Stripping

Day 33: Thanks to a generous donation of over a dozen t-shirts by a friend, I'm almost ready to weave more rag rugs again. This is the most laborious part of the process, i.e., cutting them into one-inch strips. It has been made easier by the invention of the rotary cutter, but there was a time when it had to be done with scissors (t-shirt fabric can't be torn because it is a knit). The rotary cutter also creates much neater edges which, of course, in the weaving are left raw. They curl in on themselves by their very nature and are unnoticeable in the finished rug. This is an excellent way to "re-purpose" old tees. Even if the fronts are stained, the backs are almost always usable. To weave, simply overlap the strip ends by an inch or so. The few tails which invariably stick up add a rustic look to the rug. Best of all, rag rugs are heavy enough that they don't need a backing.