Old Time Rugs
A source for penny rugs, penny rug patterns, hand hooked rugs, latch hook kits and other old time rugs and supplies. As a cottage crafter and rug maker myself, I love creating them all, but found my rag rug weaving to be my bread winner during my children's youth. It was only one portion of my crafting business, but it was the largest contributor for the supplemental household income we needed. I hope that you find one of the old time rugs a fun outlet for your own creativity and enjoyment. All of them are also an excellent way to make extra income at craft shows or even selling Online. Old time rugs never go out of fashion and are sought after year round.
Our old time cottage crafters kept busy all winter long making one thing or another, and that tradition is still found in our present day crafters. One of the more favored by both men and women, was to make new rugs out of the fabric scraps that had been saved and stored throughout the year. Penny rugs were one of the more common types of stitched items, but floorcloths and braided rugs were also often a winters project.
Original old time folk art penny rugs were made using wool fabrics recycled from old woolen clothing or scraps left over from garment making, or recycled from old woolen clothing. The woolen fabrics are shaped into circular medallions in three sizes, and then hand stitched onto a base in a stacked fashion. The largest medallion first, middles size on top of the large one and finally the smallest is stitched to the middle medallion. A blanket stitch is the preferred style of stitch, and was used as a binding around each medallion. This added extra strength for durability, but it also was more decorative.
The Penny Rug has come a long way since the original medallion style rug. Folk artists found they could combine the penny rug medallions with other stitches and shapes to create a story on fabric. Brighter colors of wool and threads became the creators tools to turn the penny into wall hangings, table runners, couch back throws and more. Patterns and Penny Rug Kits for many different ideas are now available and ready for the home crafter to get started. The Penny Rug Kit makes it really easy to learn this fun craft at home.
Penny Rug Source: You can find over 350 different styles of Penny Rugs at the Ebay Mall
You can find a wonderful selection of modern day handmade Penny Rugs for sale, but you can also purchase penny rug patterns and supplies so you can easily make one yourself.
Many times those finished rugs or throws would actually tell a story about the farmer or his family. The joining of penny rug medallions and folk art woolen appliqués could be joined to tell a story, or identify the family.
Featured Penny Rug Pattern Designers
There are more and more artisans coming out of the shadows with the renewed interest in old time crafts. One of those who has been around for some time now is Bev Stevens from the "Oley Valley Prims". We were thrilled to find her shop on Ebay. Bev is a seasoned folk artist who has made a name for herself in the Pennsylvania area as an accomplished folk art designer as well as finished folk art, artist. One such accomplishment would be her penny rug patterns. Bright, cheery and fun as can be to make. We are honored to include Bev's link to her pattern packs and finished items on this site and suggest our readers visit her online store to view her many delightful designs.
(Tell us how we can find your finished old time rugs or patterns and we will be happy to feature yours too!)
Additional Penny Rug Pattern Source: If you would like to find a lot of penny rug patterns to choose from by many designers, try this Penny Rug Pattern link at the Ebay Mall.
They may look a lot like a braided rug from a distance, but they are actually crocheted. These are very common and a favorite among many. Easy to maintain and fun to sit and make during the quiet hours of the day. This is a great way for using up old cloth scraps.
Crocheted Rug Source: over 250 different
Crocheted Rugs at the Ebay Mall
Braiding rugs is not hard to do, but it does take working with the right materials and tools. Wool fabric works the best because it does not fray. Knit fabrics and sweat shirt fabric make great looking rugs too, but you must make sure that there is no stretch to the fabric when using knits or your rug will end up all puckered and ruffled looking. Cotton fabrics in strips work very well, but be sure all the raw edges are turning in like bias tape, or the first time you wash it you will have a lot of frays everywhere. We used to recycle the old cotton sheets and curtains into braided rugs, hot mats and seat cushions. They had nice long strips of fabric and you could make several small projects. Bedspreads also work great.
You will find many hand made braided rugs all across the Internet at unbeatable prices compared to specialty rug shops.
Braided Rug Source:This Braided Rugs link shows over 2800 braided rugs by sellers at the Ebay Mall in every size and shape available.
Antique rugs rarely saw a good wash. The homemaker took them outside and hung them over the clothes line and beat them until the dust stopped flying. Many antique beaters have stood the test of time and still can be found for around $20 on Ebay. These still make excellent beaters for your old braided rugs. Many times the rug is not really that soiled, but as with any fiber, it collects dust. A healthy beating will not hurt the fibers as much as a washing will, so don't be afraid to give your rug a good whack!
A folk art rug can be created using many different tools. Sewing scraps onto canvas or heavy fabrics, such as the appliqué rugs. Many tell a story and were quite popular even as far back as in the colonial days. It was not unusual to see a couch throw depicting an entire family farm or lovely garden of flowers.
Folk art is really just a means of adding an artist touch to their rug. It could be a rooster as above in the picture, or it may be a stenciled picture on any type of rug. The floorcloth rugs were folk art rugs that allowed the crafter or artist to make a more detailed picture of their family history, or an artistic statement of their own. They serve as art, but normally can also be used as a rug.
A floorcloth or floor cloth rug is a work of art, so if you come across an old one you will want to preserve it as a such. Many of the old time farmers who used the old threshing machines would have to replace the canvas on the machines. This canvas was recycled into large squares....
Continue reading about floorcloths
Floorcloth Source: Find many wonderful
floorcloths artists choose to display and market on Ebay. There is almost always one that will fit into your decor.
Hooked rugs are probably best know as wall hangings by modern day hooking enthusiasts. There are many wonderful hooked rugs, patterns and designs in the store. Old time settlers often used hooked rugs to keep their feet warm and at the same time add a touch of decoration. It was a wonderful way to recycle old woolen clothing. An additional 'Hand Hooked Rug Guide' that is quite interesting to read also gives you instructions for storing a hooked rug.
A kit is the way to go if you have no idea how to make a hooked rug, or if you do not want a bunch of supplies laying around once you complete your rug. There are also Latch hook kits, which is even easier to complete, for all ages of crafters. You use pre-cut yarn strips and a latch hook to pull the yarn strips through the netting for a quick easy knot. Latch hook or hooking a rug can be done a couple ways. True hooking of rugs is a skill our ancestors mastered and passed down to us to preserve. They take a bit more time to complete, but the end result is always worth it.
A source for Hand Hooked Rug Patterns
Many who are just starting out will find using a Hand Hooking Rug Pattern will make make the craft much easier. Many can be purchased along with the ready cut supplies to make them.
Our final rug we want to talk about is the rag rug, or loom woven colonial rug. Loom woven rag rugs are a preferred rug for keeping up with those muddy shoes, but they also add a ton of decoration to your home. To better show you rag rugs and the tools you would need, we have a sister site that will help you locate many different rag rugs, looms for weaving and weaving supplies. They include lap looms for afghan work, to table and floor models used for place-mats, rugs, runners etc.
How To Start A Rug Weaving Home Business
Visit the Rag Rug Shop for more information on loom weaving, rag rugs and how to take this old craft and make it a lucrative home business.
Looking for even more sources for old rugs, patterns and kits? We have added a customized search bar that will pull in tons more!
