When you look at a hooked rug, you see more than just wool and burlap. You see a piece of local history. For Jean Ketch, that history takes the shape of a detailed family tree woven into a heraldic shield. Ketch recently brought two of her creations to Government House in Fredericton to join the New Brunswick Mat Registry. This provincial initiative ensures these handmade pieces and their makers are never forgotten.

According to a recent report by CBC News, the registry documents New Brunswick hooked rugs that are at least 25 years old. The physical paperwork for this massive project finds its home right here in Saint John at the New Brunswick Museum.

Weaving Family History

Ketch began rug hooking around 1980 and helped found the Fredericton Heritage Rug Hooking Guild. One of the rugs she submitted features a shield filled with a curling stone, a baseball bat, and a hockey stick.

“This is a history of my family,” Ketch says. Every object on the rug symbolizes a loved one.

While arthritis prevents her from hooking today, her decades old heraldry rug remains in pristine condition. By entering it into the registry, she guarantees her family story lives on.

How the Registry Works

Documenting a rug takes about two hours. Volunteer Audrey Norman runs the intake table and explains the thorough process. Each rug receives an official number sewn onto the back on a cotton tag. Volunteers then photograph, inspect, and measure the piece. Finally, they interview the maker or their family members to capture the history behind the wool.

The rugs return home with their owners. The New Brunswick Museum in Saint John stores the physical paperwork, while a searchable online database holds the photos and details. The registry currently boasts over 600 documented rugs.

Preserving the Past

Committee chair Judy Morison notes that organizers started planning the project around 2005. They noticed Nova Scotia and Newfoundland had similar registries and worried New Brunswick rugs were ending up in the trash as they wore out.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen to them,” Morison says. “They may treasure them, or some relative somewhere down the line goes and throws it out, who knows? But we have the story captured.”

The records hold fascinating details about the makers. Past entries include a botany professor who incorporated plant designs into her mats and a mother of 13 who sold eggs at the county fair.

For Ketch, the registry offers peace of mind. “Someday down the road,” she says, it will be noted “that Jean Ketch made this rug.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the New Brunswick Mat Registry?

The registry is a provincial project that documents handmade hooked rugs from New Brunswick that are at least 25 years old.

Where are the registry records kept?

The physical paperwork is stored at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John. The photos and rug details are also available in a searchable online database.

What happens to the rugs after they are registered?

The rugs go back home with their owners. They leave with an official numbered cotton tag sewn to the back to identify them in the museum records.