I began making rugs to cover our own floors when I was given a huge stash of fabric that wasn’t much good for anything else. I simply hated to think of it going to waste and decided a rag rug was the answer. Especially since I could create a rainbow of colour with the fabric, and add in old bed-linen to boot. So I researched, taught myself several ways to make rugs and eventually crochet became the one that stuck. I still love weaving and other rug making techniques, but crochet has become the main one.

Other parents of young kids may understand the boredom of being trapped with young kids as they attempt to get them to sleep, or have to sit with them while they watch toddler clips on YouTube for the ten-thousandth time…? This has been my sanity saver!

After a while, I got requests for more rugs of different colours, and found I loved using something old and ripped, or otherwise not useful, to make something new and useful. And beautiful, of course!

All of my rugs are hand-made by me while I sit with my family as they play. The strips are torn from bedding or fabric that is stained, ripped, worn out, or just can’t be used for anything else.

Any piece not used in making the rugs are saved as soft, fluffy fill for cushions. I want to reduce our impact on the world by using whatever we can. I like the smaller impact on our wallet too!

I especially enjoy using bed-linen since it has already been well-loved, and well washed! This means the rugs end up soft, comfortable and very easy-care. They can be pulled into shape after being used to build a fort, or after they have been bunched up to create a ramp for toy cars (this has been well tested in our house), and easily washed after an unfortunate incident with something messy… I will save you details of how well tested that is in our house! But once thrown into the washing machine, the rug can be spread over a washing line like a large duvet cover would, and pulled back into shape.