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Geometrics rag rug by Karlene Herdman

This rag rug was made by Greymouth local, Karlene Herdman. Its bright colours and geometric motifs come from a long history of repurposing old clothes and textiles to create floor and bed covers.

_{“This rug is made entirely of t-shirts garnered from free bins at op-shops. There is an endless supply! I use a hessian coffee sack for backing , cut the t-shirts into strips and use a latch hook to pull loops which become like pixels of the design.
When coming up with the design for Andy I looked at Zimbabwean and Shetland textiles online because of his association with both places, and discovered a common theme of crosses, chevrons and square block repeating patterns . I also discovered Tatit rugs from Shetland that were used for bedcovers, they often had a cross design in the middle for protection.
 I divided the space with a border , central motif and grouped warm and cool colours for contrast. There is a loose concept of the Tasman Sea on one side and The Southern Alps on the other, being a reference to our position living as we do on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand, and a nod to Tukutuku triangles, which denote  four winds.
I enjoy making these rugs, assembling a group of colours, working out how to fill in the space and meditatively sitting with my work until the very last puzzle piece falls into place. I am heartened by Andy’s enjoyment of it and proud to see it hanging on the wall at West Coast Cloth Company.”}