Did you know that you can find love themes in antique textiles of yesteryear with more varied distinctive motifs than the images of love pushed at us in commercial products nowadays? Rug hookers especially seemed to enjoy capturing love dialogue and couples in those hand made gifts, as seen in charming antique examples that FISHER HERITAGE owner Laura Fisher has collected for Valentine’s Day.

Among them are ‘motto’ hooked rugs by the noted married artisans James and Mercedes Hutchinson, whose unique personality-filled pictorials often depict themselves as a mustachioed man in pursuit of a blonde woman, with ironic commentary about marriage and family relationships and droll observations about love.

For occasions like a wedding, rugs were hooked for the marital couple to stand upon during the ceremony; useful today as wedding gifts or to adorn your own home.

While the Double Wedding Ring pieced quilt of the early 20th century is the one most often thought of as a classic gift, in fact a large variety of quilts and textiles were presented for weddings, especially signed friendship quilts, elaborate early whitework pieces, and “best” or “show” quilts of the mid to late 19th century. Cherished as heirlooms long after their presentation and carefully preserved, some wonderful examples exist today to gift anew to your loved ones.

Fisher’s choices include:

LOVE AT HOME, a smile inducing antique hooked rug from Maine

A MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE, a Hutchinson hooked rug depicting the couple, he in devilish pursuit of her

OUR HOME, a wedding gift to a married couple from Massachusetts

DREAMS THAT SUSTAIN ME…., an ironic Hutchinson rug about the travails of single womanhood

MENNONITE DOUBLE WEDDING RING PIECED QUILT, an unusual example in wool, Pennsylvania origin

FOND MEMORIES OF OUR WEDDING DAY April 11, 1897, a one of a kind embroidered crazy quilt signed by friends and family

FOUNDATION ROSES WITH SWAG BORDER PIECED QUILT, c. 1845, Tennessee

A WHITEWORK CANDLEWICK SPREAD handwoven for William and Jane Stuart, Philadelphia, 1840

Contact Laura at FISHER HERITAGE: mobile 917/797-1260, or email laurafisherquilts@yahoo.com for more information and photos.