Rags to Riches

Rags to Riches

The woman certainly knew the value of things. She was not quick to discard things off hand. This was certainly true for material things. The collection of jars that she kept under the sink were carefully washed and kept for reuse. After the newspaper had served its purpose as a news source it was repurposed to start the evening fire.

It was not only the material things that needed saving. The woman knew that the energy in these things were just as important. For instance, those jars were carefully labeled so that similar contents could be kept in each one. This added to the energy instead of counteracting. And the newspaper, well its fate depended on the story. Sometimes she crumpled it up, threw it into the fireplace, and banished the lot. Other times the story was heartwarming, and she would carefully fold it and place it under the logs and send that energy out to where it was needed.

She certainly did her part to waste not and want not but her favorite recycling effort was with old clothing. Sometimes she would watch the people in her village as they went through their daily routines, she would take notice of what they were wearing on their happiest days. When she saw that article of clothing make its way to the neighborhood thrift shop, she would snatch it up. The buttons were carefully snipped off and saved. Any hand stitched embroidery or appliques were trimmed away and held for future use. The fabric itself was cut into squares or strips and used to make her fine patchwork quilts or rag rugs.

Now, rag rugs are an excellent chance for a little Fiber Magick. Just like the Woman you can take clothing and household items that have been loved, enjoyed, in other words, well used and make them into something filled with all those feels. I have a rug in my kitchen that makes me happy even though it means I'm doing dishes when I stand on it. There are smaller projects that can be made in this manner, such as, placemats or coasters. A trivet is useful in the kitchen and can also be used on an altar. Let's think about this for a minute. How can we make sure the fabric contains the exact energy we need? We can use Fiber Magick to put it in there ourselves.

What you will need:

A piece of fabric that doesn't fray too much

Fabric paints or markers

A good pair of cloth cutting scissors

Extra-large crochet hook. ( N or bigger even)

I used 12" of a 36" fabric. It just happen to be in a box of fabric I received from a friend. This fabric came from a happy place already to I went with that. If you buy your fabric from a big box store or chain, you might want to pass a little sage smoke over it just in case. Same would hold true for items found in a thrift store but of course my rule of thumb is no matter how pretty it is if it gives you a yucky vibe leave it alone.

When your fabric has been prepared it is time to Infuse your Intention into it with symbols.

I covered said cloth with peace signs, hearts, dollar signs, goddess figures, moons and stars. You could pick one element and stick to it or better yet make up your own runes but if this is for a working altar, I thought it should be multi-purpose.

The next step is to cut it into strips. Half inch strips are probably the easiest to work with. You can get crazy and measure uniformly ( You know who you are ) or just have at it. If your scissors are sharp and your hand true is will be fine. *cackle*

I call this step Deconstruction. As you cut your strips really analyze your intentions.

Now comes the time to Realign our intentions by connecting the ends of our strips.

Do this by making a small slit in the ends of each strip. The easiest way to do this is by folding the end over and making a snip with the point of the scissor.

1. Pull one strip though the slit of another

2. Pull the other through the slit of the first

3. Give the strips a gently tug

And you will now have a join with very little to get in the way as you create your finished project.

This is some very fiddly work and will require focus. Perfect for realigning that intention of yours. You should have a very clear picture in mind by the time you find yourself with this neat ball of fabric yarn.

Now if you make 3 balls of this yarn you can braid them together. This is how the braided rag rugs are made, spiraling out from center. That can be very magical indeed. Just tack as you go with needle and thread, chanting a tune such as, "Lady Spin" or "The Circle is Open".

But I'm a Hooker you know. So, that is how I will Manifest my intention.

That much yarn made me a 6" x 6" square. It will be perfect to hold a candle or hot incense burner. A coaster like that could also serve to protect a table from a bowl of water or oil that might tend to splash a bit.

Infuse

Deconstruct

Realign

Manifest

Stay Crafty, Opal Luna