RAG BALLS...AGAIN

My fascination with the rag sections of my dwindling supply of old rag balls does not dwindle. I recently started another lampshade,

and became so entranced with the individual six to ten inch sections...envisioning little girls' Sunday dresses, grandmothers' everyday house-dress, grandfathers' work shirts, I very much wanted to showcase the fabrics....

...and so I incorporated Rya Knots as I wove along...

...ensuring they would get attention...

At the same time, using up still more of my meager supply, I was weaving another rag rug. Again the dilemma of showcasing the strips...

...and although the rug was pretty in its own right, I decided to

...applique a field of flowers. I think the little girls, the grandmothers, and even perhaps those hard-working grandfathers might approve.

I bought these balls so long ago at various auctions and rummage sales, I cannot recollect where or when. It is interesting to me, however, that so many of the balls contain some of the same fabric pieces. I selected the balls at random for these two projects, and deliberately choose the fabric pieces to highlight, from the ball I was weaving with at the time. In the end, much to my surprise, I see that some of the Rya Knots and the applique flowers are in fact made up of the same fabric.

I will be so sad when the end of these rag balls finally arrives!