The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

weekender june 27 1987 ps braided rugs are making a comeback by karen grimes and linda conde dont throw those scraps of fabric away thrifty crafters know that just one more pro- jectcanbemade from them braided rugs possibly the first textile technique mastered by primi tive man this process is still used widely today early settlers in the mar- khamstouffville area were adept at recycling old fabric discarded clothing used blankets curtains and even worn stockings to make their floor mats materials are cut or torn into strips 1 to vi inches wide fold the raw edges together to meet in the middle of the wrong side of the fabric and then bring the folded edges together stitch three ends of fabric strips together and begin to braid as you near the end of a braided strip sew a new piece on to the bias turning the braided length into a rug is easy decide on the shape of your rug whether it be round oval or heart- shaped begin stitching the shape in the centre and work your way out to stitch use a blunt tapestry needle and strong thread weaving the thread through one loop of the upper braid to the corresponding loop of the lower braid make sure your rug stays flat if sewn too tightly the piece will buckle if sewn too loosely the piece will separate the finished size of the rug is up to you braided rugs are ideal ac cents for the front entrance or patio doors you can make them in colors that will co ordinate with your fur nishings with country kitchens rising in popularity braided rugs are enjoying a revival in interior design braided rugs also make ex cellent seat cushions and can be used as tablemats as well fashionable belts are made using this technique enjoy braiding craftitips 1 you may wish to attach a nonslip fabric to the back of your braided rug simply cut the material to the same size at the rug turn under half an inch and slip stitch it to the underside of the rug 2 linda condes grand mother always braided rugs with one of the three strips in the braid made from old stock ings this gave the rug some elasticity and it lay flatter on the floor its interesting to note that wellmade rugs can last years and years with proper care 3 you can achieve various visual effects in braided rugs by alternating the colors and j textures of the fabrics ui2d