompany these pictures she collected stories and other personal accounts of the mat-makers and the circumstances that encouraged their work.
 
“Women made mats for several reasons but generally they were made to create warmth on floors often made of bare boards but some also earned a little money from their work and for others it was an important social event,” said Mrs. Foster. “Whatever the reason, mat-making was certainly a part of the household duties for many women in rural Newfoundland and Labrador and one that seems to trigger memories of growing up in these households. What better tribute to our mothers and grandmothers than the preservation of this heritage.”

As part of the Registry project, Mrs. Foster and other Guild volunteers visited communities to meet with mat-makers and/or their families. As the work of RHGNL began to spread, so did interest in this project. In recent years, the Guild has held mat registrations at centers throughout the province and during annual rug school. To date, the Guild has registered over 600 mats and has made a copy of the Registry available to researchers through the Provincial Museum at The Rooms in St. John’s.

Hooked Mats of Newfoundland and Labrador: Beauty Born of Necessity is available for sale at a suggested retail price of $29.95 at book stores and craft shops throughout the province or by contacting the Guild’s Treasurer, Valerie Hoskins. For wholesale orders, contact the publisher DRC Publishing by phoning 709-726-0960, fax 709-726-4604 or by e-mail at staceypj@nfld.com.
 

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