April, 1906 
this a reed is set. Each warp thread must be pushed through 
the reed. The warps are then brought forward, and fastened 
securely to the reed, which is gradually turned down to the 
roll, which winds up the carpeting as it is woven. 
Preparing the Material for Weaving.—A new piece of 
material is now procured, and should be cut like a loaf of 
bread after it has been rolled tightly and bound. A large 
butcher knife or a very sharp cheese knife, does the work in 
a few minutes. The knife should have a heavy weight fastened 
to the end to assist in cutting the goods. Each strip should be 
one inch wide. A practical way of getting the strips even, 
would be to lay a tape measure on the table, and mark the 
inches, after which the piece of material is laid over it. This 
will be a guide for keeping the strips of exactly the same 
width. 
Much valuable time has been wasted by cutting with a pair 
of scissors, or tearing by hand. The small outlay for a good 
knife will pay for itself in the time saved in the first dozen 
rugs made. Every shuttle possesses pieces of wood, on which 
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Rug Made of Figured 
Material 
the material is wound, either on the wheel or by hand. These 
are cone shaped, and are called cops. After placing a cop in 
the shuttle, it is fastened with a clamp. After pulling the 
end of the material through the hole in the shuttle, all is 
ready for weaving. 
Process of Weaving.—A stool or seat just the right height 
must be placed in front of the loom. Press the left treadle 
down, making a gap between the two lays of warp. Take 
the shuttle in the right hand, and throw it between the two 
lays of warp, holding with the left hand the lay which con- 
tains the reed. Leave a couple of inches of the material stick- 
ing out at the side of the rug. This must be turned back, and 
lapped round the warp at the side of the rug. To complete the 
first shot, pull the lay to firmly, then press the right foot 
down, releasing the left, thus making a reverse gap between 
the two lays of warp. 
Now put the shuttle in the left hand, and throw it from 
left to right across the loom. Pull the material tight, and 
then pull the lay forward as before. This is repeated over 
AVERT eCAN HOMES: AND GARDENS 
Plain Material in Red, Green, 
Blue or Brown with White 
251 
and over again until the shuttle is empty. Taper the end of 
the strip with the scissors after filling the shuttle with new 
cop; the new strip must be also tapered. Lap over the 
old strip. This will enable the work to be sewed in the cen- 
ter of the rug, without being visible when the rug is made, 
and is much better than the old fashioned way of sewing with- 
out tapering. 
A variety in the rug is made by weaving bands of contrast- 
ing colors at each end, to form borders. If the rug is made 
of dark blue muslin, with a white warp, the borders should be 
of white muslin. Great variety can be displayed in border 
making, as there can either be three strips an inch and a half 
wide at either end, or one border line, alternating on either 
side with two or three rows of blue and two or three rows of 
white. 
The rug is finished off with a half inch heading of warp 
which is woven in exactly the same way as the material. This 
must of course be on both ends of the rug alike. A finish is 
given to the rug by knotting the warp at both ends. Double 
knotting is prettier than single knotting. “There should be an 
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A Cretonne Rug in Tones of 
Green, Pink, and White 
allowance of six inches of warp for fringe, before the weay- 
ing is begun, and twelve inches at the end of the rug, to form 
a fringe for both first and second rugs. 
If it is hard to weave from the description, an hour spent 
in watching a weaver at work, or a dollar spent on engaging 
a weaver to show the beginner on her own loom, would make 
it seem much easier. Some people who do their own weay- 
ing employ a weaver at twenty-five cents an hour, to beam the 
warp and set up the loom, ready for the craftsman, but these 
questions are all settled by the ease or difficulty of procuring 
a handy weaver. After the rudiments are mastered it rests 
with the individual to become a good weaver, and to blend 
colors which are both harmonious and effective. 
Amount of Material Needed.—It is a little difficult at first 
to find out how much material to order for making rugs, but 
as materials vary so much in weight, it is well to be very par- 
ticular about weighing the pieces of material before they are 
cut up, so as to know how far each kind of material goes when 
woven. Roughly, two and a half pounds, or from five 
