A Small Cloth Made of Recycled Pieces: Pale Tones and Mending

early to mid twentieth century
43" x 29", 109 cm x 73.5 cm

This is a kind of mat that is hand stitched from a variety of commercially produced cottons, all of them now very soft and supple from decades of wear and use.

The piecing of the various re-used cloth is very attractive to the eye as is the wonderful little mend to the top, right of the piece, highlighted here on the second image.

The original use of this mat is unclear: perhaps it was used for a baby to lay on, perhaps it was used for seating. As with so many folk textiles, sometimes the intended use of a particular one is lost to the ages.

Still, this pale toned cloth is certainly artful and would look really nice displayed as something to be admired and appreciated as a kind of art.