I should be posting pictures of my completed (YEAH!) quilt, but I have not photographed it yet. Those pics will have to wait until I finish the pillow covers so I can get the whole effect.

We just had a few days of rain after having had sunshine for about a month. During the dry spell, we installed a 'doggie door' so the dogs can come and go outside as they please. Then it rained.....and rained.....

News flash! Dogs don't wipe their feet!

So I started shopping for an absorbent rug that they would have to walk across to dry their feet when they came in. Long story short...I could not find anything in the price range that I was willing to pay. I have been using some old beach towels layered together and they do a pretty good job as long as they stay put (which is not very long). So I decided to make a rug with pile thick enough to wrap up around paws as they stepped inside.

I shopped for the least expensive all cotton fabric I could find.

Below is an example of what I found for $1.99 a yard on clearance. I bought 10 yards and 3 yard of the turquoise for .99 a yard and cut it all it to 2 inch wide bias strips.

Each bias strip was ruffled down the center by zigzagging over a strong thread. I found that I could ruffle it as I sewed if I just tugged on the cord in short tugs while sewing.
I started in the center and sewed an 8 inch strip of ruffle in the center of a 54"X48" piece of canvas, then turned to continue sewing the ruffle beside the first piece. Being careful to but the 2 ruffles up against each other.
And continued going around and around with the ruffle. I added a bit of turquoise ruffling.
Stitching down the ruffles was not difficult until I was about half way thru the project. Then it started to get heavy and more difficult to manage.
I persevered and managed to get 12 yards of fabric into my rug!

When I cut the strips of bias, they tended to get tangled so I made rolls out of them and thought of a way to make that work for me. A basket, an old long handled paintbrush, two clips and I was off and running. I ruffled 5 of these rolls (6 counting the turquoise)! Nearly fell asleep at the sewing machine as I sat there hour after hour watching it go under the presser foot.

This is the finished rug. It measures 31" X 48". It's not perfect, but it has a one inch pile and made of absorbent cotton.

I don't particularly like the brightness of the turquoise, but I expect after a few weeks of puppy paws walking across it with North Carolina mud on the, the color will tone down considerably!

I hope it washes well, but will post a photo after the washing!