Rag rugs

[Goodlife1970]

Hi Nick,its really easy,you use a hessian sack for the backing,turn a hem all the way around,or sew several together if you want a larger rug.Then cut up your fabric into strips,about 4/5 inches x 1 inch,the thinner the fabric the thicker your strips should be. You use a tool like a bradawl,it has a wooden handle,a point at the top with a handle for your thumb,when you press the handle it opens the end near the point like a peg.Stab the hessian with the point,open the peg bit and put the strip of fabric into the open peg,make another hole in the hessian about 1/2" from the last hole and draw the strip through. Thats the first tuft,you can work in rows,filling in a pattern,or randomly,its up to you. (Im aware that Ive made it sound very complicated but once youve seen the tool youll see its simple to do,impossible to describe!)

[nick]

thanks, I get the idea.

[woolcraft]

This is what we call a proggy mat (maybe a corruption of proddy - ie pushing the rags through the sacking). Most houses had them in front of the range when I was a kid - I remember my Gran and her daughter (may aunt) making one starting at each end sitting opposite each other by the fire. Pattern seemed to be random - just using what rags they had available in no particular order.

[Goodlife1970]

I tend to have several rugs on the go at once so that I can colour co-ordinate them for the rooms they are meant for! Our local craft group have some amazing examples of different patterns and pictures that members have made,Im somewhat lacking in artistic skills and tend to go for stripes or splodges of colours!