Rag Rug - Practice

 (Practice Rope. See 8/22/11 post for Scrap Rug Tutorial)

This isn't really a sewing project, but because I am using fabric scraps and I do have to hand-sew for this, I'm counting it! I'm going to try making a braided, or rag, rug. I had lunch today at a rustic, country-ish place, and it really got my creative juices flowing! I thought a rag rug would love fantastic with the new hickory hard-wood floor my husband just put in. I've never tried one before, so I'm going to try a practice rug. I love the idea of using fabric that I already have, so I went through it all and picked out all of the woven scraps I had. They are, of course, all different colors and patterns. But isn't that what people used to use long ago to make them? I'm going to randomly use the pieces, and see how it comes out. I'm very excited about this! My carpal tunnel syndrome will not like this - of that I am fairly certain. (Cutting, hand-sewing, braiding...) So this may be a one-time deal. But I'm gonna try it. So above is my scrap collection. I've got a box full of clothing that can be used for various projects, too. I'll dip into that when I need to.

Here is my rug so far! Behind the little braid is a small pile of fabric strips. Some suggest making a long rope, then sewing it into a rug. Others suggest making the rug as you go along. I think I will probably sew it as I go, but I'm not sure yet. I'll see what makes sense as I go along.

Ok, so after spending an hour and a half (while watching a movie....) I created a rope that is about 4 feet long. I have decided to call it my practice rope after my husband decided it would look nice in the basement! (lol) But seriously, there are some things I've learned that are pretty important if you want to make a nice rug. So today I will start on the "real" rug, and after getting a message last night from a friend asking for directions on this, I've decided to make this project a tutorial. =) I'll start a new post to keep things neat. (See ya there)