What is Tufting?
Tufting is a way of creating rugs or textile art by stitching yarn into a stretched fabric base using a tool called a tufting gun. Think of it as "drawing" on fabric with yarn, where the yarn creates a soft, textured surface that forms the rug's design.
Here’s How it Works
Step by step
START WITH A BASE: A sturdy fabric (like monk's cloth) is tightly stretched across a frame. This becomes the canvas for your design.
PLAN YOUR DESIGN: You either draw or project the design onto the fabric. This part is super important because you’re essentially creating a blueprint for the rug.
FLIP THE DESIGN: Here’s a crucial step—always flip or reverse the image before you start tufting. The yarn is pushed through the back of the fabric, so the front side (the part you’ll see) will be a mirror image. Forgetting to flip the design can result in a backwards rug!
TUFTING GUN: The tufting gun pushes yarn through the fabric in loops or cuts it to create a soft pile. You "color in" the design by tufting each section with the right colors.
FINISHING: Once the tufting is done, glue is applied to the back to hold the yarn in place. Then, a backing material is added, and the rug is trimmed and shaped for a clean finish.