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by spendlove Moderator ( edited 23 Apr 2015 ) 23 Apr 2015

I've wanted to make a rag rug for ages. My made them (mostly before I was born) and I never learned how to do it. However, Jenny at my Stitching Bee inspired me to get on with it when she mentioned that fleece fabric was great for rug making.



This one is made from the left overs of a bunch of very cheap fleece throws that I bought to play with when I first got my overlocker. I did have to use one whole throw for the border, but that too was a very cheap one I bought in a sale.


Traditionally these rugs were made from old clothes. They were used in the bedroom when new, and made their way through the rest of the house as new ones were made. When they were worn and dirty, they ended up in the kitchen by the fire.
They are made on a hessian backing with a tool with a spring loaded grip. This is poked through the threads of the backing to grip and pull a piece of fabric through. My fleece pieces were approx 3cm x 9cm.

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by blueeyedblonde 25 May 2015

It's been a long time, but I have also done this. I still have the hook.

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by noah 25 May 2015

oh i haven't done one of these in years i used to love doing them .Great job Sue got plans for more???Hugs

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by sandralochran 14 May 2015

Great .I have a special hook

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by pldc 11 May 2015

wow Sue my sil used to do the latch hook projects all the time & she loved them! Takes alot of patience to be able to sit & do something like this! Good on you~hugs~

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by clawton 24 Apr 2015

Looks great, I've done latch hook pieces but not this. Looks tedious.

1 comment
spendlove by spendlove 25 Apr 2015

It is quicker than a latch hook rug.

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by cfidl 23 Apr 2015

I have done lots of latch hook, using yarn and a stiffer canvas. The strips must be quite narrow 6mm?

1 comment
spendlove by spendlove 23 Apr 2015

3cm or 30mm!

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by 02kar Moderator 23 Apr 2015

I love this idea. It's a great way to use up all sorts of fabric bits and pieces. But I really love the thought of using fleece. The rug must be so warm and soft.

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by mops Moderator 23 Apr 2015

Looks colourful and warm. I admire the random placement of the colours. I am very bad at that - just go 1,2,3,4,5 through the different colours.
Nice clippy thingy you have got. I use what's called a "smyrna hook" over here which looks like an enlarged needle for a knitting machine and asks for a bigger hole to pull the yarn/piece of fabric through.
Nice way to use up all those fleece remnants!

1 comment
spendlove by spendlove 23 Apr 2015

I have a similar problem with "random". This rug is very controlled random!
I have several of the latch hook tools which I have used for wool rugs.

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by Sewmum1 23 Apr 2015

I like this method. I have only made wool rugs in the past but this looks so much quicker and makes use of all the leftover scraps too

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by connerj 23 Apr 2015

Very nicely done. I too have wanted to make a rug from old tee shirts. I have been gathering my husbands old shirts for a while. This will be a project for in the car or when there is no power. You gave me spark that my get me going on that project soon. Thanks :)

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by laffma1 23 Apr 2015

Looks great - and toasty warm on a cold tile floor.

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by suelyn7 23 Apr 2015

Sue it's lovely very colourful. I used to sit for hours doing these with my grandma can be a bit of a strain on the fingers tho.

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by carolpountney 23 Apr 2015

Thanks for the photos, this explains a lot

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by asterixsew Moderator 23 Apr 2015

Love your proddy rug. Using fleece will have made it warm to stand on should you be placing such a beautiful piece of work on the floor. This is one of the things on my long list of 'to do's'

3 comments
spendlove by spendlove 23 Apr 2015

I've had a bit of a lecture about that! Proddy rugs are apparently worked from the back with a wooden gizmo like a pointed dibber. My friend from Newcastle calls mine a clippy mat. (Not to be confused with a bus conductress!)

mops by mops 23 Apr 2015

:))

asterixsew by asterixsew 23 Apr 2015

:))

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by carolpountney 23 Apr 2015

This looks very interesting, please explain how you have done it

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