Broken Glass Rug

A N N D A V I E S

Odds and ends of woollen material left over from other projects were used to make this traditional-type hooked rug. However, it is worked with much narrower strips of material than is usually found in old hooked rugs. By hooking the outlines in black or another dark colour, rather than beige, the design could be made to look bolder.

No traced designs is really necessary for this rug; you just have to outline the dimensions of the rug; you just have to outline the dimensions of the rug and then break up the surface into pleasing shapes, using a felt-tip pen. Outline all the shapes in the same colour and then fill them in with whatever materials you have available. This idea could also be adapted for cushion covers, chair seats or possibly even a tea cosy.

98 x 80 cm (38.5 x 31.5 in )

Materials and Equipment

• 106 x 91.5 cm (42 x 36 in) hessian/burlap
• Medium black felt-tip pen
• Tape-measure
• Medium-sized frame
• Assortment of materials
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Hook
• 4.5 m (5 yds) carpet binding tape
• Strong linen thread
• Darning needle
• Thimble
• Iron
• Towel or blanket
• Pressing cloth

As the design used for this rug does not require a pattern to be traced, just outline the required dimensions directly on to the hessian. Allow about 10 cm (4 in) extra all around when you have marked the actual size. Then sketch in the ‘broken glass’ design in a variety of pleasing shapes.

Fit the hessian into the frame, rolling the surplus material around one end and stretching the fabric. Cut your chosen outlining material on the straight into strips about 5 mm ( 0.25 in) wide, and begin to hook in the outlines.

Cut up the materials you intend to use for filling in the shapes. You may have some strips left over from other projects and this design is a wonderful way of using them up. Aim for a pleasing mixture of colours, and avoid putting all-light or all-dark strips adjacent to each other. Begin to hook in the inside areas of colour. Pull up your loops to height that appeals to you – not too high so that people could catch their heels in the pile and not so low that the pile will wear quickly. A height of about 5 mm (0.25 in) is usual.

The reverse of your work (down here) should look like running stitches. If any loops are showing on the back, then you are not pulling these up sufficiently to the front of the rug. Always bring the ends of the strips up to the front of the work.

Continue to fill in the spaces. When you have completed the part of the rug that is visible in the frame, take out the side pieces of the frame and roll the finished part over the opposite side of the frame to the one on which the spare hessian is rolled. Re-frame and begin again.

When you have completed all the hooking, remove the rug from the frame. Your carpet binding should be a colour that blends in with your design and should have been washed previously to allow for the shrinkage; you lose about 7.5 cm (3 in) to the metre (yard). Using a strong thread and a hem stitch, sew the binding on the right side as close to the last row of hooking as you can. Do not begin to sew the binding at a corner, but start halfway along one edge.

Ease the binding around the corners of the rug; do not allow any excess for mitring.

Cut off the excess hessian to about 5 cm (2 in) all around. Cutting across the corners to prevent a build-up of material there.

First turn down the hessian on to the back of the rug and tack it down, catching the hessian lightly to the reverse of the rug. Do not take the stitches through to the front. You will see in the photograph how the hessian has been cut away at the corners.

Then turn the binding down over the hessian and hem it down, again catching the stitches in the reverse of the rug. Coax the excess binding at each corner into a mitre and catch it down. You can then sew over the mitred corners, if liked. Hem the binding covers the turned down hessian.

Place the rug right-side down on a towel or blanket and, using a damp cloth, press all over with an iron.