From rags to rugs!

Hello? How are you? I haven't enquired for a while, have I? Hope you're very well, fine, and dandy? I'm fine and dandy thank you.

I've been mulling over how I'm going to show you my new hobby, which I am now admitting is.............................. 'matting'! Some call it 'rag rugging. And there are different types of matting, of which I'm going to show you one today, and one tomorrow.

I was very impressed that some of you guessed! Sorry if you were hoping it was going to be quilting, or needlepoint, or tatting, or felting, or batik painting, it's none of those! Though there's time for those at a later date, isn't there?! That last sentence might tip Hugo over the edge, he's surrounded by my hobbies enough as it is, without me adding more. I must admit, it's taken a couple of years for me to finally succomb to the temptation of matting. That's how long I've really, reeeaally wanted to take it up. I refrained from starting a new hobby, because I already have a yarn stash the size of Everest, and am consumed with my knitting and crochet, and thought I wouldn't be able to fit something else in. Well I have. I juggle hobbies now.

I first came across Proddy matting and Hooky matting when Hugo and I visited a place called Beamish. The lady in the photo above is making a Proddy mat, some call them Clippy mats, it just depends where you're from, I'm going to call it a Proddy mat, because you 'prod' a hole in the hessian, and push one end of your fabric strip through, and then a small space along, you prod another hole, with your pointy prodder, and push the rest of your fabric strip through. You work from the wrong side of your mat. If you were to turn the lady's mat over, you'd see a 'pile' effect, like on the cushion cover I made below.

You see, the pile is thick, created by the fabric strips.

This is the back of that cushion cover, as I was working on it, on the course I did to learn matting.

I was constantly being reminded of matting when I went to the Agricultural shows, in the Summer months. There would often be an area in one of the tents, with a group of ladies demonstrating matting. I just found it fascinating, and enchanting.

I was inspired by their wonderful creations, and their naive quality. I took my first tentative step towards finally committing to matting, by approaching the ladies, enquiring how I could learn to make my own mat.

That's how I came to spend four Sundays over the last few months, driving an hour and a half, to a little village hall, and spending the day learning how to mat.

The first two Sundays were spent learning how to do a Proddy mat, over the remaining two Sundays, we learnt how to do a Hooky mat. I prefer the Hooky mat technique, you can get more detail, and sort of 'draw' with the strips of fabric.

Here you go, the tools of the trade! You've got the hooking tool on the far left, in the photo above, and the prodder in the middle. The scissors are shaped specially for trimming the pile, on a proggy mat.

My favourite of the books above, is the "Rags to Riches" by Rosemary E. Allan. There are lots of photos of old rugs, lots of inspiration.

And in the above photo we have just a few old woollen jumpers, having been washed and felted, and cut up, ready to be turned into long, narrow strips.

Actually, this is the worst part of the whole matting process, it's unbelieveably time consuming and dull, but very neccessary, unfortunately.

Hugo just asked me "when is it enough, a pile of rags?" I said, "when it reaches the ceiling". Hugo replied, "or fills two rooms, maybe?"

Here's the back of my proddy cushion cover. It is nice to actually finish things, isn't it?

Well, dear readers, tomorrow I'll show you my Hooky cushion cover if you like? It's easily my favourite of the two cushions, and I prefer the hooking technique (such an unfortunate term for it, don't you think?).
Ta-ra then. Love Vanessa xxx

Comments

[Janice Perkin]

well i'm glad you are having so much fun - last month at our Guild we had a lady demonstrating the art of prodding and hooking but i restrained my self from starting something else new!!!!!!!!! - but well done to you you are much younger than me so have loads more time to try things - i bet you would like ply split braiding too - but no more new things for me!!!!!!

[sue]

I like your cushion,how long did it take to make?Looking forward to seeing your other creation tomorrow.

Sue xxx

[Magic Cochin]

They are fab! No wonder you're hooked :-) And what a thrifty new hobby, recycling all that fabric.

Somewhere I have a rag rug tool that belonged to my Gran (maybe my Great Gran) - it's a proddy/nippy tool which prods a hole in the hessian and nips the strip of rag so you can pull it through. I was taught how to do it once - the hessian wasn't on a loom as you had to fold it to prod the tool through.

Thanks for reminding me - I must find the proddy/nippy thing...

Best wishes
Celia

[Marilyn (ex brit) in Va USA]

In America they are called rag rugs and are very "New England-y" and Colonial, or Deep South. They can be beautiful, or very rustic and yours look great for having just learned how to do it. Well done!! Looking forward to the next one. Have you seen them made with cotton or just the wool?

[Isabelle]

What can you not do?? It is very impressive but looks very complicated, well done!
Bon vendredi!
Isabelle x

[Petit Filoux]

Whao brilliant! I'd never heard of that craft, seems quite amazing! Not sure about the whole making strips bit though, like you say, it seems so time consuming!! Looking forward to seeing your second creation! x
Thanks for your message by the way, glad you liked my little knitted things!! I have to say, I love the scarf too!! Whenever I go to the yarn shop now, I just see a million possible stripey combinations!!

[Claire Boynton]

Love it! You are very clever and inspiring.
Claire x

[Mrs Bun]

Sounds a wonderful new hobby Vanessa, apart from having to make all the strips. I'll bet you really have fun playing with colour with this.

Lisa x

[Pipany]

Brilliant Vanessa. Ihave never tried this craft, but your is quite inspiring. Love the tools too; very beautiful in themselves x

[Penny]

That looks lovely Vanessa, and your colours are great as always. But did it make your hands sore? Mine felt sore just looking at that big pile of rags to process!

[Mummy Boo Bear]

Hi Vannessa

Love your new hobby, it looks very technical for me, but must be very rewarding at the end of the project when you have something so beautiful to add to your home. Lovely colours as ever.

MBBx

[The Curious Cat]

Wow Vanessa - it looks wicked! You never cease to amaze me with your craft skills! I love the pillow. I also love doing courses...right now I'm doing an Indesign one and then Food Hygiene one soon too but maybe I should investigate something crafty now you have inspired me! xxx

[Emma]

I learned to prog (never heard it called Proddy) at Sunderland Museum when I was about 8 - I'm not sure our rug ever got finished though. Have you got one of those wooden things you wrap the fabric around, then cut down the groove to get the right lengths of fabric to prog through? (wonderful description there).

Emma

[Judy @ daily yarns]

That is really neat...I had never heard of this. This is something that I would love to try to learn to do.

[Hen]

Oooh, what a fabby cushion, can't wait to see the other one, will have to try to have a look on my 'phone later, presuming I'm not in the middle of nowhere (the Ritz would be just fine, ha ha!)
I love Beamish, went there a couple of times when I was at uni and asked Andy if we could go when we went to Yorkshire recently but he said it was a bit far. Are you going to keep on making raggy things now your course is over (if it's over?) I imagine there's no limit to the lovely things you can produce. I just hope you both have some clothes left at the end or it'll be hooking in the nude (ooh err!) Loving Hugo's dry sense of humour, more please!
Have a fabby weekend,
Love Hen xxx
P.S. How did you make the back of the cushion? Did you machine sew it, you dark horse, you.

[ana]

¡¡¡¡GUAAAUUU!!!!

[Julie]

that's lovely. How clever you are. Looking forward to seeing the other cover too. Isn't it nice to find a new thing that you like doing ? Especially this time of year - looks like the perfect fireside evening activity!

[Karoline]

Your cushion is gorgeous, congratulations on your new hobby. It's something I'd like to try sometime but as I need new hobbies like I need a hole in the head at the moment! It will have to go at the end of a rather long list :)

[Calico Kate]

Well if you've a yarn stash, then perhaps you could look at another rug making method called punch needle. Now that is addictive.
CKx

[Erica K]

How fun! You know they sell strip cutters...a little expensive, but if you end up doing a lot of hooking it might be worth it...

Here's a link to a store that sells them. I know nothing of the store, I was just looking for an example...
http://www.rugartsupply.com/products.php?cat=21

[ellenkate]

Lovely to see your craftwork. I too love making snip rugs(snip is word used in Lincolnshire, where I was born). My grandma always made snip rugs and I used to help her. I still make them, am now retired.
see my rug at present being made
January 2010

http://madebyellenkate.blogspot.com/

[janedorsett]

love yer website. i do hooky proggy and braiding here in wales. look at my website'janes rag rugs' keep hooking!!!!jane

[angela]

I have struggled to get info on proggy mat making, where did you do your sunday course? I work through the week and only have weekends available. other courses I have seen are all daytime mid week when I cannot attend.

[Lisa Silva]

I was so glad to read your blog on proggy
rugs,My mother lived on a farm util her mid 80's and in the evenings she would be surrounded by her strips of old clothes, most of them mine which I had outgrown and creating these lovely rag rugs, flowers, stripes all her own drawings and layouts, it was always great to see , unfortunatley she had a stroke which stopped her being able to do any craft, she is still going strong at 91 but I am sad she cant enjoy her hobby anymore thank you Lisa Silva