Feb 27 2008
Raggedy Tutorial
After checking out every book on rag rug weaving that my county library owns (my favorites: Weaving Contemporary Rag Rugs
I had been planning to repurpose the jeans in some way for awhile. Most of the jeans are the ones that I wore before my weight loss, with a few pairs from Kris with holes in the knees and pockets. At first I was thinking about a quilt, but I just have never gotten the real urge to try quilting… so, with my new fascination and love for weaving, I figured the jeans would be a great way to practice rag rug weaving! My used loom came with several rag shuttles, and after reading the aforementioned books, I think the process sounds like a lot of fun. So… I just shredded my jeans. Here’s how I did it 
Gathering all of the jeans up, I determined that the best way to repurpose the fabric was to cut in continuous strips. I started the process by cutting off the hem of the jeans. Of course, the hem could be used, but I thought that the double layer of thickness would throw off the texture of the final project. *snip snip*
This process is tough on the hands - especially around the heavy seams, so take frequent breaks to stretch your hands, and expect a little soreness in the morning. Your best bet is to get some strong sharp scissors.
Because the pant legs are tubular, you are going to cut left to right, at a slight diagonal. This will help you maximize the fabric for your strips, and make it one continuous piece. When the cuff (hem) is cut off, make a cut next to the side seam, about 1″ or 4-5cm. From there, begin cutting on the diagonal.
Just like your old cut-off jean shorts, the strips are going to be a little raggedy. If you want a cleaner edge without the fray, it may be better to use some other kind of material for your rag base. I have a pile to t-shirts and old cotton “work” shirts” that are next in line for rag rug weaving.
As you work your way up around the pant leg, you can decide how far you want to go. I chose to go up to the hips, where the inseams meet between the legs, and where the back pockets were added. This still leave quite a bit of material - but it is harder to use - and to cut - because of all of the seams. If you want to use all of your scraps, you may look into some other denim crafts. I have seen some versions of pillows and even tote bags and purses that use jeans.
Each leg that I cut yielded a good amount of fabric. I did not count the yardage, but one pant leg made a nice ball! As I cut more, I had many cute little denim rag balls to play with…
Now comes the fun part. I need to choose an appropriate warping yarn. I am planning to use cotton, probably some of the Sinfonia mercerized cotton in the stash. Just need to measure it out and then put it on the loom… I am hoping that the cotton will be strong enough. I have had a few problems with broken warp threads lately… any tips from seasoned weavers out there?
I am hoping to have the same kind of success as Felicia had with her denim rag rug - although my strips are a little larger than hers. My loom should be strong enough to handle the heavy beating that is required to make rugs. (It handled the heavy beating of the weft-faced sampler I did…) I know the previous loom owner used it for rugs (hence the rag shuttles) so I am gonna give it a go!
Of course, rags can be used in a number of ways. Weaving is only one of the many (see the Worsted Witch post about rag weaving). There is a great rag rug in Mason-Dixon Knitting
Some resources:
- DIY Network’s Crochet Rag Rug
- Knit and Crochet Rag Potholders/Hot Pads
- “Rag Rug” article from 1871
- A tutorial about using cotton flat strips for rags
What can be more rewarding than making something new and functional out of something old and raggedy?
…and until I get that warp ready, I will just practice my juggling…
Hey, internet coincidence, like lots of people inventing calculus at the same time! I just finished writing about my recycled-dresses-of-mother-in-law rag rug. Way to re-purpose that nearly indestructible denim!
I love the finished product, but since mine is sewn braids rather than weaving, it’s a lot less sturdy. I’m re-sewing it according to this further link I found: http://www.craftown.com/instruction/rugs.htm
Good luck with your warp (and weft)!
Great post but I thought you needed more than one ball to juggle! Have fun.
I’ve been cutting up t-shirts in the same manner to knit or crochet a new bath mat. Never even thought of weaving; can’t wait to see how it turns out! It sounds like it will be so pretty!
Lots of cutting!…I took a class a few years ago. I made a rug out of red, white and blue for my patriotic bathroom. I have it all done except the last row needs to be reverse crochet and I can’t do it right.
The denim will look rustic and wear so well.
That sounds so interesting! I can’t wait to see the finished product. I have several old pairs of jeans too…
Love the juggling act. I can’t wait to see the final product!
Oh that looks like fun! My mom used to make rag rugs and I love the look of them. Can’t wait to see how yours turns out.
You’re making me want to learn how to weave but I honestly don’t need another craft, I can barely get all of the fiber I have spun.
Fun!
Unfortunately, broken ends are a downside to weaving. The come about either as a result of an imperfection in the yarn (splice, knot, thinness, etc) or if the yarn is a weaker material or smaller size and/or came to be under much greater tension than its surrounding friends. They usually happen on the sides of the warp, because they get pulled in a bit from the reed, creating tension on the first 1/2 inch or so of either side. Using a mercerized cotton almost ensures no breakage (I have also found pastimes soysilk to be a fabulous warp and gives nice hand). One thing that helps (if you haven’t already): make two selvedges. They also help make a clean edge. Take your first 2-4 (depending on thickness) warp yarns and do not thread them through heddles. When you weave, they should never raise, and you can go under/over to create the edge. The less pulling you do on the shuttle after each weft insertion helps reduce some of the tension. To choose if a yarn is okay for a warp, grab one strand in each hand and pull tightly apart. The easier to break, the worse it will be.
Sorry if this was too long. Unfortunately I am no stranger to broken ends — they are not fun!
Cotton warp is not very strong. Linen is better. It lasts and is more resistant to abrasion from the heddles. With such a durable weft (denim), a strong linen warp would be best.
What a great idea … I love to see things re-used although am not always so good at doing that myself!
That last picture is hilarious!
I can’t wait to see more pictures.
This post really reminds me of the rag rugs my grandmother used to make. She was always collecting old clothes from us, weaving them into the most beautiful rugs. Don’t think she made any with jeans, though, so it will be really interesting to see what your jeans rug will look like. Great way to do something useful with old clothes!
Very cool! I really love projects with repurposed jeans. If you didn’t loose the waistband to hip area, it can be seamed across the cut side (hip to hip) and makes the cutest tote.
Love that pic! It puts a smile on my face
I have lots of old jeans that I have been saving for something crafty… the thought of cutting them up like that really hurts my hands though!
Fun picture of you! Can’t wait to see the rug!
What a neat project! Looking forward to seeing how it goes!
I’m really excited about watching this project in progress, and seeing something useful and beautiful come out of something old…I love that all the jeans are slightly different colors; can’t wait to see what the finished product looks like.
I keep meaning to take scissors to my husband’s collection of T-shirts from various road races and make a Mason-Dixon rug - adding strips of denim is a great idea! Can’t wait to see how it works on the loom.
Whoa, I never thought you’d broadcast your love for playing with balls all over the internet like that
What a fun, functional and eco-friendly project! I can’t wait to see how the varying shades of blue play out in the rug. I’ve wanted to make the t-shirt rug from Alterknits for a long time now, so maybe this will inspire me.
Good luck with your rug. My loom isn’t heavy enough for denim rugs. So, I have a few from a local weaver. One is at our back door and it is very durable; it’s tough enough to hold up to all of the snow and yuk that we drag in over the winter here in Green Bay, WI.
I still have three rag rugs I wove over 30 years ago. The ones in the bathroom are 27 inches wide and 2 yards long. I noticed that in the last washing the warp threads are starting to break. I just folded them under and continue to use them. That’s the purpose of rag rugs. My grandmothers and great-grandmothers always taught me to Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without. I helped make countless crocheted rag rugs until I became a weaver. Great idea to use up what you have. It will last forever!
Okay, now I am uber interested to see what happens next. The last shot of you is priceless. That is a girl who really loves her hobbies.
How inspiring. Really. You are making me want to learn to weave. And re-using your jeans and old shirts, brilliant.
I’ve made jeans bags this entire month, check them out and maybe you can make one too if you save the tops. Weaving is on my want-to-try-list but this month I did try spinning yarn, ooooh it was fun!
Hope the rug making goes well!
oh good one. I wasn’t sure if you’d been scairt off the idea of rag rugs by the broken-loom sayers. Can’t wait to see.
Denim is totally fun to work with. I am working on a quilt for my BFF who is going to graduate Vet school in May. I made her give me all her old jeans and I am going to turn them into a masterpiece!
I am soooo going to do something with my old jeans now. I have been planning to cut them up and knit a purse, but I was putting it off….Maybe in the next few days I will start cutting. that way I can take breaks to work on my current knitting and eventually will have the jeans ready to go! Cool. Keep us posted, I’m intensely curious.
Have fun! No wonder your hands hurt. I have a couple pairs of solid metal dressmaker shears (Gingher) that I use on heavy upholstery fabrics. If you do more denim cutting, I would HIGHLY recommend borrowing or buying a pair of those. It really does make all the difference in the world. I’ll send you a pair of mine to try out!
This is a really great idea, however I shed a little tear seeing you CUTTING your old label Levis… some types of clothing seem to have a life of their own, especially the classics. I love finding second hand, old, or vintage Levis at garage sales and thrift stores… those are my favorite jeans to wear.
[…] I want to finish this one up so that I can get that rag rug warped […]
I love that last post! I’ve been wanting to knit a rag rug, but haven’t come across the right material. I think some of those old jeans will be a perfect fit! Haha.
[…] denim strips sat there just waiting. I was immersed in knitting and for a good three weeks, my fiber-y exploits […]