74/131/43

Heaton Ward Ltd. (Manufacturer)

Lockstitcher attachment for a Singer sewing machine, used to make a pile effect rug. Razor blade for cutting the loops to create a pile effect.
A lockstitcher attachment for a Singer sewing machine, used for making a pile effect rug. It has a razor blade for cutting the completed loops to create the pile effect. With the lockstitcher is a small rug sample on a sack backing. There is also a paper packet with the words 'The Rapid Lockstich Rug Maker // Reg. No. 701131 // Makers: Heaton Ward Ltd // Cliveland Street // Birmingham'. They are part of the Hemeon Collection of rug-making tools and thrift rugs.

MERL Catalogue Form (temporary) – ‘Object name: Lockstitcher, machine // (PAPER PACKET) // … // Notes: ‘Sewing-machine attachment’ for Singer machine – an attachment for making a pile effect rug – with blade (razor) fur cutting completed loops at end. Sample attached to sack backing. // Packet: Paper envelope for the ‘Rapid Lockstitch Rug Maker’ with printed instructions on front of packet. Same method of use, as for ‘Singer’ attachment.’, MERL Miscellaneous Note, Greta Bertram, 10 December 2013 – The Hemeon Collection of rug-making tools and thrift rugs (74/131/1–74) was put together by Maidie F. Hemeon. Mrs Hemeon was interested in the tradition of ‘thrift’ rugs – rugs made using old fabrics and home-made or home-adapted tools. This type of rug has many names, including ‘rag’, ‘proddie’, ‘peggie’, ‘hooky’, ‘proggy’, ‘clippy’ and ‘bodgy’ rug. These rugs became widespread during the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century, but by the 1920s the craft was dying out except in areas of poverty or where tradition had a stronger hold. The necessity for thrift during World War II brought a brief revival, but it did not last long. Mrs Hemeon published a letter in the June 1970 edition of the Women’s Institute ‘Home & Country’ magazine in which she expressed her ambition to trace and preserve all the tools used in the craft before it was industrialised. She hoped to build up a display of samples, materials, tools and coloured photos of finished work in use, for demonstration, exhibition and educational purposes, and to simulate interest in making rag rugs as a living craft rather than as the remains of a dead one. She received many donations in response to the article, and in due course the collection came to MERL. It is likely that some of the samples in the collection were made by Mrs Hemeon. Further information can be found in the MERL Archives, D79/31.

Birmingham