RERAMIC STUDIO 
141 
No. 3— A Priscilla R 
the needs of to-day are more stringent, and rugs must be 
made of new material, or of remnants, which when dyed, 
possess the same qualities as new material. 
MATERIALS TO BE SELECTED. 
Rugs can be made from many kinds of materials 
such as lawns, prints, cretonnes, denims, staeens, ging- 
hams, ducks, cotton flannels, ticking, rope, roving yarns, 
and canton flannels. It will be seen that there is indeed 
a large variety to choose from. Unbleached muslin of- 
fers a field of great variety, as it can be dyed the exact 
colors required. The question of cost is not determined 
by the price of material per yard, as sometimes light 
material at four cents will make a more costly rug than 
a heavy material at 15 cents. If light material is used, 
it must be torn into wider strips, as it weaves into such 
a small space, so that it is more economical to buy a 
bulky material that can be cut into narrow strips. 
Labor is another important item to be saved in the 
making of rugs. It has been proved that to buy short 
remnants is extravagant, as the time spent in sewing the 
pieces together, and in the delay in tearing and cutting 
them afterwards in the strips, owing to the seams, is 
more costly than paying more for material that is better 
adapted for the purpose. Remnants that have become 
marked, or have been discarded on account of imperfect 
weaving and are known as seconds, are the best kind to 
buy, as they can often be found in pieces of ten and fifteen 
yards in length. After experimenting in widths of material 
from half an inch to two inches, it has been found that 
one inch is the most attractive for all purposes. 
PREPARING THE MATERIAL. 
If a rough fuzzy rug is required, the material must 
be torn, as the rough edge can only be obtained in this 
way. Denims are particularly attractive after they are 
woven, because of this soft, fluffy edge, which shows on 
the surface of the rug when completed. Unbleached 
muslin also has the same quality. If a very neat rug is 
required, new material must be purchased, and after re- 
moving the piece of wood upon which it is wound, it can 
be tightly bound and fastened securely with tape. It can 
then be placed upon a table, and a heavy meat saw with 
a weight at the end can be used to cut it in slices one inch 
thick, so that in a few minutes a belt of 50 yards is ready 
to be wound on the cops. (See illus.) To insure the strips 
being perfectly even the table should be marked out 
in inches, as it is essential to good workmanship that 
each strip should be exactly the same width. Most 
people cut with scissors when they require a smooth fin- 
ished rug, and this is an appalling waste of time, and if 
the work is given out, costs six cents a pound to have it 
done by some old woman who makes her living by cutting 
materials for rag carpet weavers. The small outlay 
required in purchasing a good knife will pay for itself 
in the saving of time in the first few rugs. The strips 
being fifty yards long, no sewing is necessary, and this 
also saves time and makes the work even. 
In tearing material long lengths should also be aimed 
at and a whole bolt of denim can quickly be torn by a 
little care in starting the work right. Take a tape meas- 
ure and cut the cloth for a couple of inches. It is not 
necessary to cut off the selvage unless it is a different 
color, as that folds in the weaving and is not noticed. 
Having started the material right, it can be quickly torn, 
and it is often a great pleasure to children to be allowed 
to do this work. If they have a large room in which to 
do it, two strips can be taken by one child, and the next 
two strips by the other, and if they run in opposite direc- 
tions four strips will come off simultaneously, and give 
the children a fine frolic at the same time. It is amusing 
to see how slowly beginners tear up material. They sit 
at a table and start to tar with both hands a few inches 
at a time, proceeding in this way their arms will be com- 
pletely tired out by the time they have torn a 50 yard belt. 
A big room in the attic is the best place for such work, as 
mm 
No. 4 — A cretonne bi 
rder on a plain ground relie 
in contrasting color. 
,-ed by a center ornament 
