Thursday, January 24, 2008

work in progress


Well, folks, no completed quilt top today. Although there is a poll on the right hand sidebar so you can vote which one I make next, if you would care to help me decide. Anina, I know your vote will be pink, I just don't know about the rest of you. So please, vote away.
This is a rag rug that I am crocheting out of old t-shirts. It's going to be for my kitchen to match these curtains. I love recycling this way. It also helps me clean out my closets. I made one last year for my bathroom and I absolutely love it-it's wearing so well. And it's washable, too. Jessica made a great one here. I have been collecting old t-shirts and have plans for the next two rugs already. I can easily see this becoming an addiction. Like I need another one of those.

40 comments:

Sarah said...

Darn, I just threw out a huge garbage bag full of t-shirt scraps! Mike is making a t-shirt quilt, and I cut off the biggest scraps for headbands, but I totally forgot about this! Next time...

And now I'm going to go vote! :o)

Anina said...

Pink!
Where did you get the little vote thingie?

*~hj~* said...

you're crazy!

Danetta said...

I have never heard of t-shirt rugs but I think they might be along the lines of a rag rug. I love this concept. I would like to hear more about how to do this sometime.

Philigry said...

love this idea. it must feel so nice under your tootsies! i do not know how to crochet, but it may have to become a new hobby! love, love, love these!

Jodie said...

What a great idea!!! It makes me want to spring clean my wardrobe just so that I can start making one too... What size hook are you using?? Are your shirts cut into 1" strips too???

Rebekah said...

this is awesome! such a great way to use old t-shirts! have you ever checked out the book Quick Crochet Huge Hooks? It's got a lot of projects similar to this that use recycled materials and bulky yarn. It's worth a look : )

Katherine said...

Very nice colours and a great way to recycle. Do you cut your t-shirts into strips or in a spiral?

Mama Urchin said...

Hmm, pink or green I think.

Anonymous said...

Love the t-shirt rug idea and now I wo't be so quick to discard them. :) I voted for orange, I like the brights and plus it is so cold here I am wishing for spring.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I found your blog a couple of weeks ago and I love your quilts! I just finished a crocheted rug, made out of vintage rag balls. I have knitted a t-shirt rug before (with really big home-made circulars) and now, seeing how soft your crocheted one looks, I will have to make one! Have a good weekend.

sulu-design said...

Another craft addiction? You scare me, woman!

Dedee said...

Someone please tell me how to make these. sc? Dc? How to you cut the shirts? Is that a Q hook? Pretty please!?!!?!?!?

dutchcomfort said...

Never a dull moment at crazymom’s house!

Jessica said...

thanks so much for the mention (and subsequent traffic flow to littleshika). It's nice to be noticed.
I like the colors in your current rug, but i still voted for your next quilt to be blue....

Three Birds Inspired said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Three Birds Inspired said...

Hi - I deleted my comment above as I found this really good t-shirt rag rug tutorial link:

http://rubyglen.com/crafts/ragrug.htm

I am going to dig through every old t-shirt I can find and make something useful!

Lauri said...

Oh my gosh...I'm just sitting here drooling! I just found your blog and I LOVE all of your quilts and tops!!! Your style is so much like mine...If I could ever have the time to sit down and make quilts like I want to. I may have to come back later and start the 'block of the week' thing and do it on my own. I especially love the variation you did of a 9-Patch...the blue and red squares alternated with the white ones. How perfect would a whole quilt of that be???

And tomorrow, I am taking a class with a friend on making t-shirt quilts...so I guess I should save all the scraps, huh? lol!

a friend to knit with said...

oh my gosh, last weekend we cleaned drawers and had the vets pick up 3 huge bags of clothing! i am sooo remembering this for next time!
i love the colors of yours.

syko kajsa said...

What a fabulous idea with the rag rug, I love the finished one! Now off to vote...

Noelia said...

I can't understand how fast you sew and how many things do you make. The day only have 24 four hours, but i think yours days are almost 30 hours a day !!!!
Sorry for my english, it isn't very good.

Anonymous said...

T-shirts are a great idea. I tried using sheets, but they frayed too much and looked too ragged for me.

By the way...you are a crazy mom quilting! I can't believe how many quilts you pump through--I'm in awe.

Fabricmom said...

You have been busy. I love the monochromatic quilt idea. The one you made is lovely. Can't wait to see it finished.

I have made rag rugs but never out of old t-shirts. What a great idea. Thanks for sharing it. :)

lera said...

Craft addictions are socially acceptable! :-)

Heidijayhawk said...

love those rugs. i have been meaning to make one for awhile now! what a great idea!

Anonymous said...

The poll is closed already, but green is ahead and I would have chosen green anyway. :) I love green and I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Kim said...

Oh...I didn't get a chance to vote for blue...

Sara said...

just gave you an award at my blog!!! The post will be up in about half an hour!

Melissa said...

Do you just tear the shirts into strips and crochet them together? Or is there a better way? I'm not into quilting but this looks like something fun. If you have any tips --love to hear them :)

house on hill road said...

ok...i am pretty sure you know what my vote is, too. c'mon now - you do, don't you?

Susan said...

You are absolutely AMAZING... I am so glad that I found your blog.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad I found your blog. I love this rug. I have one similar DH's grandmother made years ago and I love it. I might have to learn to make one now.

Nicky said...

What a great idea- colours are really nice!

Chara Michele said...

Can't wait to see that rug finished:) That little voting thing is pretty cool, is that a blogger feature?

Autum said...

This comes at the perfect time for me. We just put laminate in my bedroom and it really cold to walk on. I want some sort of rug that's washable. Perfect! I just have a couple of questions. What size hook did you use, how wide did you cut your strips and did you just single crochet?
Thanks so much for the timely inspiration!

Anonymous said...

I love it! your next tutorial??? tshirt rugs...or a rug-a-long. I'll join up!

Anonymous said...

Like the colors. I think I may try something rectangular like that in the future. I tire of my ovals at times.

(By the way, I know of a good addiction counselor if you need one.)

Oiyi said...

This is going to be so neat when you are done.

oblivious prattle said...

hi there...this idea is so awesome! um, i'm a friend of clair's by the way and she was always telling me i had to check out your blog but then i had a major malfunction with my internet and my brain so i didn't...but i have internet access for the next week so here i am. i love to crochet and knit and i would love to know how to do this...how do you cut the t-shirts in order to crochet them? i hate wasting stuff so this would be an awesome way to not have to. oh, and do you have any great ideas for pretty sweaters that the zippers no long work on 'em. i have this great sweater and i really hate to throw it away 'cause its nearly new but it would look so great as something else so if you have any ideas i would appreciate them. also, if you have an idea and would like the sweater to do the craft yourself i would love to give it to you. just get back to me if you can...thanks...elyse

Amiechan said...

My grandmother used to make those out of everything - even her pantyhoses :D That didn't look too good together with white and blue cotton, but that´s my opinion ;)

I think I'll wait until I have a couple of white sheets. A white rug seems like a pretty idea. :)