Working on a new rug

It's been a busy life lately

I've been over on Facebook building my new page

www.facebook.com/pennyrugsandmore

  I'm working on a new rug in my spare time away from work,

 which seems like never (!)

Here is my inspiration and you'll see my progress so far.

The inspiration:

 I call it "the Tom rug".

As found in Country Living about Tom Pryor's interior design. 

If you haven't already seen it, 

you'll love the article Decorating with American Country Antiques.

"Colleen's rug" I will make from Tom's photo.

The lesson is, if you see a rug you want to recreate, you can.

Study any photo and make it up as you go.

I found out that I don't like to make bias tape.

So I bought one of those bias tape machines.

I tried using the bias fold metal tips that you feed bias strips through,

I was lousy at it.

 Then I found this bias tape tutorial on the web at

 Creative Little Daisy using a straight pin.

If you are really frugal and patient, give it a go.

 It turns out I can't make tape this way either.

Well I can, but it's lousy bias tape.

I was hopeless.

Cee says I like gadgets, she's right. 

I bought the Simplicity machine.

It's working for me, 

I had to make some adjustments to the roller right out of the box. 

I'm not saying I recommend it yet.

Hoping that it will speed up the process 

so that you'll see this rug completed in the very near future.

I will use all plaid wools on a red wool base,  

the bias tape will be mixed cottons and flannel plaids on the tongues.

The base had many trials, it was first going to be a canvas,

then it was going to be red velvet.

Now I'm back to wool, I found the perfect piece.

I have a friend that says I'm out of control,

my studio is a mess from pulling out plaids for this rug.

I think she's worried about me.

Too much wool, not enough room.

Here is a sneak peek at the progress.

The off white linen bias tape lost out, it is not going to happen.

 Here's the layout using scotch tape to hold my rows after I lift them away.

I number the rows with a sharpie.

I like to keep the numbered piece on the last penny,

so that I remember what row it was.

The tongues will be as varied and mixed as the pennies.

 Two inch pennies, two by  four inch tongues.

10 rows of 10 pennies.

Stitching

 

It only happens on sunny weekends at the lake.

 One stitch at a time 

 what's the hurry?

Enjoy.