Story Behind the Mat:
“Sugaring Off” is one of several mats on this site hooked by Melba Irene (Hiltz) Barkhouse between 1950 and 1990.
Born in Fraxville, Lunenburg County, Melba and her husband settled in the rural community of Rockland, not far from the town of Berwick in the Annapolis Valley.
Melba’s daughter, Gloria (Barkhouse) Illsley remembers that the time for rug hooking in their home was during the winter months, when her mother’s hooking frame would become a fixture in their living room.
As Melba hooked during the long winter evenings, she was continuing a family tradition which she had learned from her mother, Emily Livian (Legge) Hiltz.
In the early days, the patterns were simple and the rugs were functional, warming the floors in winter and protecting them from wear and tear.
In later years, Melba had the time and the resources to hook more detailed patterns using more varied yarns, which gave her satisfaction and pride in her work.
This is an example of the evolution of Melba’s work, from the simpler designs of stripes and squares to this pictorial, a Garrett Bluenose pattern that is a favourite among rug hookers, which contains more details, colours and directional hooking. Hooked with yarn on burlap, it is in good contion.
“Sugaring Off” belongs to Melba’s daughter, Gloria Illsley.