132 Woolley Fox Lane        Ligonier, PA 15658

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or by Email at woolleyfox@verizon.net

04/25/2008

You can contact us at 724 - 238 - 3004 or email woolleyfox@verizon.net 

The small rug pictures on this page are links to a larger image. Click on a photo to see it enlarged, then use your back button to return here.

All of the rugs photographed below were originally hooked by Magdalena Briner.Thankfully Evelyn Lawrence of Hallstead, Pennsylvania, has investigated the history of Magdalena and her rugs. See additional information at the end of this page. A huge thanks to Evelyn for all of her hard work.

There are several new Magdalena Briner rugs discovered by Evelyn Lawrence. She has done a GREAT job at finding all of these Magdalena Briner rugs. Congratulations to Evelyn and a big thank you from all of us "hookers."

1885 Horses, 19 x 58 and 16 x 47. The rug on the left was hooked by Mary Kelly, Scottsdale, Arizona. I love the way that Mary sort of planted the horses on "grass." A super look. Thanks Mary.

Louise Schram, Whitehouse, Ohio, hooked the 1885 Horses in the middle. The gold area under the left-hand horse sparks up the rug while the lightish area in the middle highlights the horses. This rug is wonderful any way you hook it.

The rug on the right was hooked by Lynn Easton, Brownsburg, Indiana. I am so excited by the different color combinations of all of these rugs. Just a great rug for color. I love the reds in Lynn's rug. Sort of "sparky."

  1885 Horses, 19 x 58 and 16 x 47. The rug on the left was hooked by Evelyn Lawrence, Hallstead, Pennsylvania. Just a great and simple rug. The background areas are big fun to play with. Either size is a treasure.

The middle rug was hooked by Beth Anne Smiley, of Davenport, Iowa. I love the quietness of this rug. Different from the others in this respect. Very old looking and a wonderful rug.

Carol Collin of Goode, Virginia, hooked the rug on the right and I will say that I LOVE her backgrounds. Really super, the use of the warm taupe colors. Carol started this rug while she was at Green Mountain Rug School.

  1885 Horses, 19 x 58 and 16 x 47. The rug on the left was hooked by Debbie Curry, Verona, Pennsylvania. This is from an antique rug originally hooked by Magdalena Briner of Perry County, Pennsylvania. A great way to use your leftover wools. Don't try to "over-plan" this rug.

Renita Geddes, Odessa, Missouri, hooked the middle rug. Renita's husband, Doug, gave her this rug and the wools for Christmas. She had a fun time hooking her Christmas rug. I like the horses in the different colors. The wool in the one on the left almost looks as if it has been onion skinned. Great glow to it. A great old rug. 

It is fun to see the different color stories that each hooking artist has used in this rug. However you will notice that many of these rugs have a red horse! Dixie Coyle of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, hooked the rug on the right. I love her weird background above the red horse, which balances the horse on the left.

The 1885 Horses on the left is super also. The balance of the reds in this rug is terrific. Also the use of the blues is perfect. Unexpected and just plain neat. Mary Magnuson, Stillwater, Minnesota, hooked this super rug.

Pat Freasier, Houston, Texas, hooked the middle rug above. Again, unusual color play and a winner. This pattern is so wonderful that you can just about hook it in any color combination. The golds just make this rug come alive.

The third 1885 Horses above was hooked by Becky Calderwood of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Becky's center star is a STAR! Her rug is wonderful with the limited colors. Very neat.

  Dee Ann Bartrug, Garland, Texas, hooked the first two wonderful 1885 Horses. Two of my favorite techniques she used here are the proddy for the flowers and the dates in the bodies of the horses on the right. Super, just super.

The third 1885 Horses was hooked by Nova Scott, Spotsylvania, Virginia. I love her horses. Very primitive and old. Her background enhances all of the motif colors, and the directional hooking is super.

The first rug here was hooked by Ann Ray, Fredericksburg, Texas. Ann has a very fun "color brain" and a wonderful way with the rugs. The blue and red horses are super.

The second 1885 Horses was hooked by Marguerite Evans, Liberty, Texas, Marguerite also has a very fun "color brain" and hooks happy, happy rugs. The bright colors are super.

The third rug was hooked by Patty Schroeder while at the Arrow Rock Rug Camp in 2005. Very old and warm. The ring around the lower left posey and the upper right posey is just the right amount of "spark."

 1885 Horses, left, was hooked by Weslee Hursh. Her all blue background is absolutely wonderful. I love her center star also. Weslee is a new hooker and absolutely loves it -- her rug is super.

The second 1885 Horses was hooked by Crystal Brown of Washington, Pennsylvania, a very fun lady. Crystal likes lots of color and is very good at making all of her rugs "big time fun." The play of the reds and pinks in this rug is great.

The third 1885 Horses, hooked by Bev Cole of Centerville, Ohio, is wonderful with the unexpected red background under the left horse. Balances the horse on the right. The soft "penny flowers" are wonderful.

1885 Horses, hooked by Jo Ritter of West Alexandria, Ohio. Jo had a great time with these horses. I love the odd direction of the hooking. Great backgrounds.

The second 1885 Horses was hooked by Dea Olson of Topeka, Kansas. The softness of Dea's background make the rug appear to have much age. Her horses are fun.

Anne Jenkins of Scottsdale, Arizona, hooked the third 1885 Horses. This pattern comes in two sizes, 19 x 58 and 16 x 47. Her horses are neat and the redish flowers in the backgrounds are wonderful.  Thanks Anne.

1885 Horses, hooked by Mary Lou Mattice of Oneonta, New York. Wow - what a great three color story.   Very simplistic.  Just wonderful.

Great Granddaughter's Rug, 24 x 34. The original rug belongs to Magdalena's great granddaughter, and this one was hooked by Evelyn Lawrence, Hallstead, Pennsylvania. This design is pure whimsy, I love the two upside down ducks tucked over the "lollipop bouquets." A super rug to use your leftovers.

The rug in the middle was hooked by Dixie Coyle, Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Dixie hooked this at the Arrow Rock Rug School in a Hannah class taught by Jule Marie Smith and me. I adore her two "lollipop bouquets" -- each one different -- as if the maker just used her leftovers, and when she ran out of something went on to the next piece in her basket. Thanks, Dixie.

Penny Franklin hooked the third rug in Arrow Rock. Her choice of soft colors is absolutely wonderful. Also the ducks are super. This is a great rug; many thanks to Magdalena Briner and Penny.

The fourth Great Granddaughter's Rug was hooked by Elaine Cathcart, Athens, Tennessee. The softness of this rug is absolutely wonderful. Very old and muted.

The fifth Great Granddaughter's Rug above was hooked by Meg Walters, Malvern, Ohio. The darks in her background make this rug dance. Notice all of the different "darks" in the same hues. Very neat.

    Harvey's Magdalena 23 x 35, hooked by Evelyn Lawrence. I think the whitish outline of the bird is super. Great corners and another wonderful Magdalena Briner rug.

The second rug from the left was hooked by Elaine Cathcart. Her background is perfect for the color play of the animals and the corners. Just neat!

The third from the left was hooked by Mary Magnuson. The "echo" around the horse allowed her to hook a darkish horse and still spotlight him. The corners at the bottom balance the color in the rest of the rug.

The fourth Harvey's Magdalena was hooked by Julie Thornton, Shelby, Ohio. Julie hooked this with Jayne Hester in her wonderful neutrals class. Lots of fun to see the different color stories. I love Julie's background. Super neat.

The fifth Harvey's Magdalena, 23 X 35, was hooked by Meg Walters of Malvern, Ohio. The quiet animals and deep background are "sparkled" up with the bits of color through out the rug.  Lots of fun.

Lollipop Bouquet, 29 x 35, easily my favorite of the Magdalena rugs. Just simple whimsy, with haphazard fun. Evelyn Lawrence did a great job of creating the fun that is in this rug. Again, try hooking this pattern using only your leftover strips.

The Lollipop Bouquet second from the left was hooked by Penny Ward, Franklin, Tennessee. Penny hooked this at Arrow Rock, Missouri. We had a fun class and this charming rug has all of the whimsy and fun of the old rug.

My wonderful friend Jayne Hester of Kinderhook, New York, hooked the delightful Lollipop Bouquet in the middle. Notice that this rug is hooked entirely in neutrals. Jayne's interruption of a neutral rug is any color that comes from brown or black. She is now teaching classes on how to do this. You can get in touch with her at kinderhookb-b@berk.com  to learn more about these exciting classes. Thanks, Jayne, for more than you know.

The fourth rug from the left is just a GREAT play of color, hooked by Carie O'Banion of Omaha, Nebraska. The movement of the "pot" wool into the lollipops is neat. I love the way the corners are absolutely perfect with the background. Just super.

The fifth Lollipop Bouquet was hooked by Lois Lee Ewing, Kerrville, Texas. Super fun and happy rug. This is a super pattern to use your scraps.

The sixth Lollipop Bouquet, 29 x 35, was hooked by Jayne Hester of Kinderhook, New York.

Magdalena's Animal Collection, 43 x 71, hooked by Bryan Hancock of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Bryan's background is wonderful -- just a great, playful rug. Her color play with the animals is perfect.

  Magdalena's Animal Collection with Lollipop, 55 x 74 a great area size rug. This pattern layout is by Elaine Cathcart and is protected by copyright. Elaine hooked this wonderful rug on the left and what a statement it makes. Note her great hit 'n' miss teal dogs. Just super. Thanks to Elaine Cathcart. 

Evelyn Lawrence had a lot of fun with her Magdalena's Animal Collection with Lollipop, second. Please note that Evelyn changed the pattern somewhat -- the pattern ships as shown in Elaine's rug on the left. I think my favorite part of the rug is the sort of "hidden" bird just to the right of the lollipop bouquet. The pinkish horse is super as well as the whitish outline on the duck. This rug is just fun.

The third Magdalena's Animal Collection with Lollipop above was hooked by Meg Walters, Malvern, Ohio. I always love the lollipop, but I am crazy about her speckled dogs. Just a blend of black and white wools. All different. The gold hit 'n' miss duck is super too.

Magdalena's Animal Runner, 32 x 96, was hooked by Lucille Festa of Pawlet, Vermont. This rug is absolutely perfect.  Great movement of color through out the rug.  Very wonderful.

Magdalena's Bird Dog, 30 x 40. Another great new image. I just cannot say enough about Evelyn and Magdalena. This rug is hooked by Evelyn and in the original colors.

Magdalena's Dog, 16 x 21, the rug on the left was hooked by Evelyn Lawrence, Hallstead, Pennsylvania. This is a great small rug that is easy, fast and fun to hook. I love Evelyn's "bright spots" around the dog. Actually, I love Evelyn too.

The rug second from the left was hooked by Barb. I had a good time playing with all of the muted colors and trying to make it look OLD, OLD, OLD. Very different from Evelyn's, but also fun.

Susan Harris, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, hooked the third rug. The rust line around the dog makes the dog "pop" and you then see the entire rug. This is a super neat pattern, small and a real treasure.

Heidi Apger, Mansfield, Ohio, hooked the fourth Magdalena's Dog. The red around the dog just makes this rug. Thanks Heidi.

Sue McCann, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, hooked the fifth rug, a delightful rendition of Magdalena's Dog. She hooked this for her brother whose dog was Abby. A neat way to personalize your rug. Sue started this at the Green Mountain Rug School with Pat Cross. Thanks, ladies!

Magdalena's Dog, 16 x 21 hooked by Alice Fraizer of Lexington, Ohio. This small rug is a real treasure. Alice's colors are old and muted. I love the ear on the dog.

Magdalena's Dog and Cats, 32 x 39, a great new found rug. Evelyn hooks these rugs as close to the original colors as she can. The fun of finding new images of the dog and cats is super.

The second rug was hooked by my great friend Jayne Hester of Kinderhook, New York. Jayne is an expert at neutral rugs, and this is a wonderful example. Looks old, soft and friendly.

The third Magdalena's Dog and Cats was hooked by Mary Magnuson of Stillwater, Minnesota. Her red cats are absolutely fun, fun, fun. These rugs are NOT serious and the color play is super. The dog is whimsical too. Just wonderful!

Magdalena's Dog and Crows, 24 x 31. This rug is very easy to hook if you treat the hit 'n' miss area as the border and the light area around the dog and crows as the background. A great rug to have fun with your scraps. Also, use hit 'n' miss darks for the dog and crow. Evelyn Lawrence hooked this rug on the left and again, we thank her for all of her research into the history of Magdalena Briner.

Dixie Coyle of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, hooked the rug second from the left. Very old and primitive -- a wonderful rendition of this great rug hooked originally by Magdalena.

Lois Lee Ewing, Kerrville, Texas, hooked the third Magdalena's Dog and Crows. My very favorite part of this rug is the way she outlined the birds. Super rug.

Pat Freaser, Houston, Texas, hooked the fourth rug. Her dog and crows are filled with happy wools and are "sparked up" again by her background. Then the old-looking greens in the border area settle everything down and make this a fabulous rug.

Meg Walters hooked the fifth Magdalena's Dog and Crows above. Meg hooked this rug very simplistically, by leaving out some of the design and keeping the color palette quiet. Her hit 'n' miss area under the dog is neat, and note the outline of the bird in the bottom left corner.

Magdalena's Dog and Crows, far left, was hooked by Gloria Ault, Shelby, Ohio. Gloria was also in Jayne Hester's neutral class in Arrow Rock. Just soft, neat and old.

The second Magdalena's Dog and Crows above was hooked by Wendy Cross.

Magdalena's Dog and Crows, the third rug above, was hooked by Carol Daughtery, South Bend, Indiana. Carol's rug is wonderful. I love the way she used the purple to sort of look like faded black. Just nifty.

The fourth rug above is another great Magdalena's Dog and Crows. The quiet center lets the play of color surround the dog with a very whimsical feel. Hooked by Beth Anne Smiley from Iowa. She hooked this in the Arrow Rock Rug School.

The fifth Dog and Crows above was hooked by Peggy Bloom of Missoula, Montana. I had just gotten in the neat magenta striped wool before Peggy's group came for a mini. Peggy likes bright, and this strip just hooked up super. Love her puppy too.

Magdalena's Dog and Crows, 24 x 31, hooked by Dea Olson of Topeka, Kansas. WOW! Dea's colors are soft, old and wonderful. Very quiet and nice.

The second Magdalena's Dog and Crows was hooked by Heidi Apger. The pink nose on the dog is big time fun. I love the colors in the border and the background. Thanks Heidi.

Magdalena's Dog and Feathered Friends, 31 x 48. The rug on the left was hooked by Evelyn and I LOVE this new rooster!

The second rug was hooked by Mary Magnunson, Stillwater, Minnesota. She and Emma Lou worked on this together. I love the color plan, and especially the duck!

Magdalena's Dog and Feathered Friends, third above, was hooked by Meg Walters of Malvern, Ohio. The red dog on the purple background creates a very soft and old looking rug. I LOVE the feet on the rooster. Love Meg too!

   Magdalena's Double Horses, 23 x 42. The rug on the left was hooked by Evelyn Lawrence, Hallstead, Pennsylvania. I love hit 'n' miss, so these rugs are big fun for me. Evelyn hooked in the odd streaks in the horses, which makes them more interesting. Note that the eyes are different colors.

The second rug was hooked by Janice Lee, at Black Horse Antiques, Valley, Nebraska. Janice hooked this rug in two weeks as a Christmas order. The fellow she hooked it for chose the colors and then she put the rug together. The dark horses on the deep red background is very striking and bold. A super rug. Thanks, Janice.

Barbara Daniels, Sugarland, Texas, hooked the rug third from the left. A super play of "quiet wools" and the teal horse is GREAT!

Joan Wiksten, Topeka, Kansas, hooked the Magdalena's Double Horses on the right. Colorful, fun, and happy. Super color choices.

Magdalena's Farm, 24 x 38. The rug on the left was also hooked by Evelyn and I do really love this rug. I think animals are my favorite motifs to hook, and this rug is absolutely charming.

The Magdalena's Farm second from left was hooked by my good friend Elaine Cathcart, Athens, Tennessee. I cannot say enough good things about this rug. Her animals are wonderful and her background is absolutely super. Hey Elaine, how about that border?

Dixie Coyle, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, hooked the third rug. Again, I love this background, and the odd shape of the animals make this a super fun rug.

Jackie Budd, a fun Minnesota lady, hooked the fourth Magdalena's Farm. The "quiet" bird in the lower right corner is super. And I especially love the "rabbit deer" in the middle.

Mary Magnuson from Stillwater, Minnesota, hooked this Magdalena's Farm. Everything about this rug is super. Especially the duck and the wonderful bird. Mary is super also!

  Magdalena's Folk Art Horse, 24 x 40 and 12 x 21. This is just a great fun rug. Evelyn Lawrence hooked the rug on the left. Nothing makes much sense. I think that Magdalena's whimsy created a super rug.

The second rug was hooked by Elaine Cathcart, Athens, Tennessee. The red horse and motifs on the different green backgrounds "pulls" down the reds and makes the rug look very old and walked on. A super look.

The third rug was hooked by Jan Bennett, Hiawasse, Georgia. Jan hooked this in the mat size, and what a darling rug it is. I love the simplicity of the colors. Just a great rug no matter the colors.

Kathy Wadlington, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, hooked the fourth wonderful rug. I love the purple and gold star. Just lots of fun. So is Kathy!

This Magdalena's Folk Art Horse was hooked by Lisa Baughman of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The way Lisa hooked this horse is just lots of fun; her color choices for the backgrounds are super. The rug looks very old and wonderful.

Mary Magnuson of Stillwater, Minnesota, hooked the second Magdalena's Folk Art Horse.  Mary's lightish areas in the rug are soft and wonderful. The middle of the rug looks worn from wear and light. Just GREAT!

The third Magdalena's Folk Art Horse was hooked by Weslee Hursh of Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The red horse on the teal/blue backgrounds gives a very old look to this rug. Just super. Thanks Weslee.

Magdalena's Pup, 22 x 35. The rug on the left was hooked by Evelyn and is a very simple and fun primitive. The corners are a great place for color play.

Nancy Wiley, a Tennessee Wool Sister, hooked the second Magdalena's Pup. This is a delightful rug, and Nancy hooked the Pup to look like her dog. Don't you love the tail on this dog? Just lots of fun.

Meg Walters, Malvern, Ohio, hooked the third Magdalena's Pup. The simplicity of her color palette is GREAT.

Olde Ducks, 19 x 25. The first rug was hooked by Evelyn Lawrence, Hallstead, Pennsylvania. While going through one of my scrapbooks, Evelyn discovered this rug hooked by Magdalena Briner. What a treasure this little rug is. As you can see, it looks great hooked in any color.

The second rug on the left was hooked by Elaine Cathcart of Athens, Tennessee. Please note the braiding around the outside of the rug. Elaine attended the Woolley Fox Primitive Workshop and finished this rug while she was here! Jule Marie Smith was her teacher. The next rug was also hooked by Elaine Cathcart and this one is for her son. Note the use of the bright spots of pinks and golds to lift the rug. It is fun to use some of the old darks, but unexpected brights make the rug unique.

The fourth rug was hooked by Barbara Daniels, Sugar Land, Texas. Great little rug and I love the wing in the big duck, and the blue sparky area under the duck is awesome. Thanks, Barbara.

Thirza Youker, Fort Wayne, Indiana, hooked the fifth rug above. The rusty red ducks are great, and most of her background looks like water. Super fun.

  Olde Ducks, 19 x 25. Jill Welch, Novelty, Ohio, hooked the rug on the left. She was in the same class at the Woolley Fox last year with Elaine and loved the way Elaine braided around her rug. Sure does make a great finish. Each and every rug is a delight and everyone has had a great time with color. I love all of them. This is definitely a fun time. This rug was originally hooked by Magdalena Briner of Perry County, Pennsylvania, about 1885.

The rug second from the left was hooked by Barb. I had a great time playing with the color and mixing up the wools to make this look old. A fun small treat to hook.

The Olde Ducks in the middle was hooked by Beth Anne Smiley, Davenport, Iowa. I love the light background. Very different and nice.

Lois Lee Ewing of Kerrville, Texas, hooked this delightful Olde Ducks second from the right.This is a very happy and fun rug. Every color story is right, this rug invites you to play with color and definitely be your own person.

Gail Whitcomb, Massena, New York, had a great time playing with the soft ducks in this Olde Ducks on the right. Every color seems perfect for this rug. Just a fun small treasure to hook.

 Another great Olde Ducks, 19 x 25, Jill Welsh hooked the rug on the left originally in a different wools and with braiding. So, this is the second time around and she did a great rug both times. Thanks to Jill for sharing her work.

Gail Tuller, Novi, Michigan, hooked the second Olde Ducks. I like her off-white ducks and the way the orange and blue sort of "ring" the rug. Really great.

The third Olde Ducks above was hooked by Meg Walters, Malvern, Ohio. The light ducks are always neat and her corners sort of echo off of the ducks.

The fourth Olde Ducks was hooked by Bev Cole of Centerville, Ohio. The soft play of the ducks against the darks in the background is neat. Her corners keep up the play of the rug and help to age it.

The fifth Olde Ducks was hooked by Barb Daniels of Sugarland, Texas.

 Snyder Magdalena, 46 x 52. A wonderful new discovery of a GREAT Magdalena Briner rug. I always think each new one is my favorite, but I think this wins the prize. Thank you Evelyn who hooked this wonderful rug and always shares everything with us.

The second Snyder Magdalena was hooked by Louise Tietjen of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The simplicity of Louise's color story is wonderful. The sparks of red are happy!

Woodard Magdalena, 32 x 41. Fun, fun animals. Just more fun animals and lots of good hooking time. (Wayne says this is "Three Dog Night!") Thanks again, Evelyn.

Magdalena Briner was born in 1839 in Perry County, Pennsylvania. She married Jacob Eby in 1855, had a daughter, Ellen, in 1857 and was widowed in 1858. She moved back with her family to raise her daughter. Ellen married Charles McKeehan in 1880. Magdalena moved into the McKeehan homestead to help raise Ellen's four children and died there in 1915. Magdalena's great-granddaughter remembers that there were hooked rugs throughout the house but that to her knowledge neither her mother nor Ellen ever hooked. So Magdalena hooked the rugs between caring for children, her elders, farm work, gardening and church concerns. Dealers have dated the rugs from 1870 to 1890.

Thankfully Evelyn Lawrence of Hallstead, Pennsylvania, has investigated the history of Magdalena and her rugs. If you would like further information on Magdalena email Evelyn at bluefoot@epix.net or if you have further information on Magdalena Briner and her rugs please get in touch with Evelyn.