74/131/54

Phoebe Owen (Maker)

Baler twine was often collected from the fields after harvesting and used to make doormats. The first sample is a prepared length of plaited baler twine ready for sewing. The second sample shows a length of plaited twine which has been sewn edge to edge into an oval shape. They were made by Mrs Pheobe Owen of Shiplake, Oxfordshire. The samples are part of the Hemeon Collection of rug-making tools and thrift rugs.

2 rug samples: twine

MERL Catalogue Form (temporary) – ‘Object name: SAMPLE // … // Notes: ‘Baler Twine’ plaited and sewn edge to edge into an oval shape (usually used as door-mats). Also sample of prepared plaited baler twine ready for sewing. // (The twine was usually picked up from the fields after harvesting).’, MERL Miscellaneous Note, Greta Bertram, 10 December 2013 – The Hemeon Collection of rug-making tools and thrift rugs (74/131/1–74) was put together by Maidie F. Hemeon. Mrs Hemeon was interested in the tradition of ‘thrift’ rugs – rugs made using old fabrics and home-made or home-adapted tools. This type of rug has many names, including ‘rag’, ‘proddie’, ‘peggie’, ‘hooky’, ‘proggy’, ‘clippy’ and ‘bodgy’ rug. These rugs became widespread during the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century, but by the 1920s the craft was dying out except in areas of poverty or where tradition had a stronger hold. The necessity for thrift during World War II brought a brief revival, but it did not last long. Mrs Hemeon published a letter in the June 1970 edition of the Women’s Institute ‘Home & Country’ magazine in which she expressed her ambition to trace and preserve all the tools used in the craft before it was industrialised. She hoped to build up a display of samples, materials, tools and coloured photos of finished work in use, for demonstration, exhibition and educational purposes, and to simulate interest in making rag rugs as a living craft rather than as the remains of a dead one. She received many donations in response to the article, and in due course the collection came to MERL. It is likely that some of the samples in the collection were made by Mrs Hemeon. Further information can be found in the MERL Archives, D79/31.

Shiplake

Twine, Rug, Sample