Wedding Rug

Dimensions: 43" x 35"
Materials: #5-cut wool on linen
Designed and hooked by Patricia Merikallio, New Canaan, Connecticut, 1993.
Featured in: Celebration IV

Pat hooked this rug as a wedding present for her niece, Polly Draper, and her husband, Michael Woolf. Polly is an actress who is well-known for her role as Ellyn in the television series thirtySOMETHING. Polly met Michael, the band leader for The Arsenio Hall Show, when she appeared on the show.

The 86 roses in the border and 15 at their feet tell the story of the couple's courtship. When Michael met Polly, he was "immediately smitten" with her and sent her 101 roses. Unfortunately, Polly was out of town and by the time she returned, the roses had wilted. So Michael sent her a second batch of 101 roses... and the rest is history.
- Patricia Merikallio, Celebration Hall of Fame 2018
(Note: This rug description was taken as an excerpt from the published Celebration entry.)