The Beauty of Alberto Burri – Burri Collection at Ex Seccatoi del Tabacco

Exploring Umbria: I’m often asked where I get my rag rug inspiration from, but it’s really difficult to give a straight forward answer as it comes from lots of places… pottery in the V&A, architecture, old embroidery… you name it, I probably have an interest in it. Although design inspiration can come from anywhere, it …

100% Wool Blanket Yarn for Rag Rugging

A year ago or so, I was wandering around the Knitting and Stitching when I came across a stand that was selling lots of lovely yarns and silks. I was having a bit of rummage around when I came across a solitary hank of blanket yarn. It wasn’t really a material that I’d considered rag …

The Settlement Rag Rug Wall Hanging

The Settlement Rag Rug Wall Hanging: I’ve been working with The Settlement in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire for a while now. They’re an excellent adult education centre running courses in every skill and craft under the sun. Seriously… languages, fitness, arts & crafts… they do it all. Their headquarters is this characterful Art & Crafts …

My Mum’s Latest Beautiful Rag Rug

You may have seen a sneak peek of this beautiful rag rug over on the Ragged Life Instagram or Facebook page, but finally you get to see it in all its gloriously quirky glory. Below is the story of how this Sicilian Rag Rug came about (as told by my mum, Victoria) and plenty of …

Ragged Life Students’ Rag Rug Designs

Since 2017, I have been featuring former students’ rag rug designs in a Student Spotlight section of my fortnightly Rag Rug Inspiration Newsletter (which you can sign up to here if you’d like). It seemed a shame that these photos disappeared into the ether once they’d been sent out so I thought I would compile …

The Ragged Life Hertfordshire HQ

Hello lovely crafters! We thought it was about time we gave those of you who haven’t had the chance to pop down to our Ragged Life Hertfordshire HQ a bit of a peek of what it’s like in our studio so here it goes! One of the most important parts of any successful studio space is …

Ragged Life Rag Rug Cushions

Rag Rug Cushions are a fab way to add a pop of colour and individuality to a room. They are one-off pieces that you’ll never ever see at Mrs. Potts’ house down the road. We find that they even become a talking point of a room! The textured rag rugging gives patterns depth whilst the volume of fabric …

Old Loopy Rag Rug: “Wayward”

For December’s “Rag Rug of the Month” we’ve gone back to where rag rugging began. In the olden days, rag rugs were made using whatever materials could be found as a way to put old odds and ends to better use. Old shirts and cotton tended to be saved for patchwork but woollen jackets, trousers …

Loopy Rag Rug Design – “Fawkes”

Today I woke to frosty grass, glorious blue sky and a car windscreen that took 20 minutes to clear – winter is coming! This side of Christmas, winter is a time for open fires, mulled wine and crafts galore. Our November rag rug of the month “Fawkes” is a celebration of all these elements. The bright colours …

Rag Rug Of the Month – Autumn Fall

Our October Rag Rug of the Month “Autumn Fall” is a more traditional style of rag rug than we’re used to doing.  It is almost entirely random in pattern and materials used. Our only aim was to choose colours and fabric that cued autumn (as summer is now sadly behind us). The reds, oranges and greens reminded …