Something from Nothing

Here is a crochet rag rug made literally from the rag bag. The trickiest part was keeping the increasing even, as you tend to lose your way with the uneveness of the different fabrics. It is made using strips of 1" fabrics. I gave it a good old long steam press and quickly took the photo before it's "bubbly" bits popped back up. It is sitting reasonable well though, and of course I have learnt lessons.

Lesson 1: When you think you have cut enough strips, cut some more - it sure uses up some strips.

Lesson 2: Keep your strips as long as possible to save all the joining up. I have worked out a really cool way to cut strips from old garments, rags etc. to get the longest strips - will share in a later post. How to join up was shown in the pattern I used and it is also a really cool method. Pattern by "Fig Tree Quilts" designed by Lisa Quan.

Lesson 3: Lossen up! Keep the tension out of those shoulders and hands and loosen right up with the crochet stitch or it makes for bloody hard work.

Lesson 4: Train up the muscles in your arms, neck and shoulders before tackling this project. Muscles will hurt where you didn't know you had muscles!

Lesson 5: Never knock back a bag of "patchwork' fabrics that good meaning friends/family may give you. Some of this fabric came from a bag which was earmarked for the wheelie bin. Of course there are some totally unsuitable fabrics such as coarse thick fabrics and silky type fabrics, but I have included some rayons and polyesters in this and they are easier in fact to crochet than all cotton fabrics.

This rag rug took very little time to make once all the strips were cut, and these were cut at various times during the past year. But to actually crochet it all took about 3 nights in front of the idiot box.