Do you remember the red lozenges on a black background? Were you involved in family rug making as a child?

Rag rugs were for a long time a feature of most homes in Yorkshire. By recycling clothes and sacking, inexpensive and bright flooring could be made rather than bought. In miners’ houses before the advent of pit baths and lockers, families could afford to replace the hearthrug when it became black with coal dust.

Rag rugs may have been borne out of necessity and recycling, but the recent revival of interest has turned rug making into a hobby and art form. We now also recognise the value of shared experience. This was and still is very much a communal activity involving family and friends.

The exhibition shows an amazing range and the wonderful craftsmanship of the members of two groups, The West Riding Ruggers and the Yorkshire Rugmakers. The actual exhibition ran from 4th February until 6th May 2006 and was shown at Pontefract Museum, West Yorkshire. During the period of the displays 11,185 visitors came to the museum.

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