The Braided Rug Page 6

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Lay the rug down on the floor from time to time during its construction, to see that it is keeping its form and also that it is smooth and flat. When the last row of braid required has been over-handed on, sew the ends down as flat as possible on the wrong side of the rug, turning the strands under one by one.

The braided rug of the farmhouse, though substantially made, is not always attractive because it is seldom well-planned. It is usually of a variety called "hit or miss" and it is generally miss," with a scattered effect resulting. As a matter of fact the braided rug has certain features which are characteristic of it and which consequently distinguish it. But it has remained for the modern handicrafter with a knowledge of design to discover them, to realize their importance, and to use them to ad-vantage. Thus from being an accidental form these features advance to the dignity of real ornament and become a characteristic figure in the design. Being made of three strands of muslin sewed in rows, the braided rug shows a form like a little arrow-head on its surface, which results from the braiding together of two strands of a darker color with one of a very much lighter tone of the same color, or with a sharply contrasting color. One might choose a medium blue strand, with two strands of white or two strands of black and one of red, according to the color scheme one has planned. The point is that the contrasting colors come together in such a way that they form this little characteristic pattern in arrow-heads as seen in one of the illustrations.

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Thus a constructive feature becomes a decorative one as well and a surface pattern occurs from the rug's structure. If the rug were made in any other way this particular effect in surface pattern could not result.

The preparation for making the braided rug, really takes more time and patience than the actual sewing together of the rows of braid, but there is not the slightest use in beginning until all the rug material is in order. It must be all washed, ironed, torn, folded, before one is ready to begin. Once this is done the rest is very simple. The braiding and sewing can be easily done at any time, because like any other needle-craft it does not require special tools and equipment.

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The Craft Of Handmade Rugs - View The Rest Of The Book

Introduction - Some Old Time Rugs - A Word About Dyes - The Scalloped Doormat Or Tongue Rug
The Knitted Rug - The Crocheted Rug - The Hooked Rug In Cotton And Wool - The Needle-Woven Rug
The Colonial Rag Rug - Some Applications - Newer Methods Of Stencil Making - The Tufted Counterpane
Old Time Lights - The Batik Or Wax Resist Process