CTD Creations .:. Rag Rug story

I selected about a dozen different re-cycled materials in shades of white to beige (see above). Two bright yellows were added to match the walls in my kitchen and several shades of dark green for contrast.

The material was cut in 1" to 1-1/2" strips and then sewn together in random order - each color about 2 or 3 foot strips (depending on the garment they came from). The strips were then folded (raw edges to the center) and wrapped in a ball. I braided three strips together to form long "chains" - and found I could weave about 6 yards of braid at one time.

I used foamcore strips to create the alternating sheds for weaving. The foamcore was woven through (basket weave) and then rotated to open the warp for easy weaving of the braid (with my fingers). One shed was the full length of the rug (30") and remained in place - the 2nd shed was woven/removed each time I did the 2nd row.

The braid was about 3/8" thick - so it took two rows to make an inch. The braid was pretty stiff and didn't pull the sides in, but I "looped" each row to keep the tension even. I used a big wooden salad fork to pound down the weft (and ended up putting little dents in my door - the price of creativity!)

(click on the images for larger views)