More Twined Mats

 This one is rather festive...an old pink kimono that by itself was quite dated and not too attractive, mixed nicely with some purples and greens from some other pieces. It is all silk. There is a gold thread that runs through some of the embroidery and adds some glitter to this mat - an indoor item, not really for muddy boots!

Twined Rugs with Taaniko Stitch

Taaniko/twined practice mat with craft yarn.

To add a little more design to the stripes of a regular twined rug, I tried to incorporate taaniko. This seems to work best with soft light fabrics or those that scrunch up well. Thick fabrics or wide strips create bulges and bulky edges. I am learning. 

Taaniko/twined practice mats with craft yarn.

Bobbie Irwin's book (see introduction post) explains how to use taaniko in twined rugs. I figured out that it is best to do the taaniko portion first because it will push the warps out wider than the twined rows. If you do the widest parts first you can adjust your twined rows accordingly for a straighter edge.

Twined rug with taaniko heart made of
recycled cotton kimonos and clothes.

Large twined rug. Taaniko design and twined rows.
Recycled silk kimonos, polyester warp. (2240 x1680cm)

Recycled silk kimono fabric carpet.
Twined and taaniko pattern detail. (100 x 40cm)

Tree of life taaniko design on twined rug.
Recycled silk kimono fabric and synthetic silks. (110 x60cm)

Twined rug using taaniko weave for central design. 130cm x 70cm. Cotton sheet warp woven with old cotton curtains, tablecloth, yukata and silk kimono.

Taaniko stitch for checkerboard and square design, then twining for the rest. The salmon color is from a beautiful silk kimono with gold threads in the white parts; the gray is a men's yukata and blue is from a light woolen men's kimono.

Final size about 80 cm x 50 cm. Used heavy garden twine for the warp.

Twined Rugs From Recycled Clothing

I've seen numerous websites for twined rugs where people purchase discounted yardage. I really want to promote re-using cloth that is bound for incineration. It is easy to buy a few meters of the colors you want to make the perfect rug but much more challenging and rewarding to figure out what to do with grandpa's old suit and the children's curtains!

Most of the carpets are about 100 cm x 50 or 60 cm. Doormat size.

Recycled silk men's kimonos, poly and cotton mix twined rug.

A lady gave me kimono panels, the printed pattern but it wasn't enough to make anything so I added a purple yukata and some red to pick up the colors in the print. It is a bit skinny: 60 x100 cm.

Detail of same direction weave to create pattern.

Detail of pretty kimono prints. Silk and cotton; cotton warp.

Recycled summer kimono fabric and cotton doormat. The edges got straighter after I stretched it out a bit.

Recycled woolens, twined rug. I used every warp for thinner pieces and every other warp for heavier wool strips so there is some variation in the design.

Silk and poly twined rug detail. Recycled kimono linings and women's blouses.

Twined rug from recycled clothes.

Twined rug from recycled
wool suits and flannel shirts.

First twined rug.
 Recycled sofa cover and kilt.

Large cotton twined rug.
All silk altar mat from recycled kimonos.

Twined kitchen mat from scraps of cotton.
Recycled shirts, summer dresses, blouses.

Large twined rug from cotton remnants.
Long (300cm x 50cm) twined carpet from family yukatas. Not my favorite colors but it is like a memory album of this family's old clothes!

Detail from twined rug made from old sheets and scraps from various clothes, shirts, yukata, aprons.

Colorful cotton bed sheets from the recycling bin and an old striped office shirt are re-purposed as a washable colorful bath mat. (100 x 65 cm)

Rug Twining - Intro

My favorite rug twining book is Twist & Twine by Bobbie Irwin. 

I thought this book was great not only for beginners but for more advanced rug makers as well. I use a rotary blade to cut strips if ripping isn't an option (like textured fabric, some wools, delicate silks). 

I used an old picture frame for my first loom. For my second longer rug, I nailed a row of finishing nails into two pieces of scrap wood and tied each piece to a heavy piece of furniture, stretching the warp the length! Finally, my husband built me a standing loom.

Standing rug loom.

Nails in scrap wood!

Large loom with cloth strips as warp.

 The vertical warp can be strips of cloth or heavy string or cord. The cloth strips work well if you are using wide strips of cotton or wool for a sturdy carpet. I found that heavy kite string was sufficient for all-silk carpets where the weaving strip is narrower. 

I collect used kimonos, yukatas, curtains, bedspreads, lap blankets and cloth remnants from friends, family and the rubbish bins. I launder them, cut or tear into strips and come up with a design.

Discarded kimono

Cut or torn strips (I do this outdoors to avoid the fine dust!)

Piles of cloth strips ready to use.

Introduction

There are many kinds of homemade rug methods. I've  found that twined rugs and toothbrush rugs are the best for using recycled clothes.

Re-purposing old kimonos, summer yukatas, favorite blankets or curtains into woven floor coverings allows us to utilize otherwise unusable items one more time before they become rubbish. When items are stained, torn or damaged or too outdated to be worn again, they are suitable for ripping into strips and twisting into rugs!

1. The first method I explored was rug hooking. I enjoyed this and tried to use some recyclable material but found that the backing cloth (rug warp or Monk's cloth) was expensive and the inconsistencies in the weights of my fabric scraps made it difficult to control. A rug hook tool and a fabric frame are also needed in this method.This method allows for maximum control over design and color.
   
2. The second method I tried was toothbrush weaving. This is very forgiving and makes good use of scraps. It requires no or very little investment or equipment. It is best for round and oval carpets with minimal design elements. You can have rings of color or use patterned cloth but otherwise, you don't have too much control over the design.
   
3. The third method, my favorite, is twining. A simple weaving technique that can be done on a makeshift loom that requires as much or as little investment as you wish. All kinds of materials can be used and by varying the angles of the stitches, controlling the length of the fabric strips or using taaniko weave, you have many more design possibilities.