The Scalloped Door Mat
Or Tongue Rug

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The scalloped doormat or "tongue" rug gets its name from the shape of the piece of cloth from which it is built up. It is our second example of a needle-made rug and logically follows the braided rug. It is made with the sewing needle.

Though not as frequently seen as some of our other rugs, it deserves careful attention for its technique is quite amenable to artistic direction. Its tongue-shaped unit or scallop is cut out of odds and ends of woolen cloth, and sewed on a burlap foundation. These scallops should never be made of cotton as cotton does not wear well with this treatment. The more closely woven the fabric of which the scalloped doormat is made, the more serviceable it is. Loosely woven cloth is apt to fray. Old bits of broadcloth are a satisfactory material to use.

See our Crocheted Rag Rug Kits that we have for sale!

The scalloped or tongue-shaped units are sewed on the burlap foundation in precisely the same way in which shingles are laid on the roof of a house. That is, they begin at the out-side edge and work in toward the center. Another illustration of the construction of the scalloped doormat is that of the overlapping scales of the pine cone.

For a rug 4 ft. in diameter, 1 yard red cloth, 2 1/2 yards gray cloth and 2 balls black knitting silk are required.

THE DESIGN
It is a curious fact that the structure of design in handicraft almost always corresponds to some type of growth in nature. In this in-stance, the structure of a scalloped doormat is identical with that of the pine cone and as the structure of the pine cone is geometric the de-sign of the scalloped doormat will consequently be formal. If surface pattern be developed it must come through the repetition of tone or color value at regular intervals on the structure or line action.

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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 Braided 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