| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 08 2006 : 06:25:46 AM
My aunt is giving me two HUGE bags of scrap material. She has been quilting for years, but everytime she starts a new project she buys new material for that project, so poor me is getting all this material. HA!
Anyway, I want to cut some of it into strips and roll it.The question is , do I hem all the raw edges, and do I sew the strips together or tie them.
NANCY JO
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Apr 08 2006 : 5:17:45 PM
I did some with wool fabric and one with cotton fabric..they were braided and then sewn into a coil. I love how yours is..havn't done that. Mine were ...hmmm most were about 3x5' but I did one that was about 6' long..maybe 4x6'. I always ran out of colors that coordinated before they got any bigger. I don't have any of them anymore..gave them as gifts. I need to make some again though..I love the look and feel of them~!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| pioneerspiritlady |
Posted - Apr 08 2006 : 4:12:22 PM
Using those rag balls for weaving a rug, if your a weaver, might be a good idea too...
'If you are standing next to a rattle snake, you do not have an obligation to wait until it bites you before you decide it’s dangerous.'" Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| OregonGal |
Posted - Apr 05 2006 : 8:47:49 PM
Aunt Jenny,
Thank you so much for your kind words - I wished the picture of the whole rug would have turned out more true to color, the color you can see in the close up, it looks a little bit washed out, but at least you can see the size. What were your rugs like, were they a braid and then sewn into a rug, or did you make it like mine here, woven into itself? How large were yours and what were they made from? Thanks again.
"...a merry heart does good like a medicine, it has the power to cure." |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Apr 02 2006 : 2:25:19 PM
Chris...beautiful rug!!! I have made braided rugs years ago...but that one is spectacular!! Good job!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Apr 02 2006 : 1:08:53 PM
Thanks Wendy, the one I'am doing now is the MESSY one, very colorful, I work on it out on the porch when its nice enough out because I get material lint and bits all over myself and the house, but its coming along and at this point laying somewhat flat. We can only hope.
NANCY JO |
| sunshine |
Posted - Mar 31 2006 : 12:41:00 PM
to nancy about the slit in the strips to attach them this is fine if you don't mind ruff edges. If when you are crocheting you turn in all you ruff rug edges this won't work. If you are doing the shabby chic thing with how ever the fabric works its way in right side out//inside out/ ruff side and string showing then that type of attaching the fabric together works lovely. If you want your edges to have a more finished look then you turn in all your raw edges and sew them together not tye or slit. It all just depends on the desired finished look.
have a lovely day
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| sunshine |
Posted - Mar 31 2006 : 12:35:18 PM
thank you
have a lovely day
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| OregonGal |
Posted - Mar 31 2006 : 11:27:20 AM
Wendy,
I added another strip every time I went around - I added a strip after I got around the top, just starting to come down a side. Other wise, I would think, you could add them all at the beginning, where the directions call for adding the fourth stip, you could add more of them. You notice in the closeup picture of the strips, the green one went over the last strip so when I wove it into the rug I went under the rug loop, but when I was doing 5 strips, I went under the last strip, so when I wove it into the rug I went over the rug loop. Now, I don't know if thats important, I think so, look at it when you do it and see what it looks like, but it was just something I did - perhaps the rug should be done in even numbers of strips. I had no idea of how to do it, I just blindly started and fumbled along trying to follow the directions til it started making more sense - especially going around the curved parts and either adding (increasing) or subtracting (decreasing) loops - it just depends on how the rug lays - if it puckers, then you'd have to decrease (probably caused from increasing too many) or if it cups, then you have to increase. My rule of thumb has become the length of the loop (the edge that you weave into), if the loops start becoming longer, its time to increase by one loop....and that usually happens at the round part of the ends of the rug. Hope that helps. My next rug will be smaller, and I'm going to use just one color per each round, then do another color - its simple enought to cut off one color to start another - probably pastels. I have my sewing machine on the floor on a flat dolly so when I need to sew on another stip, I just wheel the dolly over and bend the edge of the rug up and sew on a strip.
Thank you grammazena - its like sittin in front of a fire, its pleasant and warming to look at.
"...a merry heart does good like a medicine, it has the power to cure." |
| grammazena |
Posted - Mar 29 2006 : 9:26:50 PM
This rug is just beautiful! I can almost feel the braid. |
| sunshine |
Posted - Mar 29 2006 : 7:39:42 PM
to oregan gal
I have wanted to make a 10 plaited braid yours in the picture is a 6 plaite braid I read your link I understand how you get to 4 but how do you get to your 6 or the 10 I want to do
have a lovely day
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| sunshine |
Posted - Mar 29 2006 : 1:59:43 PM
if people want to use wool you can buy mill ends to make rugs usually you can't pick colors but at 1.25 or so a pound who cares you can buy enough cheeply to fined the colors you want or do a coat of many colors rug plus you will have spare to do wool quilts and the like folk style stuff
have a lovely day
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| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 26 2006 : 07:38:51 AM
Chris,
What a beautiful rug, so perfect looking. I don't think mine will ever look that nice, you are very talented. Just got back from my aunts today with lots, and lots and lots of material, going to go and sort through it all and see what I can do with it. thank you so much for taking the time to post your rug, love seeing it!
NANCY JO |
| OregonGal |
Posted - Mar 25 2006 : 10:40:13 PM
Nancy,
Here's a courple pictures I took of my braided rug....the swirl effect is from the strands being different colors. I could have made the strands of fabric all the same color and gone around the outside of the rug, then changed to a different color and go around again, etc. Use whatever color combos you like. The strips are about 5' long, when its braided/weaved the strips get shorter, and when a strip gets to about 10" long, I sew on another strip.
"...a merry heart does good like a medicine, it has the power to cure." |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 13 2006 : 2:34:41 PM
grammazena
yea, those handi works can get pretty heavy, just keep that heavy quilt of yours around in case you need to keep someone down for awhile!!
NANCY JO |
| grammazena |
Posted - Mar 13 2006 : 2:16:29 PM
Owwlady, slits in the strips sounds like a great idea. I had to chuckle, Nancy, at picturing you trapped under your rug! I am 5 ft. also. My husband's grandma gave us a huge quilt made of heavy, mens suiting fabric. It has a wool backing and heavy batting. Our kids said why bother to pay a babysitter when we could just throw the quilt over them, and they couldn't move a muscle. lol |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 13 2006 : 09:47:59 AM
Jan
Thanks for the joining of the strips idea, I had never heard of that method.I was planning on tieing the strips together with small knots. Yes I can crochet, so that would be the best way for me to do a rug. Thanks again for the help.
NANCY JO |
| owwlady |
Posted - Mar 13 2006 : 07:52:12 AM
Nancy, if you know how to crochet, that is probably one of the fastest ways to make a rug from fabric scraps...no cutting, just tear strips, no sewing, just cut slits at the ends of the fabric and join by pulling the strips through and just one stitch, single crochet. I made a good sized round rag rug for myself and then one for a friend for Christmas...it goes quick. |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 13 2006 : 05:59:17 AM
I don't know if I should attempt a big rug, for my own safety, I'am only 5 ft tall, Richard will come home and find me under the rug unable to get up. But I will make some smaller ones. Who knows how many pioneer women we lost this way.
NANCY JO |
| grammazena |
Posted - Mar 12 2006 : 9:49:55 PM
I remember that pattern from Mother Earth News. I used it to braid a rug from denim. That was one very sturdy rug..and so heavy..I did not make it very large. Excellent directions. We tore lots of strips of fabric for my grandma's rugs. I don't remember her ever hemming edges, it was more of hand-folding the edges into the braid. |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 11 2006 : 10:24:33 AM
Thanks Chis,
I'll print it off.
NANCY JO |
| OregonGal |
Posted - Mar 11 2006 : 10:03:21 AM
Here's a nice how to for making a braided/woven rug from fabric strips.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1986_July_August/Grandma_s_Four_Strand_Braided_Rug
I'm working on one and it really looks nice. Could make a copy of the directions so that you'd have them when you're ready to work on one.
"...a merry heart does good like a medicine, it has the power to cure." |
| sugarsfarm |
Posted - Mar 10 2006 : 4:09:23 PM
Thanks Nancy!! Im so excited to make these now!! and then maybe later ill get around to making a rug!
You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 09 2006 : 09:05:11 AM
Good idea Rebekka, will put that on my list, I have some big needles too.
NANCY JO |
| Rebekka Mae |
Posted - Mar 09 2006 : 08:04:04 AM
You can knit with the fabric once you cut it and put it into balls....get real big needles! |
| Nancy Gartenman |
Posted - Mar 09 2006 : 12:38:36 AM
LEAH
If you have left over material cut it into strips, I like it to be an inch or so wide, then tie or sew the ends together and start rolling it into a ball. I have used a big crochet hook and made some cute little rugs, which is why I like the width to be about an inch or so, anything wider isn't easy to crochet. But there are other ways, like braiding the strips. Anyway the rolled balls look pretty sitting in a basket.paula says she doesn't bother with the raw edge when she rolls the strips, it would be a lot of work to hem them all.
In fact is you just go to paula's site, its up above [ RUSTY PINS] click on home decor, go to page six, she shows her fabric balls. I like to order stuff from Paula, I have an order coming now can't wait for it to get here!!
Hope this explains it some for you.
NANCY JO |
