By Guest Blogger Ernestine Baggs
Hello Christine, I am sending you a photo of a rug that I designed (loosely based on a piece of fabric I have). The rug measures 3 ft. by 4 ft. It is done entirely with 100% cotton t-shirt fabric and took me 3 months to hook. Ernestine Baggs, NL
I use all-cotton T-shirts, but you can also use poly-cotton ones too. You must cut them into strips vertically, with the grain of the fabric.
Light coloured shirts can be dyed and you can also lighten the colours with bleach. I use scissors to cut the shirts into one quarter inch strips. If the shirt is really thin then I will make the strips one half inch. You can always trim the strip if you need to before you use it. You can also use a rotary cutter. I enjoy hunting through the few thrift stores that we have looking for the shirts and I buy any cotton that is tie dyed or has multi colours as long as the colour goes completely through the fabric. I do not worry about a right or wrong side. I just hook the fabric as it comes. Ernestine Baggs.
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I'm sure you heard the old saying, 'got the T-shirt and moved on', well Ernestine decided to keep going. She has created an impressive body of work with her rugs all made from coloured Tshirts. If you think about them, they do come in a wide assortment of colours so Ernestine's rugs are never lacking and are as bold as punch when needed or subdued with a little bleach for subtle shading.
A few years ago, Ernestine hooked our Pumpkin Grinners pattern which was my introduction to her way of hooking and I was suitably impressed. I recall thinking, 'Wow, this is T-Shirts?'
When one has the desire and need to hook, we do find ways to dabble in the craft. Pantyhose, (nylons from another time), wool fabric, cottons, yarns and even polyesters are used to create art pieces for today's floor and walls. An woman once told me a heart warming story of her husband passing and not wanting to throw out his clothes. She cut up his polyester golf slacks and shorts and made rugs for each of her three children. An heirloom full of special memories, what a labour of love and a dynamic gift.
Where there's a will there's always a way to get our addictions to come to fruition with whatever medium we chose or is chosen for us by the availability of materials close at hand.
HOOK ON SISTAS!
I use all-cotton T-shirts, but you can also use poly-cotton ones too. You must cut them into strips vertically, with the grain of the fabric.
Light coloured shirts can be dyed and you can also lighten the colours with bleach. I use scissors to cut the shirts into one quarter inch strips. If the shirt is really thin then I will make the strips one half inch. You can always trim the strip if you need to before you use it. You can also use a rotary cutter. I enjoy hunting through the few thrift stores that we have looking for the shirts and I buy any cotton that is tie dyed or has multi colours as long as the colour goes completely through the fabric. I do not worry about a right or wrong side. I just hook the fabric as it comes. Ernestine Baggs.
***************************************************************************************************
I'm sure you heard the old saying, 'got the T-shirt and moved on', well Ernestine decided to keep going. She has created an impressive body of work with her rugs all made from coloured Tshirts. If you think about them, they do come in a wide assortment of colours so Ernestine's rugs are never lacking and are as bold as punch when needed or subdued with a little bleach for subtle shading.
A few years ago, Ernestine hooked our Pumpkin Grinners pattern which was my introduction to her way of hooking and I was suitably impressed. I recall thinking, 'Wow, this is T-Shirts?'
When one has the desire and need to hook, we do find ways to dabble in the craft. Pantyhose, (nylons from another time), wool fabric, cottons, yarns and even polyesters are used to create art pieces for today's floor and walls. An woman once told me a heart warming story of her husband passing and not wanting to throw out his clothes. She cut up his polyester golf slacks and shorts and made rugs for each of her three children. An heirloom full of special memories, what a labour of love and a dynamic gift.
Where there's a will there's always a way to get our addictions to come to fruition with whatever medium we chose or is chosen for us by the availability of materials close at hand.
HOOK ON SISTAS!
 |  Left - Pumpkin Grinners, above Bottoms Up, both hooked by Ernestine with T-Shirts. |
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