Well in my case, they get used to make traditional rag rugs, the sort that have been made for centuries. I accumulate quite a lot of scraps from my projects and if I think I can find a use for them at some point in the future then I store them away in ‘Scraps Fabric’ bags.

Rag rugs were traditionally woven from recycled cloth. But travelling back in time to the turn of the last century, between the late 1700s to early 1800s, all cloth was handmade. it was a very time-consuming labour. It was hard to come by old clothes or cloth as people preferred to hang onto their clothes until they were threadbare. It became more widespread during the industrial revolution in the 19th century, but by the 1920s the craft was dying out as it was associated with hard times. It had a brief revival during World War II due to the necessity for thrift and then interest in the craft grew once again in the 1980s. These rugs were used to keep cold stone floors and floorboards warm before the advent of carpets, they were considered a necessary craft and not artwork as such.

It is currently practised by many amateurs who enjoy making things. The increase in popularity of this craft is largely due to the current trend of recycling, repurposing, upcycling etc., it is essentially the making of rugs using old fabrics pulled through a backing fabric and secured in place. These rugs were known by a variety of names including rag, thrift, proddie, peggie hooky, proggy, clippy and bodgy rug, depending on which region you were from in the country.

I’ve made my rag rugs in a ‘shaggy’ or fluffy finish, as it’s soft, warm and comfortable under foot. I used empty sandbags from B&Q machined together for the backing at 10p each and the rag rug tool I use is a vintage one by Browns.

This is the first rag rug that I have made, it turned out not bad.