Rugging

[E.M. T.]

:roll: Rather than hi-jack the BOM thread ops: .....Rug making is another wonderful textile craft. Like I said, I put my odd,
old, not-wanted-for-quilts fabrics in a bin just for rugs. Bleeding won't matter much...recycled bigger pieces...
polys, knits and t-shirts stains and all...they disappear ! Bed sheets from 2nd hand are good but not as low cost
as in the past.Most methods take a good amt. of yardage and some things are easier to work with. Most know about
braided and crocheted rag rugs. I mentioned toothbrush rug...Aunt Phillys is most often seen. It uses a modified
toothbrush....you might remember they used to have a hole in the end to hang them up....to make a flattened tool
with a hole to thread fabric strips thru. The "stitch" is a half hitch worked over a holding "cord" (strip)and thru the
previous row... Looks like a crocheted rug but is sturdier and longer wearing. Locker hooking resembles traditional
American rug hooking but is supposedly from Australia and is made with a modified crochet hook....it has a large eye
on one end and is worked on open mesh canvas like latch hooking. It is worked from the back like needle punch rugs
and has a cord inside the loops making it longer wearing and non-raveling. Never made a Proddy, Rosemary..tho I found
a tool with some sewing "junk" at a yard sale and had to figure out what it might be for..Nobody knew what it was ! lately,
I've made braided "by machine"...you braid strips then sew rows together with a ZigZag. Didn't you do a Mug Rug, Lois ??
The Rag Rug craft has so many different methods :shock: ...twinning, folded triangles, shirret with wool strips...and they are all
beautiful. I know there are more! Here's a pic of what's laying around in my LR. Little rugs and chair pads,etc.
Not enough hours in a day !! :roll:

[wendy w.]

Wow Marilyn they're fun. I've been thinking I'd like to do a rag rug braided at a classes round here. IVe done bowls and mats by wrapping scraps around washing line but not a rug. A chair pad would be a good start thanks

[Susan B.]

My bum could use a few of those chair cushions! Thanks for sharing this, Marilyn. This looks like work to do in front of the television, eh?

[E.M. T.]

Some can be done in your lap, but I do better with table to hold the weight and help keep things flat. :roll:
Wendy...I've made the wrapped clothesline ones but the one here is just three strips braided then ZZed.
They are all fun ! Thanks everyone !

[wendy w.]

Reckon I could do that

[wendy w.]

It is quite amazing the variations that are possible under the simple term of a rag rug 8) . Thanks for showing us yours

[wendy w.]

Thanks for sharing those great rugs Marilyn!

[Catherine S.]

Ah, memories. We used to carve crochet hooks out of old wooden spoon handles, wooden arrows, whatever, and use them to crochet rugs. For a time we even cut bread wrappers in strips and crocheted them into rugs. (Used at the back door to catch muddy or wet shoes and boots) The cloth ones were used elsewhere in the house. I think this was a plan of my sister's to keep us from getting bored when we visited. We loved making them, but haven't done it in years.

[E.M. T.]

Oh, yes..bread sacks ! Ours had a lot of Roman Meal brown and Wonder Bread white! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Rita C.]

Marilyn those are wonderful rugs. I think that craft goes right back to the frontiersmen (well women really).

[E.M. T.]

For sure, Rita...and from many cultures, too. Not everyone could have animal hide or native plant mats for
floors... :roll: Woven goods were precious. Being frugal to the bone, nothing would be wasted. I'm glad that
I get to make them for fun, not necessity ! :lol: Happy to take advantage of their ingenuity. Is there a type of
rag rug that is most common in Ireland ? Or Irish in origin?

[Rita C.]

Not much because every rag was used and passed on to a smaller child etc. I think they would have used sheepskins because we have a lot of sheep. In the 60s people started to make wool rugs with a rug hook and wool strips about 2" long. But it was too time consuming for me. I started one but never finished it. :roll:

[E.M. T.]

Seems logical...woven and knitted of wool prob'ly more available...There was wool here, too, but they
started growing and milling cotton very early in our settlement.