WOODARD WEAVE IN-HOUSE WINNER'S CIRCLE

At the beginning of every new year, we like to look back and see how our family of rug designs are doing. It is impossible to say which ​design we​ like best, but everybody has his or her favorites.

Our Administrative Assistant, Kelly, for example, chose Eaton Square #43-S for her ​brand ​new apartment. We asked her why, and she said "It has an interesting pattern without being too bold. I wanted something with a little color, but a design that would be versatile enough to move with me through different apartments."

Blanche is re​-​doing her wood floors due to water damage from a neighbor's faulty plumbing - ah, the joys of New York City apartment life! - and ​she chose  Geometric Checkerboard #90-G. According to Blanche, "​ The blue  is such a great neutral color - it goes with all my antiques and textiles".  

Having just finished a renovation of her Long Island house, Blanche also selected a number of designs including Water Mill #264 ​"It seems perfect for a house near the beach, yet it has lots of character."​

WOODARD WEAVE'S Somerset #55, is a favorite of many clients. The richly colored stripes on a neutral background seem to be a hit everywhere, and have a universal appeal. 

That same popularity is also enjoyed by  Checkerboard #27-2T, based on a classic design which ​really works with just about every decor, modern or traditional. When in doubt, many clients lean towards Checkerboard#27-2T and know they can't miss.

Hamilton #201-R is a surprisingly popular choice by our clients, some of whom combine the design with Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, and all kinds of contemporary styles.

The larger scale of White River Junction #84-BG in a subtle mix of colors is another winner in WOODARD WEAVE's  ​in-house ​fan club.

Our Reading Collection, #19-D shown here, was inspired by an antique woven rug we found in the rural area near Reading, Pennsylvania. People who made quilts, and it seems like most PA homemakers did during the late-19th and early-20th- Centuries, sometimes set up a loom in their kitchen and made hand woven runners  from leftover fabrics. For area rugs, the strips were sewn together to make large room size  rugs.

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For clients who prefer seamless rugs, WOODARD WEAVE has found a way to weave area rugs up to 13 feet wide by any length, while retaining the authentic style of historic carpets.

Thus, a cottage industry was born, and the custom prospered well into the 20th-Century. The strip rugs, as they were sometimes called, were so popular that some companies, like Sears and Roebuck, offered commercial versions of these colorful flat woven rugs.

WOODARD WEAVE is  proud to have helped revive our country's love affair with the 

​authentic historical style that is uniquely American.

Dallas County in a New Colorway!

A client asked us if it would be possible to do one of our best selling hooked rug designs, Dallas County, in more primary colors.  Of course we could, and here it is.  

New Dallas County colorway HR#203-B

Original Dallas County colorway HR#203-A

An exciting part of creating our own hooked rug collection is that it offers us the opportunity to vary the designs and colorways in an infinite number of ways, just like the traditional rug makers a century ago.  All our rugs are inspired by 19th- and early-20th-Century designs which have stood the test of time.  

Each of our rugs is hand-hooked with hand-dyed fabrics that produce an individual variation, each with a human touch. We can make this or any other rug in our exclusive collection in virtually any size or shape. A round version , shown here, is especially appealing. 

Woodard & Greenstein in House Beautiful Magazine

The April edition of House Beautiful Magazine includes two Woodard & Greenstein products in its pages! The first is a WOODARD WEAVE Woven Rug, design Great Barrington #78-A which adds a quietly ordered element to the clean lines and comfortably furnished dining room in the article "A Global Approach" (Interior Design by David Dalton, Interview by David A. Keeps, Photographs by Lisa Romerein) beginning on page 100, image on page 104.

The second, is a vintage quilt featured in the article "Easy Breezy" (Interior Design by Justine Cushing, Interview by Christine Pittel, Photographs by James Merrell), beginning on page 110, image on page 119. Designer Justine Cushing used a whimsical vintage quilt, Circa 1930, to add warmth to this charming bedroom. "Pinwheel Sunburst" quilt from Woodard & Greenstein. 

Happy Fourth of July!

The Fourth of July! A time to celebrate the independence of our country, the greatest in the world. A time when everybody can join the celebration.  

Waiting endlessly for the summer to arrive, and now Boom! Suddenly it's here - and here we are, in the land of opportunity, where truly anything is possible. Strike up the band and let the fireworks begin!  

We have so much to celebrate - the Fourth reminds us of how fortunate we are that our forefathers were so incredibly ...well, awesome!

Antique Quilts: Celebrating the Holidays

Historically, some of the finest quilts were made to be brought out for special occasions and important events only, like birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and New Year's. These were the quilts that were carefully handled and preserved, not the utilitarian quilts that were made for everyday use. Holidays offered a time to display the makers' best; those sometimes spectacular displays of exceptional needlework created at home.  

19th- and early 20th-Century mothers and grandmothers were not distracted by things like TV, or jet trips around the world, so they found the time, even while managing a household, to give their undivided attention to quilting. The results were, at times staggering - beautiful, colorful spreads richly filled with fine quilting stitchery. In a way, each quilt in itself was a celebration of the seamstresses’ hard work, determination, and imaginative use of materials at hand, all peculiarly American. Each quilt is a handmade textile greeting card offering warmth and comfort, a personal expression of hope for peace and good will from the quilters of our past.    

Antique Quilt: "Sunburst" Variation. Found in Pennsylvania. Circa 1875.

Twenty pieced "Sunbursts" explode on a white ground, surrounded with star-like floral motifs and a radiant diamond border. The curious curvilinear motifs appliqued in all four corners add an unusual, art nouveau-like finishing touch. Quilters in 19th-Century America possessed remarkably creative approaches to making bed covers of extraordinary workmanship. 

Antique quilt: "Tulip" Applique with "Swag and Tassel" Border. American. Third quarter 19-Century.

Here is an exceptional example of a finely appliqued and quilted traditional bed cover of the 19th-Century. Made by a highly skilled quilter, this spread is extraordinarily stitched with elaborate detail. The scalloped inner borders and edges display the work of only the most advanced quilt maker. The "Swag and Tassel" border is on three of the four sides of the quilt, following a nineteenth century tradition which leaves one side for the head of the bed.

Antique Quilt (One of a pair): "Princess Feather" Applique. Ohio. Circa 1875.

Exceptionally large, this finely stitched and quilted spread in a traditional, surprisingly flamboyant pattern, has a mate with slight differences. Pairs or complementing quilts were sometimes made for the dowries of the maker's daughters. It would be difficult to calculate not only the number of stitches but also the amount of love and devotion that went into the making of these outstanding spreads.

Antique Quilt (2nd of a pair): "Princess Feather" Applique. Ohio. Circa 1875.

The maker set her sights high on this ambitious project - the creation of two magnificent quilts of equal beauty and craftsmanship, perhaps for two daughters to begin their marriages, a popular tradition among 19th-Century American quilters. Slight variations, such as the inner and outer borders, differentiate the two pieces, but both equally retain their rare beauty, thus insuring that neither daughter could ever feel slighted.

Antique Pieced and Applique Quilt: "Carolina Lily and Trees". American. Circa 1875.

Textile folk art flourished in 19th-Century America. It was a time when quilters applied their energies and creativity towards producing bed covers that were not only astonishingly beautiful but uniquely American. Using whatever materials were available and working at home, quilters managed to create pieces that transcended the lowly bedspread and were sometimes worthy of hanging as wall art, although that is a 20th-Century idea. Here, pieced "Lilies" alternate with appliqued "Trees" in a graphic design, delineated by triangle "Sawtooth" outlines, with an outer border of "Vines of Blossoms and Leaves". Quilters never seemed to run out of steam, paying careful attention to every detail all the way to the carefully stitched edges.

 Antique quilt:  "Baskets". American.  Late 19th-Century.  

Although there are many variations of the "Baskets" motif, few are as effectively presented as this example with a rigidly exact arrangement of the motifs.  The "Baskets" are skillfully pieced of solid red with green calicoes, with solid red squares punctuating each quilt block.  The precision of little tin soldiers comes to mind, all lined up on the diagonal across the white ground.  Angular basket handles add a sharp edge to the overall design, and the crisp texture of straight line quilting on a muslin ground provides an effective contrast.

Quilts, America's favorite folk art, are especially welcome to enjoy during the holidays. In some ways, even just viewing their images may offer respite from the tough realities that accompany this 2012 holiday season.  

We at Woodard & Greenstein send you our best wishes for the holidays! 

Celebrating the Fourth

Over the years Woodard and Greenstein has acquired many rare pieces of Americana, including an extensive collection of 19th and 20th century campaign bandannas, and what more fitting time to showcase these unique and charming finds than on the Fourth of July? Here's a sampling of our favorite pieces paying homage to the red white and blue. As always, these and other American antiques can be found and purchased on 1stdibs.com. Have a happy Fourth!

Applique and Pieced Quilt top: GOD BLESS AMERICA c.1914-1920. A patriotic handmade quilt top mounted on stretchers with 48-star American flag, and a soldier at the pole base.

Campaign Bandanna: Harrison/Morton 1888. Inscribed "Protect Home Industry" with portraits of the candidates.

Political Bandanna: Harrison/Morton 1888. Inscribed "Protection vs. Free Trade / "Pension for Soliders / Aid for Free Schools". 

Political Bandanna: Wendell Wilkie 1940. Wendell Wilkie campaigned against  Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election.

Pair of Campaign Bandannas 1888. A pair of Harrison/Morton bandannas, included in "Threads of History" published by the Smithsonian Institute. 

Antique Quilt: Feathered Star Variation: Late 19th century finely pieced graphic variation of traditional design in red, white, and blue.

Pair of miniature Adirondack chairs and single Adirondack chair c. early 20th century. A charming pair of red and white painted wood miniature chairs, and a single red painted wood  miniature chair.

Trade Sign: National Union Fire Insurance Company c. 1900. Red white and blue patriotic shield with capitol building inspiring trust and confidence.

Paper covered barrel cover c. early 20th century. Patriotic colors and motifs decorate this exuberant advertisement for an American flour company.

Woodard Weave design Georgetown 254 brings our love of Americana to our Woodard Weave Woven Rug collection with bold red, white and blue.