Make a Rug

Well, folks, I've been gone for a few days and busy as heck. I just spent four days in Norman, Oklahoma helping my daughter Michelle at a renaissance festival. She is the owner of Damsel in this Dress and has stores on etsy, artfire and her own online store. She travels around the country at festivals also and this time of year, she is in the midwest.

Anyway, I was talking to my friend Lucy, and she has been in a "remodel her house" mode for many months. Somehow, though, the money is gone. (Isn't it always the case?) The girls bedroom isn't finished and her dreams of a hardwood floor or carpet must be set aside. Now, it is paint the plywood floor time. Now, I realize that this idea may not appeal to many. At this particular time in our country's history, our lifestyles border on luxurious. Third world countries could not even imagine having the nice things that the poor among US have.

We think that we cannot live without fancy clothes, carpeting, big screen TV's and convenience foods (or eating out). When I was going to nursing school, I drove an old car that was paid for. I went to school while in my early 40's and all of those young kids I went to school with drove nicer and newer cars than I did. There is nothing wrong with that, or shameful. I didn't go to school to be cool. I went so I could help my family out. I ramble on......

So back to my original topic!!! Lucy's floor. I have seen cute cabins with painted plywood floors and thought, why not? They are perfectly functional, sweep up, and mop up. What are they better than? I'll tell you. They're better than an unpainted floor, a dirt floor, an old ugly shag carpet floor, old dirty linoleum with holes and worn out spots, a smelly floor (from pets), a floor that has no roof over it, or walls or heat or cooling. Do you get the picture?

So, you paint your floor, and then what? Aha! My husband has built me some wood rug looms (that I actually have in my etsy store) and you go to the thrift store and buy old sheets or curtains that aren't too thick, or you raid your grandma's old boxes of fabric that no one will ever use. You cut them into strips and weave them into old fashioned cushiony rugs. Maybe the latest Home magazine will never want to come and take pictures of your house, (well, maybe Country Living might), but your kids will remember how you loved them and spent time with them. They might remember the rug you made just for them. That is what we're here for, is memories and family ties. We are tied together more with the things that money can't buy than the things it can buy.

I fixed my blog so the comments show, and I can comment back if I want. Hope that is helpful. Is this just too humble for anyone out there?

If anyone would like to see my looms, they are at etsy.com and you can type in a search for rug looms.