Magdalena Briner Rugs for my Greiner Dolls

 Greiner dolls were made in Philadelphia about the same time period as Pennsylvania rug hooker Magdalena Briner Eby was making her very folky rugs, now highly valued and treasured by collectors. I decided to make some inspired by her rugs for my Greiner dolls. For the shapes I am using old tin Cookie cutters, also typical of Pennsylvania. I am attempting to copy her style but not her exact rugs. 

Horse rug above at top, hooked all with yarn, too solid to be pretty to me.  A better collection of yarn would solve this.

My sister sent me the dear chair, from a Houston estate.  

Making accessories for the antique doll family has always been something Jack and I have done. See the sweet little horn book he made long ago.

One of my full size chairs also has a hooked mat I made showing a horse.

I am having a good time at this, as I have loved Pennsylvania folk art for over 50 years.  I hooked part of the horse rug with yarn but it was too solid so I switched back to regular wool fabric strips. Yarn is so much easier on hands!   I can't do much rug hooking now, but the small pieces are marginally doable. 

Here is a third little rug, using an eagle cookie cutter belonging to my friend Dixie, it has a more faded pastel look with some soft blue. 

I have been guided in making the little rugs by this wonderful book about Magdalena's life and her rugs.

Soon it will be time to write "30" here.  There have been more than 500 posts in this journal.    e