Rug rags Ideas - Part No. 2

 Making rag rugs can be quite a satisfactory craft. These two rug rags are perfect for recycling old bedsheets, tablecloth  and any other large pieces of fabric (Amish rug) and T-shirt and leggins (braided rug). I worked on both of these rugs simultaneously during the summer.  Other advantage of this craft is that you can give it literally 20 minutes per day ... or whole weekend if you feel like spending some cozy time at home. It sounds like the perfect hobby for the autumn and winter evening too.  But let's take a closer look at these rug beaties.

There are many tutorial dealing with Amish rug (also known as swedish rug or toothbrush rug). Majority of them state that you need a special toothbrush needle (it is usually made from wood a has a really big eye), but the secret is that you can totally manage it without any special tool. I found a plastic needle with a big eye in some old toys which my neighbours throw up in the summer and I started my first attept with it. However, I broke it after a few rounds, so I just continued with my bare hands. It is said it considerably quicker if you use toothbrush needle, but  it is not a must have if you fancy making one Amish rug. From all of the tutorial on the web, I found the most useful the one from Barri-Jayne. It is a video tutorial on Youtube and it deals with amish rugs from cutting the fabric to the end. 

And here we are. I recycle one old tablecloth, one old summer shirt and fabric scraps from old pyjama trousers and aprons. 

For the braided rug, I used the scraps of jersey fabric. Basically old t-shirts and scraps from sewing sown together. Basicaly you cut the fabric into the strips, if they are not long enough you sew them together. And then braid plaits from three strips of fabric like you would do with you hair. I fixed the beggining of each plait with a few stitches but not the end. Then I gradually sow all these plaits together from the fixed end. I did not finish the second end of the plait, just secure it to stay in place during the sewing. This enable me to arrange the plaits to have approximately the same lenght. When I made this with all the plaits I just cut the exces lenght of fabric, fixed the plaits and sow them together. Again there are many tutorials I found most useful this one from Nathalie Curtiss. I add a piece of plastic textile to the back side of the rug to prevent the rug sliping on the floor. 

 

 

I love making these rugs no because it is quite a relax for me but also because there are so many memories wowen in it. Domestic animals love them too, maybe they feel the smell of their beloved owners and their homes from the textiles. And as my experiment with recycling fabric scraps and old clothes continue, there are probably more rugs rag coming in the next month.