Sunday, January 31, 2010

Weaving or Twining a Rug

Twining A Rag Rug

Last summer some friends with a wood shop allowed me to use their expertise to make a simple wood frame using some maple 2x2's I got at Home Depo. They made a jig for me and predrilled the holes for the upper and lower screws and I took the whole thing home and put it together last summer. In August '09 I took some old sheets I found at 50% off at Good Will and ripped them into sections about 2" wide each and started the process of warping and then twining the rug but had to put it aside as fall projects got most of my attention. Now that it's winter I have time to work on it again.


Twinning is the art of using up old rags and making something useful like rugs for the house. In this case I'm hoping to use this rug at the sliding glass door to catch the rain/mud that comes in on the paws of my cats and dogs. It's a nice thick fabric that is turning out nicely. When its done I might over dye it but we'll have to wait and see how it goes, I've got a long way to go before I get to that point!



As you can see above I'm working on a purple stripe, each of the two purple sections are twisted or twined around each of the white warp strands so that only purple shows up on both the front and back. The rug will be the same on both sides.
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5 comments:

ElderberryWine4u said...

You are absolutely incredible! How did you ever learn how to do all things woven? I would love to learn to weave (I have bought instructions on how to make a Bohemian rag rug but haven't had a chance to sit down with it). I'm not sure I understand how your twinning works -- do you slide the finished rug off of the white strips or do the white strips become part of the rug? I just absolutely LOVE your blog.

The Common Tater said...

I have a suggestion for your frame. If you make it adjustable you will find it easier to reach into your rug as it progreses. My Mom had a quilting frame that had equally spaced holes down each side. She had old valve stems from a model T Ford to pin the frame. Once she quilted as far as she could, she would roll the quilt up so she could reach.

Vicky said...

ElderberryWine4u - just google rug twinning and you'll see how it works. the white strips become part of the rug and the whole things slips off the nails at either end.

The Common Tater - great idea! Like a Navajo loom is adjustable.....that might work. I'll think on it!

Jan Hebert said...

Hi! Just found your blog on Pinterest, I'm interested in your twining - or actually you mentioned "overdying" your rug - can you tell me how you do that? I'm working on a woven rug and the colors aren't pleasing to me, I'd love to know how to overdye, what do you use and how you do it! Thanks for any information you can give me! Love your little angora goats!
Jan

Vicky said...

Hi Janice! Over dying is just choosing a color and putting your fiber (in this case a rug) in the dye bath and overdying the existing colors with the new color. Here is an article on over dying, it will help you figure out how it's done:
http://www.wcushing.com/over_dyeing.html

Good Luck!!!