Introduction by Robert G. Wheeler, Vice President Edward Sands Frost, creator of the Frost hooked-rug stencils and patterns. Photograph cour- tesy of Mrs. Pearl K. McGown In 1868 Ellen Frost adjusted a burlap pattern to a "...I got orders for some twenty or more patterns like quilting frame and began to hook her first rug. Her hus- it within three days I put in my time evenings and band, Edward Sands Frost, a yankee peddler, immedi- stormy days sketching designs as the orders came in ately took an interest in the project. faster than I could fill them I began, Yankee-like to study Reminiscing in 1888, he wrote: some way to do them quicker. Then the first idea of stenciling presented itself to me." I noticed that she was using a very poor hook, I went out to the stable where I had some old iron so, being a machinist, I went to work and made the and some old wash boilers I had bought for their copper crooked hook which is still in vogue today." bottoms, took the old tin off of them and made my first "I had 'caught the fever' so every evening I worked stencil out of it I got there some old files, half flat and half round on the rug until it was finished, and it was while thus en- and forged my tools to cut the stencils gaged I told my wife I thought I could make a better with. I made a cutting block out of old lead and zinc." design myself than that we were at work on I wrote "I began making small stencils of single flowers, scrolls, my first design on paper and then put it on to the cloth leaves, buds, etc., each one on a small plate; then I could and worked the flower and scroll already for the ground- with a stencil brush print in ink in plain figures much work faster than I could sketch I then had the art down 567