Celebrates the inspiration work of British rag rug designer Winifred Nicholson.

Richly illustrated with colorful, quirky rag rugs (also known as hooked rugs), this delightful book examines British artist Winifred Nicholson’s relationship with the Cumbrian craft, the way in which she helped revive the tradition in the sixties and seventies, and her influence on contemporary makers. For anyone interested in textiles, naive art, British folk traditions, or mid-century craft, Winifred Nicholson is a treasure trove.

Nicholson (1893–1981) initially encountered rag rugs in Cumberland in the early 1920s, when, with her husband Ben Nicholson (1894–1982), she visited her neighbor Margaret Warwick, who sat in her kitchen making a rug from scraps of old clothing. In 1960 Nicholson moved back to the old Cumbrian farmhouse she had owned since 1923. It was here that she helped to revive the local ‘hooky’ rag rug making tradition. Through her efforts, over a hundred new rugs were made. 

This beautiful book also spotlights a selection of contemporary rag rug makers. Emma Tennant was inspired to start making rugs after seeing the ones made in the Cumbrian farmhouse. Also included are works by Nicholson’s nieces Louisa Creed and the late Jenny Steinbugler. In addition, the author discusses the extensive rag rug collection at Chillingham Castle, as well as the rug by Lucie Aldridge in the Fry Art Gallery.