from Art and economy in home decoration by Mabel Tuke Priestman, 1910

CHAPTER VII
HOME-MADE RUGS

THE expense of furnishing is so great that, whenever possible, it is no little help to make something for the home out of material that would otherwise be wasted. Owing to the revived interest in old-fashioned furniture and in the love of simple things for the home, rag rugs have become universally popular. These, however, can be bought in such exquisite colorings at stores that it seems futile to make them; but there are several varieties that can be made at home from old clothing which, when placed upon matting or bare floors, reduce the rug bill and add to the decorative appearance of the home.

In olden days the dye pot played an important part in the making of rugs, for all old clothing was carefully hoarded and torn into strips and neatly sewed together in odd lengths. These strips were wound into loose hanks which were dipped in the dye pot, when they took on a new lease of life, owing to their soft and beautiful colorings. Vegetable dyes were invariably used, so it is not surprising that to-day so many of these old-time rugs are still beautiful in color, mellowed only by time. Old stockings, old undershirts, petticoats, and dress materials of all kinds were utilized in the making of these rugs, for when they were dyed and worked up in the rugs the variety of texture only added to their beauty. There were always a few balls of white rags, which were put on one side for the purpose of introducing white bands of color when it was deemed necessary.

In a colonial bedroom what could be prettier with the old-fashioned chuck-bottomed chairs or hickory furniture than one of these quaint, old plaited or crocheted rugs. Their advantage lies in their economy and in the fact of their being washable, which appeals strongly to the housekeeper of to-day.

Plaited Rugs

The simplest rugs are those that are plaited, knitted, and crocheted. The plaited rug may be either oval, square, or round. When the strips are torn, thin material must be about one and a half inches wide, and thick material about half an inch wide; when plaited, they take up the same amount of space.

Take either three colors or three shades for the plaited rug, and plait a strip about one yard long. Lay the half-yard, when plaited, on the table and re-turn the other half-yard and neatly sew them together. Continue plaiting from half a yard to a yard at a time, sewing the plaits together as the work progresses.

Many people get their length of stuff tangled up, but this can be avoided by plaiting only short lengths of material, and having one end in the plait much shorter than the other two. It is very easy to keep on adding new pieces, but if one attempts to plait a long strip at once the material becomes frayed and the worker does not find it easy to do.

There is a very great difference in the appearance of these rugs. Some workers turn in the edge of each strip as they plait, while others leave the raw edges slightly frayed, and prefer its artistic appearance to the neater rug. This can be left entirely to the choice of the worker, as the extremely particular housekeeper will prefer the neat rug, while the woman who likes to get artistic results from quick work will favor the rough-and-ready plaiting.

Crocheted Rugs

Those who are fond of crocheting will find the making of these rugs quick and delightful work. They can be made of rags, which should be torn about half an inch wide. Flannelette is particularly charming, as it is so soft to the feet. If they are to be of light weight, the material will just be crocheted in the round. Begin with a chain of four stitches and join together with a crochet hook. Increase the round about eight stitches, and increase the same number for each round. Crocheters do not all work alike, and if this is found to be too full, do not add as many as eight stitches. The rug must lie perfectly flat and smooth. Single crochet or Afghan stitch is used.

Many people prefer a thick and heavy rug, especially if it is to be used down-stairs; and in order to make this really solid, manila rope can be used with the material, holding it in the hand and crocheting over the rope. If a rope is found to be too heavy, a round lamp wick can be utilized instead, but this makes a much softer rug. For a heavy rug an ordinary clothes-line is the best filling.

Shaker flannel is variegated in appearance, and is perhaps the best of all materials for making crocheted rugs. If this is bought between seasons, remnants can often be obtained for a very small price. Experience will enable the worker to find out how many pounds of material to use. It is impossible to give the exact weight as one worker will use twice as much material as another, according to the looseness of the crocheting or the size of the hook.

I have seen beautiful fancy rugs made from unbleached muslin dyed in exquisite shades and torn only half an inch in width and without any filling. All sorts of intricate patterns can be made, and designs of all kinds can be worked out by a skilful worker. As the beauty of these rugs depends upon their coloring, and as this is not easy to plan for, dyeing can be resorted to, after the rug is completed, by staining some attractive pattern on the rug both back and front. This should be done by means of a stencil, so as to keep the edges clear, and the dye should be allowed to soak in so as to permeate well through the crochet work.

Knitted Rugs

Those who are interested in knitting are always on the lookout for some new ideas so that they may keep their needles busy. A knitted rug is made even more quickly than a crocheted one. It is best to wind the material into balls, and to decide on two or three colors beforehand. The material should be cut not more than half an inch wide, and, of course, must be neatly joined together before being wound.

These rugs are made in the following way: Knit a strip six inches wide and twelve inches long. Then knit another strip, which may be of another color, four inches wide, and make it long enough to go entirely around the six-inch strip. The right length must be determined by laying the wide strip on the table and laying the new strip beside it. The corners must be slightly fulled so that the oval will lie perfectly flat. Do not take out the needles until the strip is neatly sewed to the centre piece, so that more can be added if the strip has worked up in sewing. A third strip would make a rug fifty-six inches long and forty inches wide; and if a larger rug is desired, a fourth strip would make a rug sixty-four inches long, every strip increasing the rug eight inches in length.

These rugs are pretty when placed in front of a bureau or for a hearth-rug, especially in a living-room in conjunction with mission furniture.