Wagon wheels that made the deep ruts of the mining trails are again rolling into Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Only their destination isn't
the "promised land" but to make beautiful round cotton rugs like the pioneer women used to make. Our ancestors, needed rugs for a specific
reason. Their prime motive was warmth at the bedside or by the rocking chair on the cold, bare wood floors and even dirt floors of the shacks
that many lived in until their houses were built. In raising a large family, a pioneer woman always had to make do with what she had, so it would
be natural for her to come up with the idea of the wagon wheel rug. These pioneer women recycled their worn out cotton clothes into much
needed rugs and in the process added a splash of color to their drab lives. What could be more fitting for a loom than one of the extra iron rims
carried with them in case of breakdown on their trip. Many boring hours on the trip were spent weaving rugs on these circles of iron.
Using a combination of oral and written history and a trial and error method, I have succeeded in making the rugs the same way pioneer women
probably did. Today, I make them from cotton sheets, as well as other material. Pioneers didn't have the opportunity to make designs like we
can, using the vivid colors of modern sheets. Depending upon the color scheme, some rugs have vivid spokes that dominate the rug, while others
have a solid band of color going round, giving the rug a wheel effect. The wagon wheel rugs can be used in many ways. A small rug tossed down
on a wall-to-wall carpet for accent is an ideal accent for a large basket of flowers. Or draped over a small antique table they make an attractive
addition to any room. These rugs are as useful today as they were in bygone days as they are reversible as well as washable. I have replaced the
heavy iron rim used by the pioneers with a lighter wooden weaving frame that I have hand crafted.
Rugs measure approximately 44 inches including fringe.
“Hand Crafted by David Rheault”
|
