more on finishing...

A while back, I wrote a long post detailing how I applied the twill tape finish to the edges of my rug hooking.  It's now a year later, I'm working on binding Jumbo and I've refined my technique a bit and reordered the steps a little, too.  There have been a lot of questions and interest in the 'how-to', so here is what I'm doing now.....   

If you have any questions at all, please leave a comment and I will reply there, so that everyone can benefit.  Thanks!

1.  PREPARE THE TAPE
Wash, dry and press your binding tape, in advance.  If you have a big roll, I would just wash the whole thing as once, to reduce waste (over/under estimating quantity) and save time for future projects (since you'll be able to skip this step).

2.  PREPARE THE RUG....
Measure an inch out from the last row of hooking (with newer rug warp this is usually 12-13 threads), and pull the next thread from the backing. I use the stretch zigzag stitch (marked with a dotted line) and sew (on the hooking side) of the pulled thread). At the corners, I do lots of reinforcing, as shown, so that when I later cut away some of the excess, it's very stable and secure.  Trim away the excess backing (cutting in the ditch), and sew all of the way around again, just to be safe (= 2 complete tours around).

Why do I use the stretch zigzag for any sewing around the edges that I do, regardless of the backing? Because it’s made up of 3 little stitches in each direction instead of just one, and all of these stitches work to hold the backing together much better than a regular zig-zag or straight stitch.

3.   ATTACH THE TAPE TO THE TOP SIDE....
Begin stitching one side of the tape to the edge of your hooking.  With my rug face up, I work in a clockwise direction (starting end of my tape on the right, rest of the roll on the left....and working from right to left)  I begin by attaching the tape right next to the hooking, on the top side of the rug, so that there is no visible backing between the tape and the last row of hooking.   For this step, I use a leather/glover's needle and super strong or upholstery thread that matches the colour of the tape.

I start off with my thread coming up in between two loops on the outside edge of my hooking....

I catch a small amount of tape (directly across from where my thread came out on my previous stitch), tug it up towards my hooking before going through the backing....

...and bring up my needle in between my loops of hooking, two loops over (sewing on an angle) or approx. 1/4" over.....

I've found that if I hold the tape where I want it to end up -- before I pull the thread tight -- then it usually stays there.

It does take a little bit of practice before it starts feeling less awkward.  Placing your thumb on the underside and bending the back over it seems to make it a bit easier (for me, at least).

If you take your time to do it properly (it's not a step to rush....), they you will find that you can get very close to the hooking and no backing will be visible when you fold things around to the underside.....

I sewed a short section in contrasting red thread, to give a better idea of what the stitches in this step really look like.  The view underneath....

....and from the top side...

I pin the tape in place as I work, using just 1-2 pins and moving them over as I come upon each one. I pull the tape fairly tightly, and pin every 3-4". At the corners, I simply wrap the tape around -- nothing fancy....

4.  FOLD UNDER AND SEW THE BACKING SEAM ALLOWANCE
For this step, I like to use the same super strong or upholstery thread and a long darner (my package reads John James Long Darners, size 1/5), and find that I need to make a conscious effort to just fold back the rug warp, and not to pull it back. If you pull it back, the edge will actually start to roll under and your outer loops will splay....and you don't want that!

As I sew, I make sure that I am catching more than just the backs of my loops in my stitches (i.e.  there is backing being sewn, too), and I also catch a generous amount of the seam allowance, as you can see in the following picture....

 I like my needle to come up on the other side of the zigzag rows. When finished, the stitches should be about 1/4" long and 1/4" apart and look like this.....

I trim away the excess at each corner - only as I come to it, and quickly stitch in place to secure the miter.  (sorry my cut is a little crooked, and I forgot to take a picture of the 'after' until after I'd already sew the tape in place over top...)

 5.  SEW THE TAPE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RUG...
This is the easiest step of all!  I fold the tape over and sew it down on the back of the rug, mitering the corners as I come upon them (and stitching them down to close up the fold).  I use a small leather/glover's needle and the same thread.....and sometimes find I need a thimble or the protection of a band-aid for this step, if I'm working at the finishing for long stretches of time. 

Where the cut edges meet, I fold the ending edge underneath and then overlap both pieces by about 1/2" or so. Again, I stitch this edge down, all along the fold.

Finito Bambito!  You can now sit back and admire your fine handwork... ;-)

Note: I am right handed, so if you're a leftie, you will need to adjust all of the instructions accordingly....

P.S.  There are many different ways to finish the edge of a rug.  I recommend that you try lots of different methods and use those that work best for you.  "Learn to do by doing" is more than just a Guide motto - it actually works!  You might discover that you want to combine many different approaches and create your own unique method.....

fast finishing

••PLEASE NOTE•• I have since revised and updated my finishing technique.....and you can read all about it HERE.

The longer I hook rugs, the more I loathe the act of whipping the edge.

I dabbled with putting on tape last year....and a couple of weeks ago, I did a little more experimentation and I think that maybe, just maybe, I’ve settled on a method that I will be using for a while. I definitely don’t want to sacrifice any functionality, but I guess the proof will be in the pudding. I won’t really know until some undefined time in the future how it will wear....but for now I'm really loving the reduced time spent post-hooking.

So here is what I did....

After pressing my rug, I count 12 threads out from the last row of hooking and pull the 13th thread from the backing. I use the stretch zigzag stitch (marked with a dotted line) and sew (on the hooking side) of the pulled thread), going all of the way around the rug twice. At the corners, I do lots of reinforcing, as shown, so that when I later cut away some of the excess, it's very stable and secure.

Why do I use the stretch zigzag for any sewing I do, regardless of the backing? Because it’s made up of 3 little stitches in each direction instead of just one, and all of these stitches work to hold the backing together much better than a regular zig-zag or straight stitch.

I trim away the excess rug warp (cutting along the line created by the pulled thread), fold over the edge, and baste it in place. For this step, I like to use upholstery thread and a leather/glovers needle, and find that I need to make a conscious effort to just fold back the rug warp, and not to pull it back. If you pull it back, the edge will actually start to roll under and your outer loops will splay....and you don't want that!

As I sew, I make sure that I am catching more than just the backs of my loops in my stitches, and I also catch a generous amount of the seam allowance, as you can see in the following picture....


I wait until I am ready to sew each corner before I trim away the excess rug warp, one corner at a time.


I sew down one side first, then sew the adjoining side on top, sewing a little bit of a whip stitch along the outside edge. I don't want the corners to shift at all while the rug is in use, since I consider this cutting weakens the backing....and this extra reinforcement helps to stabilize things, while also allowing me to reduce some of the bulk that would otherwise result.


Once all of the rug warp seam allowance is secure, it's time to start sewing on the rug tape. For starters, I don’t cut the rug tape from the roll until it’s mostly sewn into place. This way I don’t waste any unnecessarily, nor do I accidentally cut it too short and have to add in a piece.

Again, I like to use the upholstery thread and a leather/glovers needle, and usually by this time, I've resorted to using a thimble or band-aid to help protect my finger....

I begin by attaching the tape right next to the hooking, on the top side of the rug, so that there is no visible backing between the tape and the last row of hooking. I catch a small amount of tape (directly across from where my thread came out on my previous stitch), and bring up my needle in between my loops of hooking (sewing on an angle). I've found that if I hold the tape where I want it to end up -- before I pull the thread tight -- then it usually stays there.

I pin the tape in place as I work, using just 1-2 pins and moving them over as I come upon each one. I pull the tape fairly tightly, and pin every 3-4". At the corners, I simply wrap the tape around -- nothing fancy.


Once it's attached on the front side, I fold the tape over and sew it down on the back of the rug, mitering the corners as I come upon them (and stitching them down to close up the fold).


Where the cut edges meet, I fold the cut edge underneath the top piece and over lap both pieces by about 1/2" or so. Again, I stitch this edge down, all along the fold.


Finito bambito! .....and in a fraction of the time it takes me to whip -- believe it or not!

••PLEASE NOTE•• I have since revised and updated my finishing technique.....and you can read all about it HERE.

one year later...

As much as I am productive and get things done, I am also a serious procrastinator. Life is so full of contradiction. More often than not, I tend to procrastinate the most on little things -- small jobs that would take very little time to finish....if only I could get started. While I've suffered from this infliction for most of my life, I do go in fits and starts to try to overcome it. Such was the case this past weekend, when all I really wanted to do was hook.....but instead I tackled a list of little jobs that needed doing. This is one of them...

I finished hooking this rug last January and shortly thereafter dyed the yarn and whipped the edge and made a label. Around the same time I asked my dad to prepare a piece of wood for me to attach to the top edge to help in the hanging. If I recall correctly, he made it for me the very same day....but I hadn't fully thought through my plan. How was I ever going to sew through all of those little holes?

Enter the 18 gauge syringe needle. I was first introduced to this handy tool by Jane last May, as a handy way to attach the leather purse handles. It worked equally as well and as quickly for sewing on my piece of wood.


The process is simple: push the syringe needle from the back, through the hole you want to sew in.....then insert your sewing needle into the hollow syringe, pushing it through to the back.


Remove the syringe needle and pull your sewing needle to tighten up your stitches.


Note: You don't want to come up in the middle of a hooked loop - I find it quite helpful to bend my backing, so that I can make sure the hooked loops are out of the needle's way. Also, you can pick up the pace a bit by placing both needles through the back at the same time (as shown), then just pull tight on your sewing needle before inserting it back up through the syringe (i.e. you only need to use the syringe for every other stitch (where you are working from the side when you can't see the holes).


The rug is now hanging up on my wall. I'm not sure I'm 100% in love with this hanging method....but I'm going to give it some time and see how it looks in a few weeks. In the meantime I'll be tackling a few more jobs on my to-do list over the next couple of days....and then I've promised myself I can start on a new project this weekend. The ideas are swarming - it will be a stiff competition to see what materializes on the frame first...

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In response to the comments, here is a photo of the finished piece....