Rag Rugging

The H&R U3A Handicrafts Group met at my home this week and we were lucky to have a friend of mine Linda M, who is an enthusiast of this craft, come and show us some of her work, some made by her sister and also a member of her own Rag Rugging Group.  The rugs can either be for the floor, or used as cushions or made into wall hangings.

The blog is full of pictures of wonderful rugs and before I show any I have to say that none of these are my work and the only reason that 'Once upon a thimble' is on the photos is purely for copyright purposes for the photos and not for the work. Linda agreed they could be shown on my blog.

The rugs are either made by 'prodding' which is worked from the back - the design is sketched on the back - or 'hooking' which is worked from the front, with the design sketched on the front. When prodding you use small pieces of your chosen fabric - literally anything - and hooking you use a continuous piece of fabric. Linda uses old wool garments which she felts in the washing machine on a hot wash, cotton T-shirts, plastic bags, in fact anything, and she scours charity shops for 'fabrics' and if she sees a neighbour wearing an old sweater or cardigan in colours she wants she asks for it!!!. Her sister has access to a market that sells 'bling' type fabrics with lots of glitter etc.  Plenty of photos to follow:-

Linda's first rug

A Work in Progress (WIP) for a cushion - Linda sitting on husband's, T, right hand!!

When Linda came to Higham Piecemakers years ago, she was working on this 'piggy' wall hanging based on a wall tile in her kitchen!

WIP being hooked from the front, of a squirrel

Picture taken from a drawing by Linda's grand-daughter of Linda!!

What a wonderful picture though Linda's hair is not red!

 

The following have been made by Linda's sister who started rugging as an aid to recovery after an illness.

Lots of bling on this early piece of an elephant.

Design from a colouring book

Design taken from a card

We all fell for this owl rug.  Aren't they so cute!  The background is made from cut up pieces of a patterned T-shirt.

This final wall hanging is made by a group member -

The group are hoping to be demonstrating Rag Rugging at Fibre East in July, though Linda won't be there as her daughter is getting married that weekend!