There seems to be some variation in the documented history of what is considered to be penny rugs versus appliqued work. I hope that my own recount of their history may help those curious to know more about penny rugs. My account of them is memories from my learning experiences and stories told by my grandmother.
My first encounter with penny rug making was over forty years ago. My great-grandmother taught my grandmother, and gram taught me. It was a labor of love on both our parts. My unskilled fingers and her wonderful patience were a perfect combination for an experience I have not forgotten.
Penny rugs are constructed using three sizes of medallions. The top medallion was the size of an antique penny, which is about three times larger then our penny today. The second somewhat larger, and the third medallion was the largest of all. The were stitched in place, one on top of the other.
The fabrics were originally made of the wool from clothing, which had worn to thin to wear. The scraps were washed in hot water and laid out to dry. My grandmother boiled her wool pieces, which was suppose to keep it from further shrinkage. The wool colors were often times black or brown, so colorful threads or yarn stitched in a blanket stitch added brightness to the rugs. The yarn was from sheep's wool, and dyed using vegetable dyes. Beets, carrots, dandelions and even pulverized green leaves. If it would stain wool yarn, it was an additional coloring agent. The backing was from either old worn horse blankets or the portions of the pants that still had strength. It required stitching those pieces together to form a canvas for the medallions. In later years, damaged heavy canvas used on the farm machinery served as backing.
Contrary to belief, penny rugs had a main function in the beginning. They were one of the homesteader's choices for a rug. The penny medallions stacked in three acted like a shoe cleaner or scraper. Most settlers' homes were made of planking, but they did not have the wood sealers we do today, so everyone wiped their shoes as much as possible at the door so as not to stain the planking.
Most penny rugs were dark in color and could last a long time before needing a good wash. When it was time for cleansing, a washtub out in the yard served the purpose. Prior to the wash, a good rug beater slammed against the backside rid the wool of as much dried dirt as possible. To dry them, they laid over a sawhorse under a tree so the sun would not fade the colors from the yarns if the colors did not already wash out.
Once the rug was clean and dried, the repair work began. Medallions, which had torn during the winter, would be discarded and new fabrics stitched in their place.
Some of the homesteaders made alternate choices which can be learned of in article two of, The History of Penny Rugs.