This is my first project. Im making rag rugs and you can see daylight between the rows. Is my warp too tight ?

I'm using sheets for weft and I wanted the rug to be thick so I used 4 inch strips. I thought maybe that was the problem but I unweaved what I did and tried 2 inch strips and it was just the same.

Comments

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 00:07

Weavingholiday

What sort of loom at you using?

Rag rugs usually take a lot of serious beating, and not every loom is really suited to that?

I know others here will have some good suggestions.

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 00:21

laurafry

You may need to reduce the size of your strips to one inch, and then beat it very hard.  Don't forget that when the threads are under tension things will look very differently than when the cloth has been cut off the loom and wet finished.  

cheers,

Laura

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 01:01

sandra.eberhar…

I think your tension is not tight enough.  Rag rugs require really, really, tight warp. You need a robust loom frame and brakes or ratchets that are strong.  If your warp is tight enough, and you can beat hard, it shouldn't make any difference how thick your strips are.  The loom that I use for rag rug work has very heavy ratchets and pawls, with a long iron handle on the cloth beam pawl.  However, it has a lot of teeth missing (I know how this happened).  It can it touchy to get the right tension after advancing the cloth.  If I see any space between the rows, I know I have to back it off and retension.

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 01:26

sally orgren

The density of the weft doesn't always show its true self until a few inches into the weaving, so you can't always tell right at the fell line.

You are correct, if you see "air" between wefts, I would work to eliminate that. Yes, you have to beat **very** hard.

(4" strips sound pretty big to me, 1-2" sounds better.)

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 07:13

paulz

I have always found (having had a vast experience of making 3 rugs now) that the rugs look weedy and delicate but once they have been washed they are so different.

Here in the uk they have been showing a tudor farm programme where they do everything as done in 1500 and they wove. They showed using a microscope the difference between washed and unwashed weaving and it was sooooooo different.

I have heard many people say about a strong loom etc but mine is a regualr loom, nothing special and it copes great.

Paul

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 12:23

jlread (not verified)

You might try to add weight to the beater.

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 14:24

sandra.eberhar…

You don't need a "Super Strong" loom,  but you do need one of substance.  A Baby Wolf, or other light portable X-frame loom will not do rugs well.    Rag rugs are unusual in that the weft is stiff.  If you used a yarn weft with the tension and beat needed for a good rag rug, you would have a weft faced textile.  Several people have mentioned that it will unsleaze after washing, but my experience is that it may  not, and repeated washing will loosen even a tight rug.  Whether it will shrink depends on whether the warp and weft will shrink.  If you are using a poly/cotton weft, which many people prefer, it will not shrink.

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 15:27

trkeyfrm

cotton sheets have to be my least favorite to use for strips...    tshirt is better, polos are even better, denim is really good (see where this is going).   i aim for strips 3/4 - 1"...  i read somewhere that putting 2 1 inch strips in each row will pack in better than 2 inch strips.    oh, and bubble that weft...

Thu, 11/28/2013 - 23:16

tbdarnall

Rags are best to be cut between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch. I inherited some one inch rugs so needed to increase my sett to 5epi. Your sett is important so that you have the ability to beat hard (multiple good wacks with the beater are necessary every pick :) ).  In helping to get your beat close, open the opposite shed when beating. That holds your weft in nice and tight.

I would see if you can reduce your rags down to 1 inch in width and experiment with the sett.

Hope this helps!

Sat, 11/30/2013 - 03:59

BrendaBoo

Sorry I am so long responding back. I have some important family matters I'm attending to.

Hope to try the rug again in the next few days with the advice given here in mind.

I'm weaving on a LeClerc Nilus loom thats supposed to be good for making rugs.

 

 

Sat, 11/30/2013 - 21:42

Bonnie Inouye (not verified)

I agree that rag strips should be no more than 1" wide pieces of cloth. Your warp is also important. Are you using a good, strong warp yarn? What sett (how many ends per inch)? There are groups for rug weavers and plenty of books about weaving rugs, including rag rugs. No need to reinvent the wheel for this project.

Bonnie