Unique Coffee Bag Rug Tutorial

My blog friend Gabrielle, of i.craft@BeeWise, was inspired to make some fabric rugs based on an article she had read.  She thought that the coffee bags that I had used to make my Coffee Bag Apron Tutorial would make a unique rug.  A collaboration was born and we each headed off to our respective sewing rooms and we were thrilled with the outcome!

I had developed my apron tutorial in association with Donkee House.  Her Etsy shop has a fantastic selection of coffee bags with interesting motifs.

So I dug out some bags and set to work.

Supplies:

- 1 coffee bag/sack (will produce two rugs)
- thread
- Fiber Lok Non Skid Rug Backing

Steps:

1. Cut coffee bag in half to create the largest rectangle possible.

2.  If the bag has a motif that appears to be centered find and mark the center.  (Some motifs are not centered.)

3.  Mark equal distances from the center point to the sides.  (Along the longer side.)

4.  Draw a line along the grain of the burlap weave.

5.  The short sides will be fringed.  Mark the short sides three inches from the edge.

You now have an intersection at each of the corners.

6.  Cut away the corner rectangle at the intersection.

This is what your bag should look like at this point.

7.  Serge along the long sides of the bag.  I used a small stitch length to ensure that the loose weave of the bag was secure.  If you do not have a serger you can use a zig zag stitch or bind the rug with bias tape.

8.Fold the serged edge to the underside of the bag along the marked line and press.

9.  Prepare your sewing machine to sew around the bag.  I set my Singer to a wide zig zag stitch and a small stitch length.  I wanted to make the weave of the rug as secure as possible.

10.  Sew the pressed edge using the zig zag stitch so that the left swing of the needle goes just beyond the serged edge.

When you reach the shorter end of the bag, where the fringe will be, stop sewing and leave the needle down in the fabric.  Turn and continue to sew.  At this point, your marking pen is on the opposite side, but you can simply follow the grain of the fabric weave across to the other side.  Continue sewing around the complete rectangle of the bag.

11.  Remove the marking pen with a damp cloth.

12.  On the short ends of the bag, remove the cross fibers to create the fringe.

If your rug is going to be used in an area where it may slide, you can either use a simple Non-Slip Rug Pad or apply this Non Skid Rug Backing.  I have tried both and prefer the Rug Backing.  I purchased mine from Wal Mart and received it very quickly with their Site to Store program but you can check other online sources for this product.  I applied one coat with a paintbrush and allowed it to dry.  It works very well and is washable.

My rug is in front of my sink.  I like to have a rug there to catch spills and drips that occur between the sink and the dishwasher.  I've already dropped spaghetti sauce on mine and it wiped up beautifully with a damp rag.

Gabrielle has a video tutorial posted on her blog, so be sure to check it out.

Visit Donkee House to see the amazing selection of coffee bags and have fun making your own rug! For those of you who are less adventurous, both Gabrielle and I will be selling these rugs in our Etsy shops  Visit Maiden Jane or i.craft@BeeWiseBags to see the selection we have.  Or, pick out a rug that you like and I'll make one to order.

Tailgate Tote

You may recall the Sweatshirt Tote Tutorial I wrote some time ago.  The original version had a long, braided strap that created a slouchy look.  The handle is very stretchy, so I wanted to try something different.  Here are too variations.  For both, I used the sleeves to create two-inch wide straps.  These were sewn into a tube and then inverted.  I pulled a 1/4 inch piece of home decor rope (I know that is not the official name of it, but I'm at a loss right now)  through the tube, sewed it together and created a long, rope handle.

In the Cleveland Browns version, I added eyelets and knotted the handles on the inside.

So what are you waiting for?  It's football season.  Take one of those old sweatshirts or steal one of your husband's and make a fun tote to take with you when you head out to the game!

PS.  The Notre Dame tote was on my Etsy shop until my sister wanted to buy it.  So I changed the listing to a custom Tailgate Tote.  If you have a sweatshirt but want me to sew it into a bag for you, stop by my Etsy shop.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Somewhere between seeing "Letters to Juliet" and developing my obsession for the French water bottle, I decided that I wanted to host a dinner party - Tuscan style.

I have not traveled to Italy, but love the beautifully-filmed scenes from movies such as "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "Letters to Juliet."  The way the sun bathes the countryside reminds me of the low sun in the Northeast Ohio sky during the fall.

The scenes are set with long tables filled with family and friends and food.  Our little-used patio under our deck was to become our arbor.  We set the table with fall colored linens and plates.   I bought kitchen towels to serve as napkins so that they could generously cover our laps (and protect us from all the olive oil!)

 
My internet research told me that Tuscan dining is all about fresh food, so that was our main quest.  In addition, fresh flowers, sunflower motifs, and candles adorned the table.

I have had these apple candles for four years and they are still burning strong!

Even St. Francis made an appearance!

The stage was set.  Italian opera was playing.

Our guests arrived, one complete with thin mustache, neck ascot and straw hat - he looked like he just walked in from the vineyards!  They brought lovely bouquets for us which I am still enjoying long after the party ended.

There was Italian beer and Italian wines. 

There was a bit of a chill in the air, so the chimenea gave us a bit of warmth, especially when we finally retired from the table, which was after about five hours! 

Yes, with the Italians, it is all about the food.  We planned six courses and started with a simple antipasto.

Our friend made this beautiful tomato mozzarella dish.  The presentation equaled its taste!

We continued on to the bread course, which included garlic bread sticks, Tuscan bread, and a sunflower seed baguette paired with flavorful dipping oils.

Yes, I know that is a Guinness glass - I ran out of "earthy" containers.

The next course was an Italian Wedding Soup made by another guest.  It was out of this world and perfect as the air started to cool.

The main course consisted of Chicken Vesuvio.  I had never made it before, but it was simple and enjoyable.   I decided it wouldn't be an Italian dinner if we didn't have some pasta, so the main course included a side of rigatoni with my own sauce.

It was getting dark, so I don't have photos of the later courses.   We enjoyed a salad after dinner, "to cleanse our palate".  Finally, we conquered a wonderful vanilla caramel gelato and a home-made Macadamia nut/white chocolate biscotti.  The cookie was fantastic!   I can't wait to get the recipe from my friend and try it myself.

As the evening wound down I was happy that we had accomplished what we had set out to do:  have an evening with friends in which food and conversation was the entertainment.   We couldn't believe we had been sitting, talking, and eating for five hours!  We enjoyed good foods (no chips or pretzels), but the best part about the evening was sharing it with friends whom we feel blessed to know.  I suspect that Italians warmly embrace the love of family and friends - and it couldn't be shared in a more lovely manner than around the dinner table.