November things

Ok I love them my Husband Hates them.



This is wool

 You can be the judge




This is cotton scraps

  




This was Sheets

 

I really like them all.  The warp colors are a nice medium brown with a  mixture of dark hunter greens. 

My Husband says "Why are you making things you cant sell" 

Everytime I sell one I tell him "Oh I sold another one of those runners you dont like" 

He just "hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm" at me



Floral Sheet



This is wool

Chiropractor and 1st time on a bowling league

Well I had my 1st Rug Weaving Chiropractor experience today.   Dr's orders take it easy Don't weave for at least 3-5 days.  I told Mike well I got my next show in 2 weeks.  My back has been messed up since Sunday the 2nd from Mt. Pleasent Iowa.  He said you need to lay off take it easy.  I told him OK.  I'm icing 20min then waiting 40 mins.  Today I don't feel to bad we will see what tomm.  brings.  Still sore. 

I just joined a bowling league.   His comment was "oh just what you need"  I said yes rug weave, hop on Foxy (horse) every once in a while,  and now join a bowling league.  I'm not a bored Person.  
My Brother-in-law Bill and Father-in-law Bob is on the team.  Our name is In Laws.  Bill is the Caption.  Last Thursday was our 1st Game.  We all had a great time Bills girlfriend was there and My mother-in-law Roberta too.  Macy wants to come this Thursday. 

Boggois Orchard in Grandville, Il

Boggois Oh How I love Boggois.  Love the people cant wait.  Its the show that Im always exited to go do.   The dates for this one is Sept 29th-Sept30th From 9:00 a.m. - 5:00p.m. 
They have pony rides, corn maze, pumpkins, apple cider  Oh and the apple cider donuts.  I could just go on on.  They have a band come in last year.  I think they are coming back this year.  If I remember correct They were from Indiana. 
They have a facebook page.  Here is the website www.boggoisorchardandproduce.com

Mt Pleasent IOWA

Wow What a great time we all had.  I met allot of interesting people.  Allot of great stories about rug weavers and stories.  Some man is going to email me a pickle recipe.   mmmmmmmmm wonder were that is LOL!

We got allot of complements on our rug weaving n rugs.  THANKS.  Also been told I'm the youngest rug weaver they have ever seen. 
                                            Getting Ready to OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Me weaving  This is my Baby loom for demonstrating

                                                           I weave coasters on this one. 

ULLMAN 4 harness 4 peddle loom

Tying Knots Good thing there is only 40 strings

Loading the Loom

getting ready to weave

ending a coater



This is my wonderful Husband NICK Who will fix these looms for me




This is what was left besides table runners n place mats
We had a really great time



So I need to get my rear end to work So I'm short on this post

Horses N The freeport tractor show

I have no comment about that show. 

But we did enjoy the horses.  I can say that much.  We left early Sunday and Harnessed dads team of Shires up and had a great day.  Major and Herman did a great job for us.  Then the next day we saddled us more horses.  They all did a great job.  I can say it "no problem with horses."  Well the 2 that got harnessed up and the 4 that got rode.  That still leaves us with 4 more.  Yes that adds up to a grand total of 10 horses.  Macy wants to harness up her mini Rusty So I think we are going to do that tonight.   I think I will be cutting rags n walking away from the loom for a little bit.

Freeport Show

We are going to Freeport IL August 3-5.  I have never been to this one either. 

Macy with of course have her lawn tractor or garden tractor.  I  have been to 2 different tractor shows n one called it a lawn tractor the other one called it a garden tractor.  I will have to update n tell you what this one calls a Lawn mower without a mowing deck on it. 

1989 Ford

       This girl is soooooooooooo proud of her new stacks her grandpa Russell n Dad put on for her.  The boys with there lawn tractors would just be checking hers out it was sooo CUTE.  She showed those boys up.  That's my girl. 


The web site for the next show is www.thefreeportshow.com it gives all the info there. 
Admi.  for Adults is 6.00
                 Kids is  3.00

There looks to be allot of neat stuff to do at this one.  There is a train that you can ride.  Horses n horse powered equipment, sawmill, threshing machines, gasoline engines, Antique tractor cars n trucks, Stave mill, Large display building, steam traction engines, and Huge flea market oh yes and a RUG WEAVER. 

I will be demostrainting making coasters n dollhouse rugs.  I will have place mats, table runner, coasters dollhouse rugs and tons of Rag Rugs.  Made all from rags no new fabric. 

Coasters N Dollhouse Rugs

I make these coasters n dollhouse rugs at Tractor shows when I demonstrait rug weaving these are just a few that I made At one. 

They are $2.75 for one.

I made them just to see n I sell them all the time. 

I make them in several different colors.  They are leftover scraps from the rugs.  I dont throw anything away                                                       

Girls love them

Washington Cherry Festival



Booth at Washington on the Square





Our rack with SOME placemats n tablerunners




Up front in the baskets it my Coasters or Dollhouse Rugs

 We met alot of great People.  They said they were driving around the square n see us and Say
                                          "RAG RUGS"

Last Minute

Last minute We are going to Hopedale Il for the 4th of July.  From 10:a.m to 9:p.m.  We fill crazy on our last minute decision.  But we are going to try it out.   Hopefuly its a GOOD ONE!

5K run/walk
Car Show
Parade
Flea Market
Carnival
Kids T Ball
NITPA Tractor Pulls
Old Timers Ball Game
Men's Ball Game
Prime Time Country Opry
Chicken Dinner
and of course FIREWORKS

No Shows for July

I wont be set up in July anywhere. 
I will be set up in August in Freeport Il Aug 3-5, Mapleton Il Aug 25-26  and Mount Pleasent IOWA Aug 30-September 3rd.  I will post more info in the middle of July.

Finally back Also on Facebook Now

I couldn't get my blog to work so I havent been posting anything.  We have been busy with goats n Making Rugs.  I have sold out of goats.  One more goat to go 3 people on a waiting list. 
We are now at 205 rugs I need to weave more But Im sick of weaving.  I have been busy getting ready for Kankakee Thee old time farm show.  Hope I do great 2 hours away with a camper full of rugs, snacks, n Family 4 of clothes.   Also Macys Lawn Tractor and her Smoke Stacks.  She seen all those other tractors at Lacon and said to her dad I need smoke stacks.  They all have them.   Kids.  

Great too see that people are checking my blog out to up to 500 views. 

Also on Facebook under Life of a Rug Weaver.  I post more of what I have been working on.

Shows for June

 I have been busy getting ready for SHOWS and goats kidding.  I have 3 for June.  Here they are hope to see you there.
June 2 The Cherry Festival in Washington, IL  from 10-5 I will be set up on the Square. 
They only will have Handmade Crafts. 

June 9th and 10th I will be Demonstraiting Rug weaving at the 25Th Annual Antique Tractor & Engine Show in Lacon.  Sponsored by:Marshall-Putnam Antique Assn.  (Route 26 South Johnson Park)  Free Admission.  There is as Pedal Tractor Pull that Charlie and Macy will be in.  Also a Flea Market, Food, Woodsawing, Illinois Wheat Weavers, Threshing, Train Rides, Ferrier/Blacksmith 50/50 Drawing.  Also Tractor Drive for MPFB Young Leaders "Crop for College" Scholarship (Sunday departure 8:AM).  An Auction Saturday at 2:P.M. 
Nick will have his mower and wagon there the kids cant wait for this one.

June 29, 30, and July 1st.  Perry Farm Park Rt 45-52 Bourbonnais by Kankakee, IL I will be Demonstraiting Rug Weaving at Thee Olde Time Farm Show.  http://www.oldetimefarmshow.com/ they also have a Facebook Page too.  I have never been to this one.  They look like they have alot to do there.  I hope We will have the kids and Grandparents too.   On the flyer they sent me they have listed Antique tractors, David Bradley Collectors, Antique Small Engines, Steam Engine, Saw Mill/Threshing, Corn Shelling, Crafts and Flea Market, 4-H Petting Zoo and Barrel Train Rides.

On Saturday Auction, Weed Waker Pulls (husband thinks will be neat) While Im in the booth, Kiddie Petal Tractor Pull,  and Classic Car Cruz Night. 

On Sunday Antique Tractor Pull
The hours are Friday 8:A.M.-5:P.M.
                      Saturday 8:A.M-7:P.M.
                      Sunday 8:A.M.-5:P.M.

Keep in mind I will be at Mount Pleasant Iowa At the Midwest Old Threshers http://www.oldthreshers.org/ from August 30- to September 3 We cant Wait I keep telling my husband oh I will be in the booth Demonstraiting while you all are have a GREAT TIME!!!  I will have my Mother-in-law she will let me leave the BOOTH. 

First Trip to Nursing Home With Baby Goats

We took 2 baby goats to the nursing home Saturday.  We all had a great time.  The residents were funny when we brought them in.  Some would say is oh they brought a little dog.  Then we would say no its a baby goat.  They would say OH A BABY GOAT!   They really enjoyed them.  My mother-in-law said they were talking about them at Lunch. 

One guy came into see his mother.  She was telling him they brought in goats today.  He acted like is she serious baby goats came to the nursing home.  My mother-in-law told him "yes she is telling the truth."
They were still talking about those goats on Monday.

This is my daughter Macy, mother-in-law Roberta and a resident. 

With her bird too.

  This gal has a bird in her room.  She Said "oh people just bring dogs in here they are just dogs not goats."

They are myotonic fainting goats.  We raise on our family farm.  We love each and everyone even have a soft spot for our few rotten ones. 
They are a hard bred of goats to find. We are in the process of becoming registered  Myotonic Goat Breeders.  We have 7 Myotonic Does, 2 Myotonic Bucks and 2 Nigerian and 1 Pygmy.  OK I think that is all of them.  AND currently have 4 Doelings and 3 Bucklings.  We are keeping 2 girls back.  I hope I didnt leave anyone out. 
We will have more babies in March or April.  4 more goats bred.  They are getting round.

Shows for March 2012

This next month I will be set up at a Tractor Show March 18.  The tractor show will be in Sublette Illinois.  There web site is http://www.subletteweb.com/  The way it looks to me there will be things all over town going on.  The starved rock bus will be trasporting people from one place to another.  There is a tractor show, toy show, craft show, doll show and more.  There will be no kiddy tractor pull and No horse pulls.  I already asked for my special people in my life.   Oh another thing the 4H will be serving lunch somewhere.
I will be demonstraiting there with the other crafters.  The hours are  9:AM to 2:PM.       


I will also be set up at Countryside Banquet Hall in Washinton, Illinois.  This is a craft show, antique and vendor fair.  I will not be demontraiting at this one.  The date for this one is March 24, 2012.  The hours are 9:Am- 2:Pm.  There is a raffle to benefit the Relay For Life team:  "Gary's Gang"  Gary Wilson from East Peoria lost his life to Lung Cancer on March 18, 2009.     I think this is there 2nd year.

I Dont think I have any shows in April If I do I will post them too.

A little bit of February

I'm focused on RED and Black Warp.  I have been cutting rags in the morning, weaving in between, and sewing at night.  Macy and I have been watching Little House on the Prairie episodes at night.  Here is some of my red and black warped rugs.  I will have allot more to come this month too.

These two rugs were made out of table clothes.  The funny thing is the tan one use to be my tablecloth for craft shows. 

                                       These two were blankets that I recycled into rag rugs.  Let me tell you the blue blanket has seen its fair share of use.  The other one my mother-in-law picked up at a garage sale.

These are all made out of denim. 

The one (top left) is made out of patterned denim

Then the (top right) is has a little red flannel

The bottom one is just dark denim

This poor little guy is only 16" long

but people like this size for there shoes, or pet dishes

This month I have no tractor shows or craft shows.  I will list them the 1st of the month.   I no some are in March, June, July, September and yes October.   We will not be having our big Halloween party this year if you come.  Well I'm telling you now so you don't decide on costumes.  We decided between fainting goats, horses, and shows.  We are very busy and I just want to take a year off too. 

Things I have made in January


Some new things I have made for the month of January.  The loom is now loaded with natural, red and black warp.  LOOKING SHARP.  Love the denim cant wait to post some of them next.

one is 17" and the other one is 22"




These are a set of 4 placemats

                     They are left over balls from my coaster/doll house rugs. That I mixed together. 



A variety of different tablerunners


Ok I have no clue why my photo is so big mmmmm.  I guess enjoy the big pic and check out my work closer. LOL



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This is a set of 5 placemats



 All of my tablerunners and placemats are 12" wide. 



Price on Rugs

On my Letter in the mail post.  I called the the lady in Washington, IL

I was asked the question "What do I charge an inch?"  I told her "if you cut the rags and sew them together I charge .25 an inch.  I wont tye the knots on the end you have to do that yourself. 
She asked "How much do you charge if I bring you the rags and you do all the work?"  I said " .55 an Inch"

Then she said "I have a rug weaver if I need one I will call."  I think she just wanted to no what I charged and I get that question alot.  She said "She will write me down in her book"  I told her "Thank You"


My rugs at shows are .55 an inch for rugs A rug that is 36" long is $19.75

Tablerunners and placemats are .30 an inch so a placemat that is 18" long comes out to 5.50 (I no I add .10 to it I did my math same on the rug I took of .5)

Letter in the Mail

On the phone one of my things I love to do.  With my Aunt Jane we were working on my business cards.  I said well I want my Address on them for applications for craft shows and tractor shows.  She says well "someone could mail you a letter and want a rug or a certain request."  I said to her "oh no one will mail me a letter like that they will call me on the phone."  Well What did I get?

My husband Nick comes home with the mail and I'm waiting on a application for a tractor show.   He hands me a letter from Washington, IL.  I thought Darn it is not from Sublette, IL.  So I open it.  It was what my Aunt Jane said.  The lady use husband use to be a rug weaver.  He had to quit because of his health.  She sold his loom but she has another one.  She said "she wants to no if I plan on weaving for other people?" Well there is Aunt Jane's certain request.   That I thought I would never get in the mail. 

So I'm going to call her today. 

Make a Rag Ball

1st things 1st you need rags.  I like to use old clothes, towels, socks, curtains (no rubber backing to them), old fabric,  and ANYTHING ELSE I GET MY HAND ON.  I love to take fabric and recycle them into Rag Rugs.   My favorite fabric is polyester.  I'm a Polyester NUT.  The fabric don't fray and wont fade.  They make nice rag rugs.  Cotton sheets can sometimes be a mess.  But I will do it.  I don't like jeans I find them boring.  Just a plain rug.  I like color in my life.  If you ever come see me at a craft show or tractor show I will be colorful. 

OK lets get to business on making a rag ball and talk about fabric some other day. 

My husband hands me his jeans and says "Here you can put this in a rug."  So I gut them.  As you can see in the pic below that the beside the pocket of the jeans is ripped.  So they will be recycled into a rug instead of going to your local landfill.  I always think oh all the clothes that get thrown away and fill the landfill up.  I could just make into rugs. 



Cutting the seams out



This goes to the landfill

  I have cut out the pockets and I always just think oh How much am I getting from those pockets.  Some people do gut out the pockets.  They are a pain to take the pockets off.  Lazyness out of me. 


This is what goes into the rug.  Then you have to get the cutter or cut them by hand I cut them around 3/4" wide.   I use a cutter.  I cut everything else by hand and  rip the cotton sheets up.  It all depends on how thick you want you rug to be.  Cut a strip and twist the fabric if its pencil size.  That is what I go off of.  I usually cut polyester 1 1/2" wide, sheets around 2" to 2 1/2" wide and  blankets depends on the thickness of the blanket.  


This is some denim strips

This is more then you get from a pair of jeans

Next step is Sew all those strips.  I usually have a 20 gallon plastic container full of denim. 
There is allot of different ways to sew your strips.  I will show the the other way I sew blankets later.  I sew those differnt then this way.

                                                           Lay two strips out like this. 

                                                         






Over lap them about 1 1/2"

                                                             Then fold them in 1/2

                                      Then start at the beging where the fabric is on top.  Kind of see

                                         Then I sew a U shape from both ends.  Your 1 1/2" lap

Then I just keep adding more denim and keep on sewing till you run out of rags.  then at the end I will cut in between them and wrap them all up into a ball.  Sometimes I will just stop and start making a ball then keep sewing on it.  I like to make my balls big.  Bigger ball more matching rugs.  

                                                     This a pic of some of my rag balls