Twined Rag Rugs: Tradition in the Making

by Bobbie Irwin

Book Overview

Crafters of all ages and skill levels are given information on how to enjoy the inexpensive and simple technique of making twined rugs. The book introduces numerous pattern and equipment options with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0873418980
• ISBN13: 9780873418980
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Krause Publications
• Length: 127 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.2" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Satisfying and portable technique for making beautiful rugs!

Several years ago I was visiting my sister in Alaska. Aside from spending time with her and seeing all the beautiful sights a real highlight of my visits is to go garage saling! They have great garage sales up there. At one of our last stops during this particular visit, we both spotted what appeared to be a small frame loom (2'x4'), and I being faster and more youthful :) got to it first. It had some weaving on it, and it was like nothing we'd ever seen before. The woman selling it said it had been her grandmother's and she knew nothing about it. I paid my three dollars and the two of us raced home to figure this thing out. It was so SIMPLE! Both the loom and the actual weaving. We were immediately hooked on making rugs. My sister bought some fabric and lumber and we quickly built her one, and we haven't stopped using them since! I've shown the loom and technique to a half dozen people and they've all gotten hooked as well. We never knew what this particular weaving/braiding was called and we both always felt there were lots of other things we could work into our designs. THEN I came across this book. We now had a name for what we were doing. TWINING. We were all very excited to finally have some different loom plans and options for design alterations. The book offers clear, concise instructions and diagrams with patterns and samples to work out ahead of time. It discusses fabric weights and options. Truly a valuable book if you want to get indepth direction on Twining technique Other than that, it is fun, relaxing, easy, challenging, and very satisfying - the rugs you make using this simple tecnique should last for years and years. I made a rug of multicolored corduroy strips. When my father-in-law saw me working on it, he said "And FINALLY you're making one for me!" It now sits in his lakehome, and I have another one in progress on the frame - I'm hoping I'll get to keep this one.

Highly Recommended

This book is so excellent that I felt it was worthy of my time to review it. I am a beginning twiner. I'm so new to the craft in fact, that I didn't even know "twining" could refer to rug-making. Even so, the author lays out information on twining so effectively that it was very easy for me to pick up the craft. The book includes detailed information in the form of text, photographs and clear illustrations. Topics include materials needed, how to create looms (from inexpensive and easy-to-find materials, stories of inspirational twiners, and instructions on about 10 samplers that will teach you different methods and about 10 more designs of full-sized rugs, using the methods that you learned earlier in the book.

Tells exactly how to twine

I learned how to twine somewhere else, but I heard that this book had examples of how to make adjustable looms-that is the main reason why I bought the book. In the book it tells the basic way to twine and then some variations. It also tells about looms that can be made at home. It tells a little about what materials would be best to use for your rags. It has beautiful photographs of rugs twined by rag rug twiners in the USA. I did not learn the basics of twining from this book so I am not sure how helpful it would be for a beginner trying to learn strictly from the book. I would reccomend reading the whole book to get all the important hints before you start your rug.

Great book, great craft

Rug twining is an ingeniously simple craft, very humble but potentially dazzling. Bobbie Irwin explains all the techniques in an easy and direct manner. She gives instructions for the various primitive looms you can use. I built the Salish style loom one weekend and it's just superb for twining. Materials used for the rugs range from clothesline cord to cast-off blue jeans to wool, velour, and beyond. Any fabric can be used. The end result is a very sturdy rug that lasts and lasts--and that housecats adore.