Since my shop closed, I have been working hard to take all of my sewing supplies out of the guest room and downstairs to the shop area. I want to have a ‘real’ guest room and since we have family coming for Thanksgiving, now is the time to finish this project. As it goes, I found lots of forgotten projects while cleaning out the guest/sewing room. One was a scrappy rag rug I knit back in 2016. I loved this little project but didn’t know what to do about the knots where I joined the strips when I was knitting it.
It felt strange to leave the knots exposed. I was concerned they would unravel somehow. Thinking about it, I decided to cut some fabric and hand sew a backing on to it. I made sure all knots were pulled to the back and then tightened them. Then I pressed edges of the backing fabric under to make it the same size as the top. Because the top is so loosely knit, it flexes and changes shape easily. This made it really difficult to make it match the backing so I used tons of pins and started to sew.
After stitching back to front, I tied some yarn ties to further attach front to back. It looks pretty sad from the back but I kid you not, the back was the same size as the front – it was like herding cats to sew these together. At any rate, I feel like it is now a bit sturdier. When I made this, I used the tutorial by Amanda Jean over at Crazy Mom Quilts. (Oh how I miss her blog!!) It seems like she doesn’t worry too much about the knots joining the fabric strips. I just hope this all holds together well.
OK – on to the squirrel that took me down another path. On Instagram I noticed some little hearts that quilters and sewists have been leaving for others to find and enjoy. It was started quite a while back by a woman over at Ifoundaquiltedheart.com. After reading her website, I decided to join in and make a few. The idea is to leave these pretty hearts wherever you please in the hope they will brighten someone’s day. I started to follow the hashtag #IFAQH and #ifoundaquiltedheart and saw how much these mean to some of the recipients. The process of making something and anonymously leaving it for others, with no expectation of any recognition is very satisfying. If you are interested in participating it is simple, nearly free (since we all have scraps, right?) and very easy.
I spent some time yesterday running errands. While I was out, I drove over to our community hospital and left these hearts in various places. I thought about people who might need some cheer and surely there are plenty who are using the hospital who fall into that category. I dropped mine at the bus stop, the cancer care center, the lab/mammogram building and lastly, right at the front entrance. All were left tucked a bit out of the way but I am hoping they catch someone’s eye and make them smile.
I loved placing this heart behind ‘kindness’, displayed on the way to the main entrance. Seems appropriate, yes?
During this month of Thanksgiving, it is often a time to focus on our blessings and to help others or extend our blessings to them where possible. This is one small way to do this. If making these little hearts appeals to you, I encourage you to give it a go. If nothing else, check out the hashtags on either FB or IG – it will warm your heart.
I like the I found a heart! I will be making some. Thank you
Yay Patricia!! I think you will really enjoy it. I know I have been.
I also miss Amanda’s blog – and I miss her classes. She’s such a sweetie. Hey, as long as your rug works, who cares what the back looks like! How fun to finish up that WIP! Love those little hearts; what a fun idea!
So has Amanda stopped teaching as well? I thought maybe she would still do that?? Shoot!
I agree with the rug. It is so cute. I need to find the right spot for it. And the hearts – those are just the cutest and I love seeing all the different ways people make them when it comes up in my feed on IG and FB.
What a wonderful idea, the quilted hearts. I love it!
I do too! It has been going on for a while now but I just recently started following it. Very sweet way to make someone smile.
I have always wondered how well scrappy rugs like that hold up. In that same vein, we have very loosely woven fabric rugs on our front porch that have held up through multiple hard washings this year. I hope you find that with the stabilization, your rug holds up for many years to come. And I’m picturing the smile or bit of warmth your hearts are going to bring to people who find them around the community hospital.
HiYvonne, I wonder the same thing about the durability of the title rug. I don’t think I will use it by a doorway as that might be too much for it. Maybe in front of the sink in the bathroom? I am not sure. The colors are so cute though. Hopefully it will last a while. I won’t mind making another one tho. My bin of scrappy strips is full once again.
I hope the little hearts make someone happy too. Enjoy your weekend. Hope all is well with you.
I like that you finally finished that scrappy rug. Those hearts are a great way to use scraps also. I just tagged the website for future reference. I have plenty of scraps.
Don’t we all… scraps are abundant in our world. 🙂
What a wonderful surprise the hearts will make to whoever finds them!
Exactly! I just hope someone picked this batch up quickly as we got a lot of rain the next day!
I love those little hearts – what a fun idea! I’ll have to try that. Thanks for the inspiration, Bernie!
You’re welcome! I think most of us would enjoy making these. Hope all is well Diann. 🙂
I love your little rug! Who really cares what’s on the back? Do your grandkids have a room or area at your house? I would put it there. It’s just the right size and would be a nice sensory experience for little hands. I love the little hearts, too! They’re so cute. Make sure to save one for the girls to “find.” Hope you had a good weekend.
I am making my second knitted selvages rug. The first one had all the knots and I never did worry about them. I’ve washed it in my tumble washer twice now with excellent results. Yes I can see the ‘herding cats’ feeling to try to stitch it onto a backing!! I use mine at my longarm in the winter as the floor is cold under the feet there. The second one I used Nancy’s (Grace and Peace quilting) idea for attaching the ends and it works like a charm! As for the hearts squirrel, I love that idea and especially where you placed it by the word kindness.
Oh my gosh – I am so glad you commented and reminded me there is a better way to join the ends. You had emailed me about this a long time ago and I misplaced the info. Anyway, I just read Nancy’s method and it is wonderful. Now I want to make another one – I love the one I made but it is a bit on the small side. And I have plenty of strips once again. Thank you Sandra.
Bernie,
Thank you!!! I have been wading through and drowning in a bin of strings! When I saw your post, I grabbed my knitting needles and knit up a floor mat – 18”x30”. It used up a ton of strings and I love it. thanks to you and AJN for the great idea and tutorial.
Wonderful! I am so glad this inspired you to make a rug. I bet it is beautiful!
Your solution for the rug was perfect. I wonder if when washed it helps tighten some of those things up. Love the hearts you left for someone to find some joy – such a wonderful gesture. They look to be time consuming but I bet they are addicting once you start.
I can picture you, like an elf, scurrying all over the town leaving little hearts – reminders of love and kindness. AJN’s blog is still a treasure trove of tutorials and inspiration. I started following her on Instagram.
I agree about AJ’s blog – I am so glad she has left it up for others to use. I also follow her on IG but still miss her blogging. Hope all is well Preeti!