Throughout the first half of the 1900s, hooked mats on floors across Canada carried the name "Bluenose," a well-known Nova Scotian name. Some even carried an image of the famous fishing schooner of the same name. About 1926, the Garrett family business in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, adopted the word as its trade name for hooked mat patterns. Its printed burlap patterns, distributed by mail order, transported the name and the company's designs into homes far away. Although Garrett's was neither the first nor the only producer of hooking patterns in Nova Scotia, the company was certainly the largest, and by far the longest in operation.
Among my late grandmother's treasures was a lovely Bluenose Rug pattern in a lively sunflower design. I'm so glad I held onto the pattern for some 40 years - never dreaming that I'd end up hooking rugs myself. Just recently, I dug out the pattern and transferred it to a new piece of burlap - and voila!
The mat measures 31 1/2" x 20" - $325. For more information you can contact me at rdyer@nexicom.net SOLD
