Knot Sew Perfect Designs – BLOG
Explanation: Knot = wood knot, crochet knot etc. Sew = I sew just enough to get by; Sow- seeds for gardening either flower or veggie.Perfect = absolutely exquisitely done but KNOT by me (sometimes). What I do sometimes I have never done before so the results are Knot Perfect! Design = Could be most anything. A crocheted rug, a kitchen makeover, a patio, garden, a new recipe , decorating something or something basic.
GOT TIME? - LET'S CROCHET A RAG RUG
Let's mix things up a bit and try a rag rug. It doesn't have to be a large as what I made here but it will be homemade and that's what we're talking about. GUYS - don't run away now. This is for EVERYONE. Did you know that Rosie Grier (famous football player) crocheted and did needlework? So man-up; you can do this too.
WAY BACK WHEN there was no arthritis and I had the need, I crocheted a couple rugs. Hint - do them in the winter as the larger they get the warmer they are on your lap! I wanted a round rug to "pull things together" in my living room but to buy one would cost $5-900.00 plus, plus, plus. Now you have to remember that I haven't' won the lottery, even back then. And if you didn't know that you need to start at the very BEGINNING of my blogs...it's okay, I'll wait for you to catch up!!
Of course you will need material. You can use old clothes if you'd like but that is a LOT MORE WORK. I bought material ($1.00 yd) and eventually fabric "mill ends" off EBay and online. These can be as cheap as $1.00 roll or some sell by the pound. Sheets work well too but you'd have to dye them to get the color you want, then hand cut.
I also started out cutting with shears...phew, that was a lot of work and tough on the back. I used a yardstick to draw a line and cut within a half inch to the folded edge (for continuous strip) using a pair of shears, then later switched to a rotary cutter (much quicker) and a cutting mat. And later yet, I was lucky enough my BFF had a cutter
(Harry M Fraser -used for cutting material for braided rugs) and this was awesome. It really only worked best on the rolls of fabric ends. I bought another cutting head so I was able to make 3 strips from most rolls. I didn't take the time to sew strips together, I simply tied them together with a square knot and snipped the ends a little close.....thus, the Knot Sew PERFECT Design. Hey - it adds character. And, after all the wear and tear along with the washing, the knots have held up great.
GOT TIME? - LET'S CROCHET A RAG RUG
Let's mix things up a bit and try a rag rug. It doesn't have to be a large as what I made here but it will be homemade and that's what we're talking about. GUYS - don't run away now. This is for EVERYONE. Did you know that Rosie Grier (famous football player) crocheted and did needlework? So man-up; you can do this too.
WAY BACK WHEN there was no arthritis and I had the need, I crocheted a couple rugs. Hint - do them in the winter as the larger they get the warmer they are on your lap! I wanted a round rug to "pull things together" in my living room but to buy one would cost $5-900.00 plus, plus, plus. Now you have to remember that I haven't' won the lottery, even back then. And if you didn't know that you need to start at the very BEGINNING of my blogs...it's okay, I'll wait for you to catch up!!
Of course you will need material. You can use old clothes if you'd like but that is a LOT MORE WORK. I bought material ($1.00 yd) and eventually fabric "mill ends" off EBay and online. These can be as cheap as $1.00 roll or some sell by the pound. Sheets work well too but you'd have to dye them to get the color you want, then hand cut.
I also started out cutting with shears...phew, that was a lot of work and tough on the back. I used a yardstick to draw a line and cut within a half inch to the folded edge (for continuous strip) using a pair of shears, then later switched to a rotary cutter (much quicker) and a cutting mat. And later yet, I was lucky enough my BFF had a cutter
I started with 15 yards of cotton material thinking that would be enough for a round rug. WRONG. As you can SEE it only made a 3 ft. diameter rug (the center) . Holy- ca-moley! How much DO I NEED? No idea. I really didn't know how to figure that but I'm sure if I really thought about it I could. (remember I wanted to be a CPA so I'm kinda' good with numbers) It depends on how wide you cut the material and how you crochet.
The next one I did (7 ft square) I planned a little better as far as color. I was able to find a couple bolts of material (25 yds) for $10.00 each but had to dye it as it had a cutout pattern on it. Then, I had to iron it (sort of) so I could fold in half, lay it out flat and cut. BUT, I saved lots of $$$$!! I did use some solid color and had to buy a little more to finish off. The nice thing about this is you can always ADD TO IT!!
It's a LOT OF WORK but well worth it. These rugs are about 25 years old now and have been in a main room and walked on a lot. I simply put it in a commercial washer (laundromat) and hang over the railing to dry. It is damn heavy when wet so get your big girl/boy panties on for that!! Or ladies, bring the "pool boy" with you! ha ha ha.
Between the two rugs and knowing about how wide I cut the material and approximately how many yards I used, I figured I crocheted 8 MILES of material. WOW - that's a long ways. I also went to the local carpet warehouse and got felt carpet padding (cut to size) for under them to make them feel more "plush".
If you have crocheted before - simply make a circle or a square or even an oval. If you haven't, you will need to practice first. Somehow mine came out perfectly round - wow...I guess I must have been counting stitches or at least paying attention. The square one got a little off-square - you can see it right? "Knot Sew Perfect Designs" , what did I tell ya'!
The Harry M Fraser cutter is still available but I was unable to find a direct link. They are located in Stoneville, NC Phone: 336-573-9830 They are however (the cutter) on many other sites. They are not cheap.
Enjoy - and it is something you can pass down to your kids if they want them.
"You don't have to know HOW - you just need the DESIRE to TRY"...Barb Hurley
Note: Look Radiant in 3 Minutes!! Use Pepto-Bismol as an instant cleansing mask. Bismuth, a clay-like mineral in liquid form acts as a cleansing agent to draw impurities out of the skin. Apply to face, let dry and rinse with warm water. Wa-la - you are looking oh so radiant!!
It's a LOT OF WORK but well worth it. These rugs are about 25 years old now and have been in a main room and walked on a lot. I simply put it in a commercial washer (laundromat) and hang over the railing to dry. It is damn heavy when wet so get your big girl/boy panties on for that!! Or ladies, bring the "pool boy" with you! ha ha ha.
Between the two rugs and knowing about how wide I cut the material and approximately how many yards I used, I figured I crocheted 8 MILES of material. WOW - that's a long ways. I also went to the local carpet warehouse and got felt carpet padding (cut to size) for under them to make them feel more "plush".
If you have crocheted before - simply make a circle or a square or even an oval. If you haven't, you will need to practice first. Somehow mine came out perfectly round - wow...I guess I must have been counting stitches or at least paying attention. The square one got a little off-square - you can see it right? "Knot Sew Perfect Designs" , what did I tell ya'!
The Harry M Fraser cutter is still available but I was unable to find a direct link. They are located in Stoneville, NC Phone: 336-573-9830 They are however (the cutter) on many other sites. They are not cheap.
Enjoy - and it is something you can pass down to your kids if they want them.
"You don't have to know HOW - you just need the DESIRE to TRY"...Barb Hurley
Note: Look Radiant in 3 Minutes!! Use Pepto-Bismol as an instant cleansing mask. Bismuth, a clay-like mineral in liquid form acts as a cleansing agent to draw impurities out of the skin. Apply to face, let dry and rinse with warm water. Wa-la - you are looking oh so radiant!!
No comments:
Post a Comment