Mat Making

The making of mats from ordinary meal sacks is still carried on. The number of sacks used depends on the size required. The housewife gets the sacks ready by undoing the sides so as to have one flat piece and sewing two such pieces neatly together - turning in the rough edges. This is the foundation. She then proceeds to cut another sack into strips six inches wide and long enough to reach from side to side of the foundation on the width. She ravells out about three inches or each of these strips and then sews them on the foundation so that they overlap - the ravelled side making a fringe and the whole having the effect of frills (or flounces). Enough strips are prepared to cover the foundation. The mat is then dyed - red or blue etc as desired
Sometimes the strips and foundation are dyed separately and different colours.
Written by:- Nora Flannery (Doobeg Bunninadden Co. Sligo.)