A Braided Rug Chapter 2

All done!!!!!

Living up to my Domestic Disaster name

Today is Dave's birthday. He has been SO busy of late. Working working working working. We didn't have time to invite family over. He didn't even expect to be home for dinner tonight, so I didn't make dinner. Boys and I were either going to eat leftovers or frozen dinners. (I know, frozen dinners are gross, but they are so easy and my boys love them.) Well, at 6:15, while I sat at Special Olympics basketball practice that would last until 7:00, Dave shows up and tells me he will be home for dinner after all. Uh... We are having frozen dinners... Uh... Sorry honey, it is your birthday, and you get a "meatloaf" dinner in a plastic tray.

Truly a domestic disaster moment.

A braided rug Chapter 1

I've long wanted to make a braided rug. I started last week, the day a box arrived in the mail holding the metal "braidkins" that help you fold the material before you braid it and the metal "bodkin" that helps you sew the braids together. I had already started tearing the strips of wool and sewing them together. I'm putting this one in front of the kitchen sink, so I'm using brown, a variety of yellows and golds, some black/gray herringbone, a gray/brown/yellow plaid, and probably some plain black before it is all done. All are colors from the counter top in the kitchen.

The middle is a bit "puffy" but so far the learning curve for this project has not been bad. I've pretty quickly figured out how tight to braid and how tight to pull the lacing twine. I have a blister on my index finger from pulling the twine.

I'd love to watch an experienced rug braider work. I'm sure I'd learn much more quickly. Anyone know such a person?

Oh, and you don't need to tell me that I have 15 projects going at the same time. I know it.

P.S. Kris from Resweater--The yellow I'm working with in this photo is from your blanket!

A new wall piece

Here is another small wall piece. This one is some kind of hybrid quilt patch, penny rug, button mania. I'm thinking of making another similar piece to make the whole thing twice as big. As it is it is about 9x10. I think a piece 18x10 would look nice in that corner.

I've also started a braided rug. I stumbled across a $1 coat day in Goodwill a few weeks back and bought a few 100% wool coats. One thing has led to another, and I'm now about 5 rounds into a rug for in front of the kitchen sink. I dream of making a rug big enough for the family room--but I know with my attention span, a project that big might just be too much.

Progress

So, here is a work in progress of which I'm actually proud. I decided to wait on the BIG wall hanging for above our fireplace until I had a better technique figured out. For this small piece (15X15) I used fusible interfacing. I was trying to do the whole wall hanging with reclaimed stuff except for the thread. It just didn't work. Nice interfacing made this MUCH easier to sew, and thus, a much more successful final product, I hope. Not quite done yet, I ran out of thread and can't find the 6 spools I bought a few weeks back when Joann had a huge sale on black and white thread. I want to put a 1 inch border in the darkest green. Photo taken with cell phone, so color isn't great.

Resweater Giveaway!!!

If you have been thinking about wool felt, and want a chance to try it without actually ruining one of your own sweaters, or venturing out to a Goodwill store to buy one, check out this great giveaway at ReSweater-- Click


Here (http://resweater.blogspot.com/2010/02/another-good-karma-giveaway.html)

If you win, you get to pick any sweater she has in her shop!!! I think you have until the 13th of Feb. to enter. Good luck!

Alex Twirlling Posted so I can find the video