How to assemble backed penny stacks

Happy Easter Everyone!

  My Easter treat to you is a lesson about

assembling a rug of self backed stacks.

This is my favourite way to make rugs.  

And a very easy method for beginners.

You can make a pleasing, useful mat.

First arrange your stacks into a shape you like.

Then turn them over.

Join one stack at a time, with a whip stitch.

Make two or three stitches in the same place 

picking up just the backing wool fabric.

Glide and pass your needle inside the stack to attach another stack.

Join all the penny stacks together forming a row.

Repeat until you have all the rows assembled.

Then take two rows and join them together in a sort of zig zag fashion.

I do this on my lap.

Again gliding the needle inside the stack to the next whip stitch position.

Join this row, then another, and so on. (Ha! sew on...)

When you're done joining the rows, your mat is assembled!

 I soaked my rug in cold water...

Warning, if your fabric bleeds be very cautious when soaking or washing.  

Always use cold water and mild detergents. 

 Here I will soak and dry the rug so that I can press it.  

I press sometimes and sometimes not, it depends on how I feel about the rug.

(What do I think it needs)

This step is entirely up to you, you do not have to soak and press. 

If you want to; follow this method,

 rinsing and squishing gently, if you need to wash your rug.

 I squished out most of the water and placed it on a fluffy towel.

(Warning again, if your rug bleeds dye, use old towels!)

 

  Next add another towel on top and roll it up to remove even more moisture.

 

Resting the rolled towels to pull out the moisture... 

press your hands along the roll to hasten this process and remove more moisture.

You may want to change the towels once or twice.

Remove the wet towels to the laundry.

 Let your roll rest while you watch the hummingbirds......

Can you count three?  

There is a fourth one, but he was too fast for the camera!

Warm up your iron.

Now press, with dry fluffy towels. 

One on top and one underneath.

Afterward I left this rug on a dry towel in a warm spot, 

overnight, to dry completely.

In the morning I gave it another press.

  It's a beauty! 

 I have been known to take a completed rug 

and toss into the dye pot!  

Who knows, this one might become another colour!

Done for now, on to the next one!