Quiltingboard Forums - Toothbrush rug making

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Quote:

Originally Posted by d.rickman (Post 7207536)

Here is the rug I have been making in my spare time, while travelling mostly.
I started by making a crochet line of 15 stitches, attached a contrasting colored fabric (green)
attaching it by wrapping it around the last stitch, making a hole in the end of that strip and
pulling the rest of that strip thru that hole, without pulling it too hard, just to connect it
and used that as my fabric post - running it along inside my main fabric, just adding more
post fabric as I used it up, the burgundy fabric is the main fabric I used to make this rug.
I cut all my strips at 1 and 1/4 inches wide
Make a loop using main fabric - mine is burgundy
Make a chain of loops - the length you want - I used 15 loops
Add your post fabric - mine is green - make a hole in one end, then pull the rest if that 1 1/4 inch strip thru the hole to attach, add more as required.
Poke your toothbrush tool thru the previous burgundy loop, lay your post green fabric over the top of the toothbrush tool, wrap around the back of the toothbrush tool and bring to the front, - pull the rest of this strip thru the loop - I increased 2 or 3 loops at each of the 4 corners of the rug, making it oval shape. I placed safety pins at these loops, so my increases would be in line with all the rest of my increased loops. Mine is 40 inches by 30 inches at this time, and I have about 20 more strips to add.

I hope this will be useful for someone whom would like to make a rug. I used burgundy quilting fabric and the green was an old cotton sheet we no longer used.

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I'd like to do one of these with polyester knit, Is there a good way to cut the strips? Don't want to use my rotary cutter or my Go cause I'm afraid it will really dull the blade or die. My hands won't hold up to scissor cutting that much poly so is there an easier way?

Sorry, I don't know how to answer your question, maybe cut one strip at a time, and then cut as you need another strip....or ask a friend to help you with your cutting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by d.rickman (Post 7209493)

Sorry, I don't know how to answer your question, maybe cut one strip at a time, and then cut as you need another strip....or ask a friend to help you with your cutting.

the strips would need to be narrower due to the thickness of the fabric

I use a simplicity rotary cutting machine to cut my double knit polyester. It does not have to be exact width. I just pull it thru as fast as I can. My width is about 1 1/2 inches to 1 3/4 inches.

Can the strips be torn? Would that be easier?

Torn is how Aunt Philly does it, it is how I do it, and how my cousin who teaches it does it. These are gorgeous when done, true heirlooms in my book.

The reason it is called the toothbrush method is because toothbrushes used to come with holes in the handle
My cousin starts her students off with 4 flat sheets so you can see how these rugs could eat down the uglies you bought on sale then realized you wouldn't be caught dead putting it in a quilt :)