The Joy Of RagRugs

I love to create! I inherited a love of keeping my hands busy from a mother and grandmother who both loved to create. I love seeing the project evolve and transform before my eyes, whether is it painting, Woodburning, polymer clay, or weaving. Creating something new is my form of therapy.

When I was first married, I inherited a rug from my grandmother. It was a handwoven rag rug of various colors made from old sheets and tablecloths. It was part of my kitchen for years, laying on the floor in front of the oven until it basically disintegrated under our feet.

I loved that rug.

As the years passed, I fondly looked back on that rug, its random colors, and the loving hands that made it. I wanted to learn how; I wanted another rag rug in my kitchen to remind me of her. But back then we did not have access to YouTube and Google and trying to figure it out without my sweet grandmother here to teach me made it seem impossible, so put the thought out of my head and forgot about it.

One day I was at a craft boutique and a woman there was selling handmade rag rugs. They were beautiful, and the memory of the one my grandmother made returned. I started looking for tutorials online. Some were overly complicated; others required a loom of sorts. It was interesting to see how many ways there were to make a rag rug. I wanted the process to be very minimalistic, the only tools would be scissors.

The process requires using the scissors to make cuts in the sheets about 1.5 inches apart and then tearing the sheet into individual strips. This is faster than cutting them, but the initial scissor cuts get making tearing the strips much easier. This step is also messy, creating little fabric dust fiber everywhere! So, it is best to do it outside.

My first rag rug was a dismal failure. I was braiding it on my lap, so before I knew it, I had a basket instead of a rug. I learned the first and most important rule. Always braid your rag rug on a flat surface. It tends to shape itself to whatever surface it is on.

My second rag rug appeared to be successful until I put it on the floor, and it had bubbles and ripples all over it. The second rule is to remember that as you go around you need to assess the stitches if the edges ripple you have too many stitches, if it curls, not enough. I have also learned that it's ok to undo a few rows to get it right.

As I have practiced this process, I have also learned that older, rougher sheets or tablecloths work best. Softer, silkier sheets just do not like to lay flat and they bunch up in a strange way. Denim also works, but it is best if it is worn and on the thinner side. I usually find the best sheets and tablecloths at the local thrift stores. I love figuring out the color schemes, but I am really looking forward to using the left-over pieces to make one giant randomly colored rug.

My first real success lies in my kitchen in front of my oven, just like my grandmother’s rug. It is smaller than hers, I am still working on the process for larger ones. It has a similar color scheme, which was unintentional, but makes me happy.

I love to create; it brings joy to my soul to use my hands to make something new. and learning this wonderful skill was a tribute to my grandmother who made everything. Handmade with love is the best gift you can give anyone.

No matter what it is, if you love doing something, put in the effort to do it right. Give yourself time, lots of practice, and patience to learn. It is a rare thing when someone can just "do" something without taking the time to learn, of course, there are those where it takes less time than it does for others.

For me, it is the process in the project itself that I enjoy, even the ones that do not turn out the way I had imagined. I learn new things which each piece I complete. The most common lesson is to slow down, to not rush the project in my desire to see the finished results. When I slow down, I can enjoy the ever-changing image as I add the layers and develop the depth to the project.

So, for those of you who wish you could (in whatever it is you enjoy doing), there is no reason not to. Take the leap...enjoy the ride and be happy with every learning moment in your journey.