Beyond Our Borders: Pretty Practical Ponchos

I made my first poncho more than 20 years ago—it was for my daughter. It was made from burlap for a school play and my daughter played a witch. Instead of hooking I painted geometric shapes on the burlap: squares, triangles, and ovals. The witch was really modern and it took some efforts to convince my daughter to put it on. At the time, I did not know anything about rug hooking.

I design ponchos as fashion items or accessories. They have a simple shape made from fabric with a wide weave which makes them easy to hook. They are intended to look fashionable and provide warmth and comfort, rather than to ward off wind and rain. Ponchos with festive designs or colors can be worn at special events.

To make a poncho you need to cut two rectangles of fabric, 18" x 36". Then make a 1⁄4" fringe on all four edges of the material; secure these edges with a zigzag stitch to prevent further fraying. Then sew the two pieces together in a poncho shape.