I enjoyed Weaving Rag Rugs, I think it was her PhD thesis, but I never felt like she answered why rag rug weaving has/had such a stronghold in this particular county in Maryland. Or if it’s not more popular there than in other areas, why chose to focus here? I did get a feel of the area and these women who were making ends meet making rugs. I was intrigued about how women would just bring them any old scraps of cloth from pantyhose to jackets to make into rugs. It seemed like it would be dirty work.

The author was a folklorist and she mentions that there is talk of funding craftspeople who have skills that were once common or even that are regional and obscure to continue doing them and perhaps teach others. I know Maryland has a folklife grant that does this but it’s not enough to live on. I’m not sure if other states have this program but I do think it’s needed.