HAND WOVEN RAG RUGS:
Strips of old cloth have been woven into new utilitarian items for centuries. Cloth was regarded as a valuable commodity. Once the original clothing article was beyond repair, it was cut into strips and woven into heavy, durable coverlets for bedding out of necessity.
Rag rugs used for floor coverings (as we know them) can be documented in the 1700's. Generally these rugs were reserved for special occasions or when expecting guests. In the early 1900's as the standard of living improved and homes became larger, rag rugs became more commonplace...but they were still highly treasured items and usually kept in out of the way low traffic rooms.
After linoleum and wall to wall carpeting became popular and affordable, rag rugs were forgotten for a while. Recently many home owners have been removing these dated floor coverings. Rag rugs are once again emerging as beautiful floor coverings for the hardwood and tiled floors that are popular today.
A VARIETY OF RUGS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE:
The hand woven rag rugs pictured below are all one of a kind. At Fiber Doodles we use 100% cotton warp. Our weft materials are either cotton blends, 100% cotton or wool blanket selvages. The rugs are approximately 28" wide and vary in length. Prices are determined by the size of the rug and the materials used.
The weavers at Fiber Doodles are able to do custom rugs and special orders as time permits. Our looms may have other rug projects on them which will need to be completed before starting a custom order project. Please be sure to plan your special orders in advance.
The preferred method for cleaning a rag rug is to drape the rug over a clothes line and beat it with a rug beater. Our cotton rugs are machine washable (gentle cycle in cold water) and machine dryable (low heat). The wool selvage rugs are also machine washable (gentle cycle in cold water) but we recommend that they be air dried. Machine dried wool rugs have a tendency to become felted. All of our rugs at Fiber Doodles will be pre-washed prior to shipment to keep shrinkage to a minimum.
Rag rugs are very durable and with the proper care will be a beautiful accent piece in your home for years to come.
Rug Photos coming soon...click on thumbnails to enlarge photos.