I've been fascinated by rag weaving for a long time. When I was very young, I remember my parents purchasing a handwoven rag rug. I can't remember if it was vintage or if they purchased it from a craftsman, but I remember being in awe of the fact that here was a rug that was quite pretty (it was a lovely shade of blue) and it was made of rags.
To me, the rug was pure magic and it was the first time I remember recognizing that cloth (other than the wonderful sweaters my grandmother knit me) didn't simply appear completely whole. It was the first time I knew that a cloth was made from something and it was mind blowing.
Weaving rag rugs is one of those things everyone thinks is a great idea, but most people never get around to trying. That's probably because many don't understand how simple the process is, and how well it's suited to weaving supplies that you have lying around the house. In fact, you don't need much yarn at all for these rag rug projects: it's all about upcycling here. Take a pile of old t-shirts, add a pair of scissors and some elbow grease to the mix and you have yourself almost all the yarn you'll need. Download the Free Weaving with Rags eBook and learn how to make a rag rug like a pro in no time!
Sneak-Peek at the Rag Weaving Patterns You'll Weave:
Free Weaving Pattern 1: Sakiori Vest
The Japanese Rag Weaving Tutorial by Dinah Rose uses old silk kimonos to upcycle the pieces to their original glory. Don't have any on hand? That's fine; neither did we! We point you to the best online stores for second-hand kimono fabric, and how to reuse the original collar bands from the garments. All you need for one vest is a single kimono. Kimono fabric is too beautiful to waste.
Free Weaving Pattern 2: Making Rag Rugs
What do you get when you combine log cabin and block geometric designs with Swedish rep weaving on a rag rug loom? A fairly easy-to-weave, beautiful, reversible, wonderful-to-touch rug (Peekaboo Rag Rug Instructions by Karla Stille) that's almost too pretty to walk on.
Free Weaving Pattern 3: Upcycled T-Shirt Rugs
Old t-shirts are an abundant, if somewhat problematic, source of weft material. Knitwear fabric, such as that in T-shirts, can create uneven selvedges with excessive and erratic draw-in due to its stretchiness. The Perfect Marriage T-Shirt Yarn Rug by Amanda Robinette involves cutting loops from the circular parts of clothing—the trunk of a shirt, the sleeves, the legs and hips of pants and leggings—and then joining those loops together to form a continuous strand.
In our new free eBook Weaving with Rags: 3 Free Rag-Weaving Patterns, we have three wonderful rag weaving project for every level of weaver and every weaving budget. Whether you're looking for a way to use up old T-shirts, you want to use up some of your fabric stash, or you are looking for a reason to buy some luscious kimono yarn there's a project for you.
Happy Weaving!
