Weaving My First Rag Rug

[@nargeshajisadeghi3603]

Impersian and thankyou❤

[@madm0078]

Love your honesty!

[@tangledwebsweaving]

So glad you do. I really am no expert when it comes to rag rugs but I learned a lot weaving this one. Thanks for watching ❤️

[@madm0078]

@@tangledwebsweaving I THOUGHT about doing a rag rug until I watched yours, now I need to think again. You did beautifully, rightful frustrations, patterned and skinnier strips, for your first rug - amazing. I will try one a little more forgiving for my first rug. Thank you for the eye opener.

[@tangledwebsweaving]

@madm0078 yes I should not have attempted one so complex for my first. My second one was simpler.

[@Jill4Today]

It is sooo pretty! It really looks great on the wood flooring. There is an interlacing technique to add or "chain" a new rag onto the end of the old one without too much notice. I've done several rugs and used your technique of tapering the ends. What a slick trick with the cutting of the strips!

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Thank you so much. The tapering technique seems to hide the ends fairly well in the plain weave sections but not so much were there is the longer floats in the Rosepath pattern areas. The cutting trick looks great but I found the sewn seams were too bulky and sometimes the stitching came undone. I think limiting the rug to 2 or 3 fabrics and purchasing longer yardage to minimize the joins would give a better look. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@AngelaDChildress]

I am so happy to see this. I am a novice Rigid Heddle weaver. However I've fallen in love with weaving and I really want to try rag rugs. Thanks for sharing your method of cutting the fabric. That is pretty ingenious

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Welcome to the rabbit hole of weaving! Rag rugs might be too much for a rigid heddle loom but give it a try. The fabric cutting didn't work for me as great as I'd hoped. The best way is to use very long strips and then you have fewer joins! Thanks for warching ❤️

[@131dyana]

Weaving is harder than it looks. thank you.

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Some weaving is harder than others. But it's all worth it, even the things that don't turn out quite how you want/expect because usually you learn something along the way. Thanks for watching ❤️

[@lynnhelton2322]

Beautiful rug..love the pattern. No doubt setting up loom for the pattern is time consuming. I’ve done rag rugs on my rigid heddle which are straight weave; however, i do enjoy weaving them.

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Glad you enjoyed the video. I've not done many rugs so was glad how well it turned out. Thanks for watching and Happy Weaving ❤️

[@alicesulzer1412]

Your rag rug is beautiful ! Well done!! You are braver than I am, you did it !!

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Thank you so much! I figure you have to try something at least once before saying you don't like it! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@JaneConnorEmbellisher]

I recently played around with rag rugs on my sampling loom and tried various techniques for the fabric prep and the weaving of the fabric. I didn’t like the hassle of manipulating the strips to keep the right side of the fabric facing up and so I turned to my quilting toolbox to help me. I prepare my strips like the binding on a quilt. The method I use to sew the ends of the strips together gives me a diagonal seam across the strips kind of similar to the tapered ends you use to change fabrics. The diagonal seaming distributes the seam bulk along the strip. Once the strips are sewn together I iron the long strip in half lengthwise so the wrong side of the fabric is inside. This also kept the seam allowances used to create the longer strip contained and out of my way while weaving. I then wind the prepared strip onto the shuttle and weave. I now have three pretty side of the fabric on both sides of my rag rug. I still use the tapered ends for changing colors and beginning and ending shuttles and the rug. You are bold to share you first attempt without editing. I would not have thought of adding patterning in rag rugs.

[@mjdrean]

I admire your perseverance. I'm pretty sure I would have given up. Also you were more kind than I would have been having to dig for an answer when the loom information should have given under equipment in the article.

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Thank you! I almost edited that section out but decided it was important. I've sent an email to Interwoven too even though the edition is several years old. They should know! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@deniseengel1451]

Your rug turned out beautifully. I usually cut 1/2” strips of cotton for a rag rug. When laying in the strip at an angle I fold the strip in half at the edge then create the weft angle. Hold that turned edge and at the other end you can fold your strip in half so both sides of the strip are right sides out and beat in. This is helpful if your fabric is not printed on both sides. I don’t worry about the strings. If you compare a rag rug made with bias strips which don’t fray to a traditional rag rug, the one with the bias will look “dead” in comparison. Of course that is one opinion. I hope you will try another rag rug. And yes, it is a good workout.

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Thanks for the tips. I will definitely give it a try. That's interesting about the bias strips looking so different. I think I'm going to make some "hot pads" and might experiment with all the tips I'm getting. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@elizabethborajkiewicz6100]

Your rug is spectacular. I just inherited a Union 36 (2 shaft rag rug loom) and I've just finished my first t-shirt rag, but very basic. It is a workout and the Union Loom has a very beater which helps some. I have no tips as I am so new. My loom has a sectional beam roller attached and that alone was a huge lesson. Nice job on your project!!!!

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Thank you so much. I've read the Union looms are the rug workhorse. If I had room for multiple looms that would be one of them! Sectional warping is a different process but you CAN warp a sectional beam as if it were a non-sectional beam. My last loom had a sectional beam and I did it all the time. Thanks for watching and have fun with your Union 36!

[@janetb3596]

I like your rug very much! I believe you are weaving the pattern from Karen Eisenhower that came out a few years back,rosepath. I've made this rug myself. I cut six to eight yards all at one using a mat and rotary cutter. I prefer not using a shuttle and just pull the strips through by hand. The small threads are something you can't get away from. They are part of the charm of a rag rug. Your doing a great job! Don't give up., it gets faster the more you do it.

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Thank you Janet! I like the rug too. Yes, it's the pattern by Karen Isenhower from the March/April 2017 Handwoven magazine. I think I would get less fraying if I pulled the strips through by hand. I think I'll try that next time. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@egrainger48]

It's gorgeous!!

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Thank you so much!

[@Athena_11_]

😂😂 yes the strings are super annoying! I finally stopped using my rag shuttle and started pulling my weft strips through by hand. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way for rag rugs. Everyone has their own methods for sure. After I finished my 6 rugs I took an online course on long thread media with Tom Kinsley. He does a rag rug but I’m excited about doing wool rugs with warp or weft faced rugs next. He’s got great tips!

[@tangledwebsweaving]

I did find the strips I laid in by hand had less strings but they had fresh cuts too. The other strips seemed like they frayed just sitting there on the rag shuttles! LOL I like Tom Kinsley's techniques and should take his online course too. You can never learn too many tips! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@breagharose1857]

Being a brand new weaver... I totally messed up my warp, so I decided to do a rag rug with the messed up warp. Luved it. But my width was a lot wider than that.

[@tangledwebsweaving]

I love that you adapted and didn't just toss the messed up warp! How wide did it end up being?

[@margiehogan5571]

You refer to article in Handwoven, which issue is it? Tip to lessen the thread fraying form the strips, per wash and dry your fabric. Be sure to either zigzag the cut edges or use a serger to overcast the cut edges before washing.

[@tangledwebsweaving]

The pattern is in the March/ April 2017 issue. It's called Swedish Rosepath Rag Rug. Great tip! I did prewash the fabric but the paisley fabric was especially bad about freying. Thanks for watching!

[@janetb3596]

By the way, I live in the Seattle area as well. Do you belong to the Seattle Weavers Guild?

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Yes, I do belong to the Seattle Weavers Guild. Unfortunately I work on Thursdays when they have their meetings and have only been able to attend via Zoom. Hopefully I'll get to attend a meeting in person one of these days.

[@nargeshajisadeghi3603]

سلام ،تشکر من فارسی زبانم ازهنرتون لذت بردم ،ایکاش می شد ترجمه فارسی بشه❤❤❤❤

[@tangledwebsweaving]

Thank you so much. I hope you get some enjoyment even if you can't understand what I'm saying ❤️ Thanks for watching!

[@nargeshajisadeghi3603]

@@tangledwebsweaving 🙏🏻😘🌹❤️

[@margareteast9273]

This is not a job for me, all that fiddling would drive me daft. I will stick to overshot, might be slow but no twiddling with sticking out bits of cotton…

[@tangledwebsweaving]

I hear that! Thanks for watching and commenting.