FREE Pattern – Chenille Rug

Today, I will still be talking about making chenille but now we are using homespun fabric.

Homespun is a great fabric to work with because it “blooms” so well.
What is homespun fabric? – I’m glad you asked! (Well, I’m sure that at least some of you asked) Winking 2

When homespun fabric is made they dye the thread and then weave the fabric. It also tends to be a little looser weave than a printed calico would be. Because it is a product that is woven after the thread has been dyed (instead of having the pattern printed on the top of the fabric), it will have a pattern that is easy to weave, such as strip, plaid, and occasionally hearts or stars will be in the pattern. Of course, it also comes in solids. Homespun fabric is 100% cotton.

The fact that the fabric is woven instead of printed means that you will be able to see the pattern on both the front and back sides of the fabric. But one side will always clearly be the front – so make sure you pay attention as you are laying out your fabrics!

Today I am going to share with you a rug that I made out of homespun fabrics.
If you have not already seen my post on how to make your own chenille, here is the link. It should help to clarify some items that are not fully explained in this post.

    1. You will need 6 layers of homespun fabric 45” X 25”.
    2. Lay the first layer facing down and 5 layers facing up. I wanted the plaid on the homespun fabric to still appear after I chenilled the rug, so I made sure that the plaid lines were stacked directly on top of each other before I started to sew.
    3. Using a washable fabric marker or pencil, draw a line diagonally from one corner of the fabric to the opposite corner.
    4. Stitch along the line you just drew.
    5. Continue to stitch approx ½” channels all across your project, using the first line you stitched as a guide.
    1. Next cut through the top 4 layers of homespun with the Olfa Chenille Cutter.
    1. Once you have the cut all of your channels, trim your project to the desired shape. In this case I wanted an oval rug. You can either make a pattern from an existing rug you have in your home or in my case I used newspaper and cut until I found the shape I wanted for the oval.
    2. After you cut to shape add a binding. In this case, since my rug was an oval I made my binding on the bias.
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    1. Wash and dry. Doesn’t this fabric just ‘bloom’ beautifully? And a picture really can’t show you how soft it is!
    1. Enjoy! This makes a great gift for yourself – or for a friend!

Love the feel of chenille? Be sure to check out these links for more ideas on making and sewing with your own custom chenille fabric:

Sheila Reinke, Heart of Sewing
Sheila

4 thoughts on “FREE Pattern – Chenille Rug”

  1. Kim Petroske says:
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    This has solved so many of my decorating needs. I hate traditional rugs with the glued on backing and they don’t have the softness, homey look that I love, especially to go along with my quilts. I have an antique rug that looks like locker hooking style out of wool bits and I love it and wanted more but no luck. So no I am off to make rugs for all the spots I need them and they can match the rooms they are in. Wash and dry in a snap and latex residue in the washer and dryer. Hallileujah!!

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  2. sheilareinke says:
    Reply

    Kim,
    When you pick your fabric for rugs I found the best to be homespun fabrics. I would suggest buying the fabric you want and doing a 6 or 8 inch test sample to make sure you get the look you like. Send us a picture when you get one completed – we would love to see.

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