Rugmaker's
Homestead the
resource for traditional rug makers since 1984
|
Rugmaker's
Homestead the
resource for traditional rug makers since 1984
|
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Nothing says home
quite so well as a rag rug on the floor, especially if you made it
yourself. That's the reason that rag rugs have been made, used and
loved for generations. Unlike so many crafts these days, rag rugs
don't gather dust on a shelf--they gather it on the floor everyday,
just like they've always done, and then wash up, and cheerily go back
to work as the favorite spot for kids, dogs and even the
grownups. Best of all, traditional rag rugs aren't hard to make
and you can use just about any type of fabric from recycled clothing,
and yard sale finds to the mistakes in your sewing stash.
The rugs featured
here are the genuine article. These rugs were
originally
created out of necessity, with limited supplies and only the simplest
tools.
Unless your family has been rolling in money for generations, you can
bet
that you have a (great- or great-great-) grandmother or grandfather
that
made rag rugs of some variety. But beyond the basic techniques,
traditional
rugs can be modern pieces of design and craftsmanship which are an
asset
to any home. And they are a wonderful way to connect with the past and
continue a family tradition.
The Rugmaker's
Homestead is a goldmine of information about traditional rag
rugs--and
the only place you can find any
information on many of the "lost" methods of making rugs. Most people
are
surprised to learn that there are hundreds of ways of
turning
rags into rugs. Here, at Rafter-four Designs, we are working
toward
preserving the traditional rug making techniques which have fallen by
the
wayside. We believe that the best way to preserve a folk art is to
teach
folks how to do it with modern, reliable directions. (Read more about our
outlook.)
The third
edition of
Traditional Shirred and Standing Wool Rugs is more than doubled in size
from the 1996 edition and not only includes more information about the
traditional techniques but also never-before-published techniques and
variations--plus how to make shirred rugs from t-shirts, sweaters and
other nontraditional materials. Like all of the Handbooks, it is not a
"craft" book, but a
true handbook for the textile explorer. 
