amy butler scraps

Jenn emailed me a while back and asked if I’d be interested in helping with a rag rug project she was starting to benefit families working with Heifer International.
Heifer is one of those non-profits I would drop just about everything for to help. Their mission is incredible; I worked with them when I was in the Peace Corps and saw first hand how sustainable, effective agricultural projects can work wonders to improve the health and well-being of the poor. Crafting for an organization I believe in? Sign me up.

green scraps

I spent months thinking about this rug and what I wanted it to say. Ultimately, I decided after going through my scraps to sew a Zakka-inspired kitchen rug instead of braiding a rag rug. A friend sent me a large package of Amy Butler fabric scraps a while back, some of which were already patchwork. I couldn’t resist the urge to make this project bright, colorful and green by using what I had.

pink scraps
amy butler patchwork kitchen rug
patchwork rug
patchwork rug, cropped
back of patchwork rug

I like that the rug is imperfect. There is a zig zag stitch here and there, it isn’t square or rectangular and the colors are wild. Aren’t families and homes the same? We build them slowly and rarely do they fit a Pottery Barn catalog image. Regardless, there is beauty in the madness of patchwork homes and I hope the family who receives this knows it was made with love.

~K