Mug Rug Samples w/ Black Warp

This series of Mug Rug samples uses a warp of black Peaches & Cream cotton sleyed at 6 epi. (The Artcraft looms from the Aiken Center for the Arts all have 8 epi reeds, i.e., sley three, skip one.) 

After measuring the warp, I had a little help from a water bottle to keep tension on the warp as I wound it. 

I use sections cut from old mini blinds as warp sticks to keep the layers of warp separated. They are cheap (~$3 at Goodwill) and they work great!

All tensioned up, tied up and weaving. I wove five samples. You might be able to get six or seven on the cloth beam before you have to cut it off and tie up again.  

Honest, I'm working on a project that will use up all that crochet thread in the background. 

I use the mini blind warping sticks (made available as you advance the warp) as spacers between samples. I simply machine stitch the leading (or trailing) edge of each sample on the series to stabilize the edge. Unless you have time for a whole lesson on tying fringes or hem stitching, this may also be the most efficient way to deal with edges and fringes for a kids program project.  

After the edges are stitched, you can cut between the mini blinds and get an incredibly even fringe. If you would like a fringe long enough to know or braid or any more elaborate treatment, simply put more spacers in between projects.  

Five samples, left to right: 

1. one inch cotton fabric strips (with red P&C edge) ~ 5 ppi

2. P&C variegated cotton, totally weft-faced ~22 ppi, simple and quite nice. 

3. P&C, red & white double stranded, almost tabby ~ 8 ppi, fast and easy. 

4. P&C, red & white two shuttles alternating, classic pick & pick ~24 ppi, not hard, impressive results. 

My favorite! I've been playing with this idea for months now. It's a take off on what's been referred to as the "tube" method. You sew panels of several different fabric together to make a cylinder or tube and then cut spiral strips around the tube and weave the long strip to get various patterns. Since my tube would have only been 12 inches in circumference, I used the slit & loop technique we unvented in last rag rug workshop at the county museum. Fabric strips (1"x 6") are slit on the ends and looped through each other. Details to follow.