My goal for every rag rug I weave is to make a pleasant footpath that lasts through many, many seasons of wear. What makes an exceptional rag rug? Quality of workmanship and design. Tightly-packed weft, snug selvedges, and high quality materials produce a strong rug. And, great design includes an interplay of weave structure, color, detail elements, and functionality.
Tightly-packed weft in a double binding rag rug gives no hint of the opposite colors that show on the reverse side.Double binding uses a two-blockthreading that determines where color changes can occur in the weft pattern.Two ski shuttles are used for weaving the two layers of a double binding rag rug. Consistent tight selvedges contribute to a long-lasting rug.
Strength is like a quality handcrafted rug that handles daily foot traffic. And joy is like the artist’s design, the colorful pattern, that is woven into the rug. Strength and joy go hand in hand. We see this in creation. And in our Creator, who gives of himself to those who come near. Be refreshed with strength and joy.
I have five yards of the blue fabric, and no more. I’m in a pickle if the blue runs out. The pile of blue is dwindling fast. No worries. Two simple habits resolve the issue. I don’t have to wonder if I will have enough blue to finish the rug.
Almost out of blue fabric for the first half of the rug.
My secret?
1. Mark the halfway point on the measuring ribbon. This gives a point of reference.
2. When cutting fabric strips, divide the strips into two piles. Put one pile aside, reserving it for the second half of the rug.
Bottom drawer of the Elfa cart next to the loom holds the fabric strips that have been set aside.
This practice enables me to adjust the rug design, if needed, before it’s too late. On the current rug, the wide stripe across the middle just became a little wider.
Two shuttles carry the same fabric. This puts continuous weft color across the width of the warp.Marked measuring ribbon shows I have passed the halfway point of the weaving. The rest is all downhill!
What point of reference is there for leading a fulfilling life? Can we know if we have what’s needed to finish well? Our hearts search for truth. We know we need a reliable point of reference. Search for the Lord; seek him. He is the reference point of truth that brings coherence to our existence. We can trust our Grand Weaver to put aside for us everything we need to live a fulfilled life, all the way to the end.
My son accepted my invitation to “try a little bit of weaving” while he was here for a recent visit. After a few instructions, Daniel was weaving the double binding rag rug like a pro. When his two little ones find him at the loom, they climb up to sit by him. They want to get a closer look. The children don’t understand what Daddy is doing, but they love being with him and watching him.
Three different cotton batik fabrics make up the body of the rug.Daniel tries his hand at weaving a double binding rag rug. He learns how to use two ski shuttles, turn the weft at the selvedge, step on four treadles in sequence, and move the temple. Whew, it’s a lot to remember!Up on the loom bench with their Daddy.
As children naturally love to be right next to their loving Daddy, so it is for us with our heavenly Father. Praise is the heart’s song. Praise to the Lord rises from the core of our being as we consider who he is and what he has done. There’s no better place to be than right by our Father’s side.
Double binding on one and rosepath on the other. Both looms are weaving rag rugs. Detailed plans, multiple shuttles, fancy footwork. Piles of cotton fabric, and miles of cut fabric strips. I know what to expect when all these elements combine, but it still fascinates me to see the “roses” bloom on the rosepath and the two layers synchronize in the double binding!
Blue and pink “roses” emerge as the result of a planned treadling sequence.Piles of fabric on the cutting table. A picture of rag rugs being imagined.
Rosepath has demanding requirements–for threading, treadling, shuttle shuffling, and selvedges. Double binding on eight shafts has its own challenges–which shuttle goes first? But when I am at the loom weaving rag rugs I feel like singing. All of the efforts seem like bonuses to me. Everything comes together in a wonderful fashion. There, perched on my loom bench, I am doing what I love to do!
Double binding rag rug has two layers woven at the same time. The bottom side of the weaving has reversed colors, with the blue batik fabric on the side borders, and the green and red batik fabric in the center panel.
Wisdom is closer than we think. It’s within reach. Hidden for us, not from us, our heavenly Father offers this gift and challenge called wisdom. The delight of rosepath only happens through the threading and treadling demands. Within the challenge of two-shuttle weaving lies the secret to double binding’s appeal. The thoughtful, truth-seeking approach to life may feel like work. But it’s those very efforts that bring us to the delight and surprise of wisdom’s jewels.
I had planned on a dark brown hem, but when I wove my sample, the brown print by itself didn’t “say” anything. I considered a blue hem. The blue batik is beautiful, but by itself is too “loud.” By alternating the bright blue and the dark brown I get the results I want for the plain weave hem of this double binding rag rug.
Header at the beginning of the rag rug is woven with warp yarn. The white prints on the dark brown fabric strips happen to line up with each other, giving an ikat-like effect in the weft.
The blue batik fabric plays a major part in this rug. When I start the double binding, you will see the blue in all its splendor. The hem is a border, though. The hem is an introduction and closing to the body of the rug, like a greeting and farewell of a conversation. The quiet brown enhances the bright blue by giving it the subtlety it needs for the hem.
Wisdom is strong and beautiful like this bright blue batik. And quietness, like the dark brown print, compliments the wisdom. Silence is wisdom’s friend. Restraint in speaking gives you the advantage of knowing someone else’s view. Staying cool-headed helps you to understand another person’s position. It’s in the quietness that wisdom has the most to say.
