make a penny rug for the tiny rag doll with wool scraps

It’s officially cosy season, I kicked it off by boiling some wool scraps on Sunday. I was trying to felt wool without putting it in the dryer. The boiling on its own did not do much in the way of felting but it did produce an unexpected result that I ended up liking, the dyes ran so all my scraps ended up over-dyed.

doll house rug made from wool scraps

I used some of my boiled wool for this little rug for the tiny rag doll. Of course she needs a cosy rug for her little house in the green valley. I ran into wool pennies and penny rugs for the first time a few months ago. I love a scrap project and the idea of using everything and making something out of nothing. And I’ve got plenty of little scraps of wool. The little stitched circles are charming and satisfying to make. It’s meditative work.

And there are endless ways you could embellish and assemble them. I’ve made you templates for the shapes I used in this little rug.

find the template here

You’ll need wool and/ or wool felt scraps (I used a mix of felt and wool)
Embroidery thread and a needle
And (optional) a glue stick for assembling

1. To make the individual pennies place the little circle in the center of the larger. Stitch an X or star in the center with straight stitches.   Blanket stitch around the edge, to begin make one straight stitch and come back out out at the edge.

2.  Insert the needle a little away from the first stitch and the edge of the circle. Don’t pull the stitch tight.

3. Bring the needle back out just past the edge of the circle, bring your needle through the loop and pull tight.

4. Begin another stitch and repeat all the way around. You will need 20 pennies for this rug.

make a wool penny

To assemble blanket stitch 4 pennies onto oval 1. Attach oval 1 to oval 2. I cut oval 1 with pinking shears and stitched little V’s around the edge to attach it.

make a dollhouse rug from wool scraps

Place your 16 remaining pennies around the edge and blanket stitch around each penny edge attaching them to oval 2.

I hope you make a penny rug! If you do, I’d love to see, you can use #missthistlesociety and #annwoodpattern on instagram. And find more Miss thistle society patterns here.

8 Comments

  1. Tracy Willans

    I am thinking they would make lovely Christmas decorations on a string

  2. I believe it is agitation that felts wool more than/along with hot water.

  3. Amanda Lake

    I love your work. I don’t think I have the patience anymore to do such fine needlework, but I love seeing what you do. It’s peaceful just looking at your creations.

  4. I am obsessed with you and everything you do. LOVE this so much. You sculpt with fabric and thread; you are a goddess wizard of hand stitching.

  5. Love your little rug! I think a garland of the “pennies” threaded onto a string would be nice for Christmas too!

  6. I have a bunch of wool and the edges fray easily, do you think washing and drying the wool would eliminate that? I have used fray check liquid on the edges but that is a pain. Please advise. Thank you very much.

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