Moroccan Needlepoint Rug #3 is Coming

It’s time to decide on the next rug to design and stitch in my study of Moroccan rugs. I added a map to the website to show where they all come from. I’ve done a small red rug in the Zemmour style from the area near Rabat, the capital. Then I did a rug from the Middle Atlas Mountains area – the blue rug. Now I’m going to move to the South of Morocco and do a rug from the Anti Atlas area. The rugs from this area are very different from anything I’ve shown you before.

This first photo is from Alia at http://kantaracrafts.blogspot.com  It looks like a quilt, doesn’t it? This also has a border all the way around – another difference from what I’ve done before. Another example I’ve found is below.

The colors are different – lots of brown, orange, gold. They alternate patterned squares with solid colors that have motifs on them. I’m still working on a layout, but I’ve made a few decisions. I’m doing the rug on Congress Cloth with cotton threads. I will also do some of the squares on 18 ct. canvas with Sheep’s Silk (50% wool/50% silk) so I can estimate how much thread will be required to do the rug on 18 ct. 

I’ve started gathering things together, thread and canvas, but I’m not ready to start just yet. I need to study these photos and others I have to decide the patterns and motifs that I want to work into the design. I hope to have something ready in another week so I can start stitching.