T-shirt Rugs

Until the second half of the 20th Century, fiber and fabric were so precious, that even shabby, worn-out textiles had a role to play.

In the hands of a weaver, rags can be re-made into durable, utilitarian textiles. Saki ori (tear weaving) is the Japanese name for fabric woven from rags. Saki ori fabrics are used for blankets, rugs, work wear, and obi. Trasmattor are hard-wearing, Swedish, rag rugs that come in many styles. They are a traditional household floor covering.

Rag weaving is where old fabric goes to transcend the generations. Whereas a high-quality T-shirt may look presentable for 10 years, it will work the floor for 20 years or more in its rag rug afterlife.

T-shirt colors are bright and durable, but they tend to be one-of-a-kind. Creating a balanced and appealing composition with short runs of color requires careful design work. The Sea of Rags is a frequent stage in the development of a rug where the weaver sorts and re-sorts a collection of rags on the floor. Swedish rag rug instruction manuals are also a good source for stripe layout.