A while back, I found a tutorial for a braided t-shirt rug done by the lovely Cathy Steiner. It's a great tutorial, and has pictures all the way through.
When I was much younger, my family would all pile in the car and drive from Houston,TX to Milroy, IN, where my grandmother lives. She has the most picturesque farmhouse.
See? I wasn't kidding. She's the most amazing lady. Besides raising FOUR kids in a house with ONE bathroom, she can cook and craft almost anything. She even made the large braided wool rugs that cover the floors in the dining room and living room.
Saint of a woman, she tried to teach me once. But I was far too impatient. I believe I probably completed two turns of the rug before heading outside.
But now - it's on! I know the concept, and heck! I was taught by a master. I should be able to do this!
There was cutting.
Lots of cutting. (and don't worry about the screenprinted parts, you use them too!)
Then a bit of stretching and pulling. Now, there's rope!
And the braiding can begin.
I decided to make an oblong rug to go in the kitchen area.
After a great deal of braiding, untangling, sewing, and general patience - I finished!!
And I've even thrown it in the washing machine a few times - it lived!! A testament to my stitchery, no doubt.
Megan, Your rug is beautiful!!! Great job! Keep up the great work and blog!
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Cathy
The eye should be able to easily jump visually from one line to the next without losing its place, and without any effort at all. While there is no real rule of thumb for the proper amount of space between lines, a t shirt designer who begins adjusting the leading will quickly learn to "feel" when it's right. In general, the best way to start is to decrease the amount of leading -- tightening the space between the lines -- and then keep tweaking it up or down until it feels visually balanced. New t shirt styles
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