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.