Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Going in Circles......Stash Busting

Does this happen to you?.....sometimes you see something and you just gotta try it for yourself?.... that is how this all started. One day I saw an image of a floor mat made by wrapping fabric strips around rope and stitching....and you know I felt compelled to give it a go.

I started with the strips.....lots of them, including selvages. The basic method is simple, wrap the fabric strips around the rope, begin by creating a small coil, as you build the circle, a zig zag stitch binds the rounds together. It is the same basic process as making a rope "bowl" and there are plenty of tutorials to be found online. The big difference is that when making a floor mat you need to make sure that the whole thing is being supported on a flat surface. The bigger you want to make the mat....the trickier this can become.



To set up, I placed my machine on an old wash stand that got the bed of my machine matching the height of my work table, in front of that (behind the machine) I built up an area that would be at the same height as the machine and the work table beside me. A combination of things were used, a sturdy cardboard box on top of a large plastic bin worked out just right so that I now had lots of support space


here it is finished, it is 48" across


But wait.....there's more! I quite enjoyed making this and decided to try a different approach. Instead of one large circle, I began making lots and lots of smaller circles in a variety of sizes.



butting them up against each other and "joining" them with that same zig zag stitch
In order to keep everything together in the design pattern I had worked out on the floor, I pinned them together by inserting pins in opposite directions.

and joined them
The process does require a bit of planning and some careful handling, but because the pieces are essentially "hinged" together, it is not that difficult to manipulate under the machine


I had a particular spot in mind for this project. The carpeting in front of the patio doors sees lots of traffic in nice weather but a regular area rug would not work because of the placement of the floor vent. By creating this one out of the circles, I could shape it to suit my needs.

Practical, kinda funky and a great way to bust that stash.  (who am I kidding.....gonna have to make many many more to put a dent in the stash.

12 comments:

Sherri said...

I've made these too. LOVE them and they are not as messy as when you do rugs by crocheting strips of cotton fabrics. Enjoy! You're off to a good start.

Robbie said...

Good think I'm packing to leave for Florida! You are a bad influence on us!! In a good way!! HA
Love your creative flair to make something into something different! I've seen these rope circles but how you ended up making one, first off, as large as you did...then second, making the different sizes and putting together! Crazy great!!!

sbsudbury said...

Love it!!!!

Bonnie said...

I love love love this idea. In New I will be making a big rug. I too have made small bowls and rugs. But your idea of a large rug is wonderful.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Both of these rugs are so nice. I like the multi circle ones. I imagine you could add little triangle coils in between those spaces.

Quilt Rat said...

Thanks Bonnie ......I am really happy with my big rug...it’s perfect for the spot where I sit and spin or hand stitch. Just keep in mind that you have to be able to keep the circle flat and supported as you work because as you know, if you allow the rope round to tilt at all it will begin curve up and form a bowl shape. Good luck and thanks for visiting :-)

Diane J. Evans said...

Again, you are amazing. What a fun idea. You always inspire and bring a smile to my face.

Diane

Glenda said...

These are fabulous. My grandmother made braided wool rugs and these give me the same happy enjoyment of color next to color next to color. I actually gasped when I saw the second multi circle rug. What a great idea!

The Inside Stori said...

Leave it to you to come up with a way to translate coiled fabric bowls into a rug and coasters…..clever girl!!

LuAnn Kessi said...

Really great post about your wrapped rugs! They look great.

LuAnn in Western Oregon
luannkessi.blogspot.com

Createology said...

I do have one of these rope baskets from decades ago. I love your modern twist on the rope rug for your patio door. Your clever way of making smaller circles and connecting them is brilliant. Merry Christmas and Blessings for all of 2018...xo

Quilter Kathy said...

Absolutely fabulous! I love it!

Copyright Jill Buckley