At Brittleby’s Corner you will have a chance to win an upcycled rug from Fisher Cat Fiber Co.

Look at this rug….

What do you think it is made out of? Take a closer look! Does it look familiar?

I recently came across this rug that is made out of plastic bags! I have to admit that I think this is pretty AMAZING! When I got my rug, I was even more amazed! It is absolutely beautiful and wonderfully made! I love how you can see all the different colors of the bags peeking through!

Annie, the creator behind Fisher Cat Fiber Co, has been involved in fiber arts for over 20 year, which mostly involves spinning and dying yarn by hand. She has been weaving rugs for over 3 years and upcycling the plastic into rugs for about the same amount of time. It takes about 70-80 plastic bags to create a 2×3 rug. Annie uses a loom from the 1940’s, which is a Union Loom traditionally used for making rag rugs. One of her friend’s found it advertised in a local paper, so Annie sold the loom she had in order to buy this one (her old loom could not make rugs).

 

“I saw my first plastic rug (crocheted) at a County Fair over 20 years ago. It never left my mind and I actually attempted crocheting them several times. The plastic is donated from family, friends and co-workers and then made into “plaryn” rags with the help of my brother (don’t know what I would without him!). It takes between 5-6 hours to create one 2X3 rug from beginning to end (threading the loom, preparing the plastic, weaving, sewing and tagging). Growing up with a father who recycled and composted, I learned young about the importance of being environmentally conscious. I love to create functional items using what is available and creating very little waste. So not only do I weave plastic, I also weave old t-shirts, sheets, clothing, wool/cotton blankets, etc… whatever can be re-purposed. Currently, I have upcycled over 2,000 bags into rugs and market bags. Most of which were saved from the going to the landfill. Plastic bags are very harmful for the environment, to make and to recycle. We encourage everyone to use reusable market bags!” ~Annie

 

Annie is now starting to weave the seconds from dress factories where she was raised. The dresses were made in The Wyoming Valley of Northeastern PA and shipped to NYC to be sold. The factories are all closed now but Annie was fortunate to be able to obtain the seconds and stored them until now for weaving. She even has an option on her Etsy site to send in your t-shirts and she will make a rug out of them for you! I love the look of the plastic bags in the rug, so I know I would love the way that fabric looks in the rag rug. I look forward to seeing the rugs made out of old dresses!

 

I cannot express how much I love this rug! If you were wondering about the bulges in the rug, they will go down in time with use. The rug feels soft on my feet as well. I would never guess that I am standing on anything other than fabric. To wash the plastic bag rug, you can just hose it off or wash it in the gentle cycle and hang dry (Annie recommends hosing it off to prolong the look and durability). I haven’t chosen a permanent location for my rug yet, but I can guarantee that it will be a conversation starter. We had friends over the other night and they actually picked up the rug to examine it…they thought it was pretty cool. I have been stepping on the rug all week and I can tell that the rug is very durable and sturdy. I also love how colorful it really is when you look close!

 

Connect with Fisher Cat Fiber Company on their website, Etsy, and .

 

 

Fisher Cat Fiber Co is generously giving away a 2×3 rug to one very lucky winner! The rug is valued at $65 and the winner gets to pick the color combo that works best for them. This giveaway is open to US and Canada. Giveaway ends 8/17. Don’t forget to enter all the other giveaways in the hop listed below the rafflecopter form. Good Luck!

…  Continue Reading…