I blimming love rag rugging. In fact, I want to spread the joy of rag rug making far and wide. Just think how many garments we could save from landfill! And, although I’ve managed to teach thousands of people how to do this wonderful craft, I’ve only ever taught in the UK, mainly in the South of England where I’m from.
Well, Coronavirus (sorry, you’re probably sick of hearing about it) has given me the kick up the jacksy I needed to set up online classes. So, wherever you are in the world, you can now learn how to rag rug with me. Neat eh!
Why our online rag rug workshops are bound to be great:
We’ve really thought through our online rag rug workshops and these are just a few reasons why we’re already excited to run them!
- In our online classes, you’ll be connecting with craft-lovers from all over the place! You’ll have the opportunity to make new friends with similar interests, who will keep you motivated with your new craft. Self-isolation eat your heart out!
- All our workshops will be capped at a maximum of 5 participants, so you’ll get plenty of 1-2-1 attention.
- Our online rag rug workshops will be taught by the founder of Ragged Life and OG rag rugger, me, Elspeth. I’ve taught thousands of people how to rag rug and know exactly what mistakes to look out for – even on small phone and laptop screens. Now’s your chance to learn from one of the best!
- These online rag rug classes are LIVE. This means, you can ask questions and get answers as we go along 🙂
Who are these workshops suitable for?
EVERYONE! Our online rag rug workshops are suitable for beginners and experienced rag ruggers alike. We’ve put together a series of workshops that cater to all skill levels, and if they go smoothly then we’ll be adding more.
All you need is a computer, phone or tablet and enthusiasm to learn something new or up your skills. Don’t worry, if you’re not very tech savvy, we’ll talk you through any of the IT set up in advance of the class, so you’ll be happy and confident when the time for the class arrives.
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How do the live online rag rug workshops work?
It’s pretty easy to get booked on and involved. Just follow the steps below…
- Browse our list of online workshops on the Ragged Life website. Select your date, and whether you need the “Tools Included” option or not (see below for the difference). Check out as normal.
- The day after your booking, depending on the workshop you have booked onto, we will post you a workshop handout, fabric and hessian directly to your door. If you selected a “Tools Included” workshop, we will also send you the basic rag rug tools. Don’t worry, we’re taking extra Coronavirus precautions with our packing.
- The day before the workshop, you will receive an email to explain how to set up your phone, computer or tablet to join the workshop. The email will also explain how to set up your workspace and what basic tools you’ll need at hand (scissors, for example).
- On the morning of the workshop, we can give you a call to double check that you are set up correctly. That way, you’ll feel happy and raring to go when the workshop time arrives.
- Join the virtual workshop! Have fun learning and making with a bunch of fellow craft lovers.
- After the workshop, with your permission, we’ll connect you with the other crafters in your online workshop, so you can connect and keep each other motivated.
It’s as simple as that! I can’t wait to meet as many of you lovely people as possible.
We’ll post the materials or tools directly to you We’ll help you with any tech set up Elspeth can’t wait to meet you
What online workshops are we running?
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Basic Rag Rug Techniques Online Workshop – £25
In this 2 hour online class you will learn all the basics of British rag rugging. You will get to know the tools of rag rugging, learn how to correctly prepare materials, and try three British rag rug techniques – the shaggy, short shaggy and loopy techniques.
Suitable for: Complete beginners or self-taught rag ruggers
Posted Materials: Workshop Handout, Practice Hessian, Fabric
Additional tools needed: Sharp fabric scissors, latch hook, gauge, spring tool
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Basic Rag Rug Techniques Online Workshop (Tools Included) – £50
This online class is the same as above, but includes the latch hook, spring tool and gauge, as well as the basic workshop materials. Separately, these tools are normally slightly more expensive, so take advantage of the cost saving! All the materials and tools will be posted directly to your door.
Suitable for: Complete beginners or self-taught rag ruggers
Posted Materials: Workshop Handout, Practice Hessian, Fabric AND Latch hook, Spring Tool, Rag Rug Gauge.
Additional tools needed: Sharp fabric scissors
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How to Design a Rag Rug Online Workshop – £20
This 1.5 workshop is designed for those who have already learned the basics of rag rugging, but would like to improve their rag rug design skills. You will learn where to find inspiration, how to use select a design, picking colours, using different fabrics to best effect, where to begin and how to vary techniques to create interesting designs – plus more…
Suitable for: Beginner & intermediate level rag ruggers.
Posted Materials: None
Additional tools needed: None
If you are unsure whether you have all the tools and experience you need for a class, email hello@raggedlife.com to check with us before selecting your workshop.
And the reviews are in…
We’ve been running our live online workshops for a few weeks now and thankfully they’ve been a roaring success. In case you’re umming and ahhing whether to book on, here’s what some of our students have had to say about the classes…
I really enjoyed this course. Zoom went perfectly and I had received everything I needed to start in the post beforehand. Elspeth was confident, friendly and easy to follow. These are not courses provided just for the lock-down! It’s easy to see that Elspeth has been holding in person workshops for a while. I now have the confidence to have a go on my own, and Ragged Life has online tutorials newsletters and advice if we need it. Also they sell the tools and fabrics. Give it a go!
Beginner Rag Rug Techniques – Sue Seear, 21/04/2020
“It was amazing to be able to learn a new craft from the comfort of my own home; no need to spend money on travel; no need to leave my small children for longer than necessary. All the tools and materials needed arrived before hand by post and we got rag rugging really quickly during the course. It is very satisfying and I am busy planning my first full rug 🙂A tip; I joined by mobile phone which was fine but it was sometimes a wee bit hard to see what was going on. A tablet or laptop would have been a tiny bit easier.
Beginner Rag Rug Techniques – Alana, 04/04/2020
Elspeth is a very enthusiastic teacher, she obviously loves her subject. She has a lot of knowledge of the subject which she imparts in a very clear and informative way. She had lots if hints and tips to pass on based on her experiences of rag rugging. I found the whole session hugely enjoyable and finished full of enthusiasm wanting to get started on my own project as soon as possible. I felt I gained a lot of useful information which I can put to use in my own projects. Highly recommended!
How to Design a Rag Rug – Gillian Paterson, 18/04/2020
Really comprehensive workshop with clear instructions throughout. I received a beginners pack in the post with all the tools and a selection of fabrics included ahead of the booked date, an email with the instructions for how to download the app and join in the workshop and all the help necessary to make the technical side as easy as possible.
I had no idea old clothes/fabrics could be so useful or so exciting, totally inspired to get cracking. Thank you Elspeth.Beginner Rag Rug Techniques – Gaye Easton, 21/04/2020
What’s next?
Once our first online workshops, are a little more bedded in, we’ll be introducing the below classes and maybe even more, so do email hello@raggedlife.com if you’d like to be put on the waiting list for any of the classes below, or feel free to suggest what you’d like to learn!
- Rag Rug Bouquet Online Workshop
- Ribbon Weaving with Blanket Yarn Online Workshop
- Peg loom Weaving Online Workshop
Rag Rug Bouquet Ribbon Weaving Peg Loom Weaving
Thanks so much for reading and we can’t wait to see you at a Ragged Life online workshop soon!
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Elspeth x
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