Monday 23 July 2012

Using what I have...an update

Inspired by the lovely Tricia at Crunchy Catholic Momma, I have finally started on my next rag rug.  Well, at least I have started preparing for my rag rug.
I have been collecting all of our outgrown, stained, or torn T-shirts for a long while.  I have finally gotten around to cutting them into long strips to crochet a rug.
To make the strips, I cut the bottom off at an angle:
 Then I cut the bottom portion of the shirt into 2" strips almost, but not quite, all the way through.
 Then I open it up to the part that is still attached.  I start at the seam and cut up into the next opening, and then I cut at a diagonal from one opening to the next until the whole shirt is one long strip.
Each ball in the top picture is one t-shirt.  The part above the sleeve holes is being cut into rags that I bring to work, and any unusable parts are being inserted into my "floor poof" to stuff it.  So really, this project is pretty much zero waste.

I'll be linking up with Keep Calm Craft On over at Frontier Dreams on Tuesday and
Stash Bash over at Crunchy Catholic Momma on Thursday.

 Edited Thursday to show my progress...
This is how far I have gotten...I have used my entire stash of 22 old T-shirts (not all mine).  Now I just have to wait until my husband goes back through his stash of t-shirts again to donate some more to my cause and I can finish it up.

3 comments:

  1. Hi, I was inspired by the same project! but as I don't sew I have no fabric stash. Like you I have a big bag of old t-shirt but I had no idea how to turn them into 'balls' for crocheting. Thank you for this tutorial it was so well timed for me. Good luck with your rug, are you doing an oval or a round one? I quite like the oval idea.

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  2. I have a bunch of braided rag strips but have yet to sit down and sew them all together into a rug. Good luck with yours!

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  3. I love cutting t-shirts up this way. It seems like they go pretty far, don't they. I love your colorful rug. They make great support for the back; while standing to wash the dishes! :) via HR barn hop,Pat

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