Fabric Crochet

Recycling old clothes, fabric scraps, or gently worn bed sheets can result in a charming throw rug for your home or as a gift for someone else. Examples of fabric crocheted rugs in the United States date back to the1930s and 1800s. These rugs are durable and last for years. They can be machine washed and dried. I prefer laying them out flat and letting them air dry.

  

Crocheting from fabric is different from crocheting with yarn or thread. To keep from putting too much pressure on your wrist and fingers, you need to make loose stitches. I broke an acrylic crochet hook in two by applying too much pressure. It takes practice on getting the stitches loose enough for the fabric to move in and out of the loops smoothly. I developed calluses but as time went on the calluses went away and I crochet just about every day. I'm not trying to scare you away from trying fabric crochet. It is good to remember that forcing the stitches could result in a repetitive stress injury to your wrists and hands.

Prepare the fabric by cutting or tearing the cloth into 0.75-inch to 2-inch wide strips. Connect the strips by sewing the ends together or tying them together. To keep the strips from tangling, wrap them to form a ball. 

Keep the strips uniform for each rug you do. If the measurements are close to the same, the width difference shouldn’t matter much. On the other hand using a 0.75-inch width with a 1 1/2- inch to 2-inch width can make some of the rows look loose and weak in comparison to the other rows. 

A single stitch crochet is usually used to form fabric rugs that are round, rectangular and oval. 

The colors used is your preference and depends on how much fabric of the color you have. They can be floral or solids or mix of both, including stripes, polka dots, and plaids. The pattern will look different after the piece is crocheted. The multiple colors formed in the oval rug (above) was made from two twin size children's sheets, depicting animal characters. You wouldn't know that after the strips are crocheted. 

Rag rugs are great for adding color to a dark or plain area in a room. Place them in doorways or in front of a chair. You can even make a wall hanging as my sister did with the rug I made for her.

To complete a rag rug, it may take as many as three or four full-size bed sheets depending on the size. This is one reason for using old clothes and gently used linens. It would be cost prohibitive to use new fabric pieces. Look for fabric and sheets in yard sales and stores that take donated items to sell to make money for their programs, such as, Goodwill or the Salvation Army. You may find that your town has a local donation store that gives back to the community. Our town has a one called, Solve. I made some extra space on their shelves the day I went in looking for used sheets.