Tag: rug

Creative Expression at its Best

Karen

Many variables are possible on this rosepath threading, but I find creative freedom by imposing certain limitations for the design of the rag rugs. The overall design concept gives me direction for arranging colors and setting a treadling pattern for each rug.

Rosepath rag rug on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Overall rosepath is featured on this rag rug, appearing as a diagonal white grid on the top side, with subtle color changes in the background weft. Previous rug is seen wrapping around the cloth beam below.

How many times have I gone off track, only to realize that I didn’t really get on a track in the first place? When I start without clear intentions, I set myself up for inconsistent results (HERE is one example). This is true for weaving rugs and for dealing with people. If I determine to live by a standard of kindness, those clear intentions will shape how I speak and act.

We can protect relationships with kindness, which is at the heart of love. The greatest enemies to love are biting words, a sharp wit at someone else’s expense, and shading of the truth. Who wants to be on the receiving end of that? Self-imposed limitations on our words open up creative expressions of kindness. The beauty that is formed by these sincere expressions is a beauty that stands out, being different from the norm; and it’s a beauty that endures.

May you experience someone else’s kindness today.

Come check out my new Etsy! Just click on the Etsy Shop page above. Let me know what you think.

With you,
Karen

 

Where the Weft Is Vulnerable

Karen

The outside rows of a rag rug are vulnerable. Twining secures the weft, making it a good way to begin and end a rag rug. I cut a length of rug warp thread two and a half times the width of the rug. Starting on the left side, with the length of thread folded in half, the top half goes under, and the lower half goes over each successive warp end.

Twining at the end of a rag rug on the loom.
Twining separates the warp ends evenly and secures the weft. At the end of the row I weave in the ends, and then, beat twice with the beater to push the row of twining firmly into place.

Is it really necessary to secure the weft? When the rug is under tension on the loom it seems like everything is holding together just fine. It is tightly woven, with the weft firmly packed in. Yes. It is necessary. The rug will start falling apart the minute it is cut from the loom. Twining keeps the most vulnerable place of the weaving intact.

Faith is the vulnerable spot where you allow yourself to be loved by God. Wrapped in his mercy and his grace, our weakest point is no longer our entry into failure, but where we are kept in his security. Your faith is the point of access, the opening, for your maker to show his strength to make you complete.

May you rest secure.

Etsy Announcement!
My new Etsy WarpedforGood Shop  is open! I would love for you to come and browse. As my tried and true blog friends, your feedback means a lot to me. Please let me know what you think!

You may remember seeing the progress on some of the items in the shop, like the Warp Rep Rug, the Rosepath Rugs, and the Cutest Little Loom Rugs. The rugs you see on the loom now will be posted in my Etsy shop when they are finished!

Your Friend,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Rag Rug Finishing

Karen

How many people get to have a handmade article right under their feet? You come in from the world, with your feet dusty and weary; you look down, and the rug says, “Welcome home.”

After the weaving is complete, the only thing left is finishing. For rags rugs, that means securing the warp ends, and finishing the ends with fringe or stitched hems. I prefer the look of hems over fringe, so my rugs usually have turned-under hems (occasionally, I do a bound hem, but I’ll save that for another time). The hem area is woven with narrower strips (about 1/4 in. or 1/2 cm) than the rest of the rag rug, to make it less bulky for turning under, and it lays nice and flat on the floor. Ah, rosepath rag rugs, I shall truly miss seeing you on the loom!

Rosepath Rag Rugs rolled up on cloth beam. Karen Isenhower
The end is the beginning. The end of the warp means the rugs are ready to be unrolled from the cloth beam.
Rosepath rag rugs unfurled from the loom.
Rosepath rag rugs being unrolled and cut from the loom. This always feels like the moment of truth: I ask myself, “How do they look?” (Note, this view is the underside of the rugs.)
Upholstery needle helps separate warp ends from header to secure ends of rag rug.
Step 1. An upholstery needle helps separate warp ends from the header. A clothespin keeps finished ends out of the way.
Securing rag rug hem with square knots.
Step 2. Secure the hem with square knots. Four ends at a time, pulled out of the header, are firmly tied into knots.
Finishing rag rug with square knots, and trimming warp ends.
Step 3. Trim the warp ends about 3/4 in / 2 cm from the knots.
Steps for finishing rag rug hems. How-to pics.
Step 4. Fold hem edge to the back side of the rug, keeping the knotted ends inside the fold. Press. Fold again to complete the turned hem. Press.
Stitching rag rug hem. Steps for finishing rag rugs.
Step 5. Stitch close to the fold of the hem. Stitch the side edges of the hem closed. Be sure to use sewing thread in the needle that matches the underside of the rug, and bobbin thread that matches the top of the rug.
Rosepath rag rug. Karen Isenhower
Rosepath rag rug, hemmed and ready, with the look of a breath of fresh air.
Rosepath Rag Rug. Welcome home! Karen Isenhower
Let’s call this one the “Welcome Home” rug. We’d love to have you stay a while.

May weary feet find your home to be a welcoming place.

Still being finished,
Karen

Relaxed Rosepath Rag Rugs

Karen

As soon as the cloth is cut from the loom, the threads begin to relax. On the loom, the warp width for these rag rugs was 27 inches (68.5 cm). How quickly everything can change! Now, spread out on the floor, the width has already narrowed to 25 inches (63.5 cm). In a week or two, the width will have narrowed by another 1/2 inch (1.25 cm). [How do I know? THIS CHRISTMAS RUG, cut from this same warp a few weeks ago, is now 24 1/2 inches (62.25 cm) wide.] Since all the looming tension is over, these rugs can just lay back and relax. Haha! That’s how I feel whenever a few demanding weeks or months finally come to a close.

Rosepath Rag Rugs just off the loom!
Not yet cut apart, three new rosepath rag rugs await final finishing. Wefts will be secured by tying warp ends into knots; and hems will be pressed and stitched.

We do need the experiences that stretch us, and we need the relaxed times as well. Life will always have its ups and downs, but there is one thing that brings consistency through it all. Faith. Faith looks back and remembers being rescued; and faith looks forward into the unknown with courage. A life of faith is a life that is full. Not full of stuff or projects, but full of meaning.

Love. Belief. Joy. These are the gifts we bring to our rescuer. Our faith in him is rewarded with his own nearness. So, whether stretched or at ease, we know with confidence that we are loved.

May your faith be renewed.

Love,
Karen

Tools Day: Weaving Rag Rugs

Karen

Handwoven rag rugs hold a fascinating appeal for many people. Does it have to do with the secure feeling of being home? After all, rag rugs are to be walked on at home, are they not? You don’t expect them at work, in the marketplace, or in palaces. A walked-on rag rug says, “Home, sweet home.”

Besides a sturdy floor loom (mine is a Glimakra countermarch loom), only a few good tools are needed to weave a rag rug. There are many different ways to prepare and weave fabric strips to make rugs, but I would like to show you how I do it with the tools that serve me well.

For cutting fabric strips:

  • Olfa Cutting Mat (24 x 36 inch) – Large enough to cut long strips.
  • Olfa Lip Edge Ruler (24 inch) – Essential for consistency and ease of measuring. The lip of the ruler catches the edge of the mat and keeps the ruler from shifting as you cut.
  • Olfa Deluxe Rotary Cutter (60 mm) – The 60 mm blade easily cuts through several layers of fabric (much better than a 45 mm blade). My other brand rotary cutter did not hold up to extensive use.
  • Ansell HyFlex Kevlar Cut Resistant Glove – My woodcarving husband suggested this for me. The cutter blade is dangerously sharp, so the protective glove is a wise idea.
Tools for cutting fabric into strips for rag rugs.
Pre-washed cotton fabric, cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) strips, to use as weft in rag rugs.

For weaving rag rugs:

  • Temple – This tool stretches the weaving to the width that is consistent with the width of the warp as it comes through the reed. I wouldn’t attempt to weave a rug without this tool.
Temple in use while weaving rag rug.
Sharp teeth at ends of the temple grip the selvedges to keep the weaving at a constant width.
  • Turquoise Cart from Ikea – Not particularly essential (a chair with a box would do), but entirely useful. Why not have a pleasant and organized way to keep the fabric strips, shuttles, and supplies close at hand?
Ikea cart beside the loom while weaving rag rugs.
A place for everything, and everything in its place. This turquoise cart from Ikea is perfect for keeping all the fabric strips in order as I weave.
  • Ski Shuttles – My favorite ski shuttle, of course, is the beautiful cherrywood shuttle that Steve made for me–a delight to see and to touch. This type of shuttle is perfect for the way I weave rag rugs. A five-yard strip of fabric, cut with tapered ends, is easily wound on the shuttle. When the shuttle is empty, I wind on another fabric strip. I overlap the tapered fabric ends in the shed. There is no ripping, sewing, folding, or pressing. Simple, seamless, secure.
Weaving rag rugs with handmade cherry ski shuttle.
Handmade cherrywood ski shuttle glides through the shed with ease.

May you rest in the comfort of your home, sweet home.

Happily Weaving,
Karen