New Pathways into Quilt History written by Kimberly Wulfert, www.antiquequiltdating.com

DEFINITION OF RUG MAKING TERMS
from Tracy Jamar

Hooking: pulling a strip of fabric or yarn up through an open weave foundation by means of a rug hook. It is worked with the front of the piece facing the maker and the strip being pulled from underneath. May be clipped or left looped.

Yarn Sewn: using yarn threaded through a needle and sewn in running stitches leaving a loop of yarn on the front of a closely woven foundation. Sometimes a reed may be used to regulate the height of the loops. May be clipped or left looped.

Shirring: fabric is folded, gathered or pleated and sewn with thread to a closely woven foundation.

Needlepunch: using yarn that is threaded through the shaft of the needlepunch and out the end. The needlepunch pushes the yarn through an open weave foundation, as the punch is withdrawn and moved slightly to the next point of insertion a loop of yarn is left on the other side. This design is worked from the back. May be clipped or left looped.

Prodded: pieces of fabric are cut to 1/2"-3/4" by 3"-4" and by means of a proddy (wooden tool with one end tapered) a hole is made by separating the threads of a loosely woven foundation and inserting one end of the fabric piece. Another hole is made nearby where the other end of the fabric piece is pushed through and the ends are evened up. This is worked from the back. Generally these mats are very simple in design. This technique was a way to use fabric scraps, called thrums, too small to use for hooking, so that nothing was wasted. Today it is used as a design element to give interest and dimension to a rug.

Latch Hook: uses yarn cut to a standard length and a latch hook that is inserted in a coarsely woven stiff canvas and out a nearby hole. The yarn is laid in the hook and a flange flips shut as the hook is withdrawn, pulling the looped end of the yarn section through the holes. The shaft of the hook is then pushed through that loop which opens the flange and the tails of the piece are laid over the hook and drawn through the yarn loop and pulled securely. Rya and shag rugs are made with this technique.
Sculpted or Waldoboro: the surface of the finished piece is cut so that some areas stand in higher relief than the surrounding area. To do this loops must be hooked much higher than would be standard if the rug were not to be sculpted.

Tracy Jamar has been restoring quilts and hooked rugs since 1979. Jamar has been designing and making hooked rugs since 1994 and lives in NYC, 250 Riverside Dr. NY, NY 10025 212.866.6426 tjamar@optonline.net