Working on my green penny rug

 YIPPEE!  

I actually found enough thread! 

 The match was close enough to the hand dyed pieces I started with,
 get this, 2 years ago for this rug!

(stitching slow as time was flying by!)

  

Last night I finished the last row. 

This rug is a collection of 2" greens.
Some are brownish green, some are greyish green.

I'm not going to add any other pennies or colours.
This is the rug I envisioned when I started.

Simple.

This is my first cotton backed rug. The last one was linen.
I found a reproduction feed sack and aged it with tea.
Note: some teas will leave a pinkish tone, test your tea first.
 I use the cheapest brand for dyeing, don't use orange pekoe.
BUT you should try onion skins for dyeing!  Check Cee's post here
The Diary of a Rug Maker - the dye pot is on
Start saving your onions skins!
  
I really enjoyed working with the cotton backing.

With lots of thought and discussion I think I'm going to trim it with a cotton binding.  

There might be enough fabric to fold over and stitch, but I think I'm going to try binding it. 

This will my first "bound" penny rug.
 Cee suggested cotton binding.

These are straight edges, so I don't think I'll cut my binding on a bias.

So, onward and stay tuned for the finishing and my YouTube tutorial.

Victorian Sewing Box or Pinch Purse

My Victorian sewing box, also known as a pinch purse.

 Finally it's done!
  I started this last year and it whiled away in a basket. 

 It looked so easy, well it is.
However, I fought with the thread
and the stiffness of the cardboard lining.

It just didn't look right using embroidery cotton
 and I wasn't using the right needle.

I wouldn't tackle this unless you have some sewing skills.
A set of needle nose pliers or a very good fitting thimble is in order.
 

I found that the best way to stitch this together 

was with doubled #10 crochet cotton and a #18 chenille needle.

Gosh I like chenille needles,
why was I using a darning needle?
(Because the pattern called for it.)
I used velvet fabric with a cotton lining.
The next one will be woolie!

This is the bottom, a weaving stitch is used to attach the three, pointed oval shapes, together.

It's a pattern shown in American Time Life Books - Country Crafts,
an older set of books from the 80's.
But simple enough.  Use a cardboard shape for the lining.
Use the shape to draw on and cut your fabric
about 1/4" to 1/2" beyond the edge, allowing for a seam.
The cardboard is inserted between two layers of fabric and then blind stitched together.
Make sure you've trimmed the seams to 1/8" and keep the seams on the lining side.

The blanket stitch along the open edge is not necessary.
I'm just blanket stitch crazy.

Hmmmm, I think it needs woolie adornment.
I'm sure you agree.
Stayed tuned for the next installment.
There may be kits in my future.

Let's finish a rug together

 Remember this one?  I've pulled it out to complete it.  

There will be a tutorial and YouTube slides to come.  

Can you see the problem I've stitched myself into?  

The top row is coming too close to the end of my fabric 

for a hemmed edge.

I would have to do a raw edge blanket stitch, 

or machine stitch (egad) the edge. 

 I'm going to remove four pennies, on four rows, at both ends! 

 Second problem, 

I'm running out of the custom dyed thread I made. 

 I will have to use another colour.  That's okay.

An example of truly using up and making do!  

 This rug is a compilation of greens

 on an tea dyed reproduction feed sack.

 It's meant to be a make do.

On another note,
 but with total regard to the love of penny mats.

Do I have any followers that would truly love to follow along

 in a small group setting,

 on the internet, and learn even more about penny rugs?

Email me, or leave a comment, 

and we'll get you set up in our little group lead by Cee and me!

Update March 11, 2013 - we've now closed the group. 
I'll let you know when we start another one.
Until then, keep watching for more woolie posts.

Moravian Star,Victorian Star,3D to me

My Stars

Inspiration for my Moravian star on the left
was the little star on the right. My friend Missy gave it to me.

More inspiration came from

 a Better Homes and Gardens, Do It Yourself Issue, Winter 2005

 page 32 and 33.

Check out the wonderful fabrics used in these stars!

The article was about Debra Danall's beautiful home, 

and not about how to make Moravian Stars, sniff.

I could not find a pattern for these Moravian stars, 

I searched and searched and searched.

Did I say I searched? 

I had memories of my grandmother making them back in the 1960's. 

Short of taking apart my little star, and I couldn't bear to do that!

 I finally made my own crafty version here , in February 2011,

using scraps of felted wools, quilt batting, 

cardboard, and fusible webbing. 
Check my Etsy shop for templates, and fabric kits when I have them available.

Here's my first star, again, in my entry hall.

Do you notice the penny rug underneath?

Check my complete tutorial for that rug on my YouTube channel.

Part 5 freshly posted today, by the way.

So, just today I was chatting 

with my penny rug friend Cee, about these stars. 

Now, just look at what she turned up for me!  This is a beautiful museum piece.  

They call it a Victorian Patchwork Pincushion. 

Wow, another friend gifting me (so to speak) with a star!

It is a Moravian star, but it is also known as a

 Victorian Patchwork Pincushion 

or, a Patchwork Star. 

This particular star is vintage 1890-1910 circa.  

Check how the pins are for decoration, 

with beads threaded onto each pin. 

Some of the points are missing their large gold bead. 

 See the sequin decoration at the inside intersection.
Do you notice one other more important item?
The pieces are triangles and not diamonds
This star has a completely different construction than mine.
Well, a diamond halved, is a triangle. So this won't be hard to do,
 I see another tutorial in my future.

 The description on the museum website reads:

"Decorative Victorian star shaped pin cushion, consisting of 60 individual silk and velvet covered triangular card templates that create a three dimensional star.
There are pins with large beads at the points, and smaller blue beads with pins along the edges.
This type of pin cushion was popular in the late Victorian period,
and many were produced as decorative ornaments for the parlour rather than having a practical use."

So, now that I'm armed with a new search phrase I can't be stopped!

 I found this photo of a pattern, on Flickr referring to a book by Caroline Green 

 called "Victorian Crafts Revived".

I've ordered a copy, so I'll let you know if the pattern is actually in the book. 

 From the full version of this photo on Flickr, and I don't want to inadvertently infringe on a copyright of the book, with a reproduced the pattern, 

but there are simple directions using glue, fabric and no batting. 

Other than the way the fabric is attached, 

the way I do it is the basic way.

(my granny didn't have fusible webbing,

 but she had glue, and she had thread)

If you find your way to this photo taken from Caroline's book, on Flickr you will see the pattern.

 Quilters share this method for a 3D star, 

check out Kindred Quilts' blog here for some fun colour variations!

We've been sharing links!

I never thought I could write a post so long about a quilted star, but there's more!

Thank you again to Cee, she found this eBay listing today.

Maybe someone out there has this pattern, another method, or some photos to share? 

Remember, we're all stars!

Penny Rug Tutorial - Part 5

 Finally you say? Is Colleen really going to finish the rug?!  

Here I am at the lake enjoying a perfectly beautiful day. The weather here couldn't be lovelier as we hear about terrible snow storms, and blizzards in the east! Stay indoors, and warm my friends.

I am finishing the rug that I started last year
and posted to my YouTube channel.
 I find it difficult to put together the right elements for picture taking, and video making.  Sunlight, frame of mind, and the rug itself.  So, I started... cut, and then to iron.
Where are my straight pins?
 At home, of course!  Talk about making do!

Here is part 5 in the raw (not me, the rug).
 I will be posting it to my YouTube channel soon.  Currently I'm not happy with my video footage.  It was too rushed, and some of the angles are not so good.  I will likely post it as a Power Point slide presentation, later. 

 The finished rug, lightly pressed, front and back.  Notice the black stitching.  This black stitching was my starting point for center.
I blanket stitched each penny stack to this piece of linen, salvaged from a skirt, from the center point and out.

 This method for determining the width to cut,
and laying a straight edge,
I learned from my good friend Cee at Early Style Penny Rugs.
(Cee is so clever)

Use widths of masking tape to measure the edge of your rug.
 No need for a rotary cutter, ruler, or teflon mat.

 Tape all sides and cut.  Here I have decided that two widths of tape is the measure that is good for this rug. Or, maybe it was the rug that decided?  The rug will speak to you if you step back, fold, and view the width that will be most pleasing.

 Ta Da!  Easy to cut.  Now gently remove all the tape.
  Warm up your iron, and fold over half the width.
And half the width again.

 Fold and press twice one width of masking tape.
  This method hides and folds in the raw edge.
If you like, trim your corners after you've pressed and folded, this will reduce bulk in the corners.
So sorry, I forgot to take a photo of a trimmed corner! 

 Start in any corner and begin blind stitching, with matching thread.
  Use small stitches and a fine needle.

Hemming the edge.

This rug was done with 3" and 3/4" wool circles on a piece of linen.
I stitched the pennies in place with over dyed #10 crochet cotton.