I was wondering
 

If I posted this in the wrong area, please feel free to move it.

This is not a quilting question but it is about scraps.

You know how you hook a rug with yarn pieces, could you do it with fabric? Has anyone hooked a rug with fabric? What would be the pros and cons? Would the pieces come out in the wash fasted than the yarn pieces? I am working on a toothbrush rug, if thats what you want to call it, but I have small pieces that probably could be hooked and I was just wondering?

Thanks to everyone and their ideas!

I've heard of folks crocheting rugs and braiding them with strips, but not hooking them. Don't think that you would have much more fraying than a ragged edge quilt, but you would need to vacuum it really well. Don't think the mesh backing can go in the washer to remove the loose stuff. If you don't get a reply from someone who's tried it, I would just make a small sample.

I know that you can hook a rug using long narrow strips of felted wool but I'm not sure about cotton. I suppose if you used burlap for your backing that was prewashed, which many rugs are made of, cotton may just work out well. Sure is an interesting idea. Hmmmmm.....

I have seen people making rugs from cotton strips using these tools. I found this by searching rug braiding tools on ebay..http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...8hVTxy8WhQ.jpg

Yes, you can hook with fabric. There was a book out many years ago, I think by Four Corners...they had hooking done with strips of homespun fabrics. I think you would want a fabric that doesn't have a light back...or is color saturated,so if the strip back shows, it isn't too light., That is why homespuns would work well, or maybe even batiks.

Sounds so interesting, I think we will all be waiting for the photos when you finish. I still plan to braid a fabric rug, just haven't gotten around to it, yet.

There is also a method using a Locker Hook, that uses the same base as latch hook. This method uses strips withe the latch hook web base. I think this would be a bit faster than cutting strips , then cutting to a specfic length.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6814324_make...-hook-rug.html

I believe there is a pattern on E-patterns for that....
I also have a "toothbrush needle" I believe from Aunt Philly (?) she has a great website.
I believe she promotes riping not cutting your strips...
here is her website.....http://www.auntphillys.com/

yes you can use fabric--my grandmother used to make them--you brought back some great memories I forgot about.

You sure can! They are called toothbrush rugs! Great way to use fabrics you no longer are in love with! Lots of tutorials on youtube....

I have crocheted rugs using strips of cotton. There isn't a problem with anything fraying and those rugs last forever!

The best fabric to hook with is cut up old tee shirts. Each strip when pulled out becomes a cord and the edges are inside and can be cut to length. I also just priced at joanns rug hooking fabric. it was also rubberized. 54" wide about $25 a yard. Better than tees are the jersey sheets....big long strips.....arms get tired tearing them so they'd be on grain.

I used strips of fabric for locker hooking which was the "rage" around here a few years back. I only did a pot holder and bought the mesh by the yard from Joaan's, too much work for me, never did anything else with it.

If you use cotton strips you have to fold the edges in to the middle then fold in half. Put 3 longggggggggggggg pieces together and braid. Don't make the pieces to long,just enough for you to handle . Put a safety pin in the braid to hold in place and add more lengths. When you are done sew the braid together like a snail. It takes an awful fot to make a rug. Try a mat for a chair or to use under a plant to see how you like the craft. It is a good take along project really easy just time consuming.I have a coupls of these that must be over 50 years old or more from my husbands grandmother.

connecticut quilter: I have made cotton matieral rugs, placemats, chair pads. I cut my strips to the width of how thick i want my strips when I crochet the matieral. 11/2 for narrow strips to 2" med 2 1/2 . You can make round, square and oval. They look like you have braided them but its crochet. They are really pretty. I just made a two tone green for my upstair bathroom. Give it try I think you will really like them...

i've never done it but growing up my moms friend hooked rug using fabric strips and old potato sacks she would draw her design on. they came out beautiful.

I have the toothbrush tool I bought years ago and have never been able to figure out how to do it...I love the look but for some reason, brain wouldn't kick in LOL, show us a picture please of what you have done...thanks

I have a red, white and blue scrappy latch- hooked rug I been working on over several years. I bought the plastic grid, I think at Joann's, and cut it to the size I wanted. Got the cheapest red and blue and white fabric I could find all of them prints (like football, noveltry prints, etc. and cut them into strips approximately 1/2 inches wide by 5 inches long and using the latch hook attached them to the grid just the way you would with yarn. Takes alot of strips but it's a great winter project.

The Shakers and Amish have several techniques for making rugs by sewing scraps, folds, strips to a background fabric--a great use for small pieces. I think some are called shubutzers, some petal rugs.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Angies...wall&filter=12 Has pictures of these half-way down.

I have seen pictures of the technique in Handworks and some other rug books which I don't recall. Google "mud rugs"

I've read this tutorial, and it isn't hooking the fabric, but you get the same look...

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2...g-rug-wip.html

Thanks everybody for your imput. Now I have to decide if I want to crochet, hook or just make scrappy quilts. I have braided fabric but only on small projects and I have started working on a toothbrush rug but I am not done.