HOW TO MAKE RUGS

 [Illustration: LOOM WARPED FOR WEAVING]

How to Make Rugs

_By_

CANDACE WHEELER

Author of "Principles of Home Decoration, " etc. 

ILLUSTRATED

 [Illustration]

NEW YORKDOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY1908

Copyright, 1900By CANDACE WHEELER

Copyright, 1902By DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & CO. 

Published October, 1902

CONTENTS

FOREWORD: HOME INDUSTRIES AND DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES. 

CHAPTER

 I. RUG WEAVING. 19

 II. THE PATTERN. 33

 III. DYEING. 45

 IV. INGRAIN CARPET RUGS. 57

 V. WOVEN RAG PORTIERES. 67

 VI. WOOLEN RUGS. 79

 VII. COTTON RUGS. 99

VIII. LINSEY WOOLSEY. 113

NEIGHBOURHOOD INDUSTRIES: AFTER WORD. 125

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Loom Warped for Weaving _Frontispiece_

 FACING PAGE

Weaving 20

The Onteora Rug 36

The Lois Rug 52

Sewed Fringe for Woven Portiere 72

Knotted Warp Fringe for Woven Table-cover 72

Isle La Motte Rug 90

Greek Border in Red and Black 108

Braided and Knotted Fringe 108

Diamond Border in Red and Black 108

The Lucy Rug 128

FOREWORD. 

HOME INDUSTRIES AND DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES. 

The subject of Home Industries is beginning to attract the attentionof those who are interested in political economy and the generalwelfare of the country, and thoughtful people are asking themselveswhy, in all the length and breadth of America, there are nowell-established and prosperous domestic manufactures. 

We have no articles of use or luxury made in _homes_ which are objectsof commercial interchange or sources of family profit. To this generalstatement there are but few exceptions, and curiously enough theseare, for the most part, in the work of our native Indians. 

A stranger in America, wishing--after the manner of travelers--tocarry back something characteristic of the country, generally buyswhat we call "Indian curiosities"--moccasins, baskets, feather-work, and the one admirable and well-established product of Indianmanufacture, the Navajo blanket. But these hardly represent the massof our people. 

We may add to the list of Indian industries, lace making, which isbeing successfully taught at some of the reservations, but as it isnot as yet even a self-supporting industry, the above-named"curiosities" and the Navajo blanket stand alone as characteristichand-work produced by native races; while from our own, or that of theco-existent Afro-American, we have nothing to show in the way of truedomestic manufactures. 

When we contrast this want of production with the immense home productof Europe, Asia, parts of Africa, and South America--and even certainislands of the Southern Seas--we cannot help feeling a sort of dismayat the contrast; and it is only by a careful study of the conditionswhich have made the difference that we become reassured. It is, infact, our very prosperity, the exceptionally favourable circumstanceswhich are a part of farming life in this country, which has hithertodiverted efforts into other channels. 

These conditions did not exist during the early days of America, andwe know that while there was little commercial exchange of homecommodities, many of the arts which are used to such profitablepurpose abroad existed in this country and served greatly to modifyhome expenses and increase home comforts. To account for the cessationof these household industries, it is only necessary to notice thedrift of certain periods in the short history of America's settlementand development. 

We shall see that the decline of domestic manufactures in New Englandand the Middle States was coincident with two rapidly increasingmovements, one of which was the opening and settlement of the greatWest, and the other the establishment of cotton and woolen millsthroughout the country. 

In short, the abundant acreage of Western lands, fertile beyond thedreams of New England or Old World tillers, threw the entire businessof production or family support upon the man. The profit of his easilyacquired farm land was so great and certain that it became almost areproach to him to have his womenkind busy themselves with other thannecessary household duties. 

The cotton and woolen mills stood ready to supply the needed materialfor clothing, and it was positive economy to push the spinning-wheelout of sight under the garret eaves and chop up the bulky loom forfirewood. The wife and daughters might reputably cook and clean forthe men whose business it was to cover the black acres with goldenwheat, but spinning and weaving were decidedly unfashionableoccupations. Even the emigrants from countries where the spinning andweaving habit was an inheritance as well as a necessity, were governedby the custom of the country, and devoted the entire energy of thefamily to the raising of crops. 

It is, in fact, owing to fortunate circumstances that, if we exceptthe mountain regions of the South, there are no longer farmhouse ordomestic manufactures in America. 

This, as I have said, only goes to prove the hitherto unexampledprosperity of the country. In fact, the absence of these veryindustries means that there are greater sources of profit within thereach of farming households. 

This being so, it is natural to ask, why the re-establishment offarmhouse manufactures, or the encouragement and development of them, is a desirable movement. 

There are exceedingly good individual and personal reasons; and thereare also commercial and national ones, which should not be ignored. 

All farmers are not successful. There are many poor as well as richones; and the wife of a poor farmer has less pecuniary independence, less money to spend, and fewer ways of gaining it, than any otherwoman of equal education and character in America. 

A poor farmer is often obliged to pay out for labour, fencing, stock, insurance and taxes every dollar gained by the sale of his crops, andif by good luck or good management there should be a small excess, heis apt to hoard it against unlooked-for emergencies. This, at firstenforced economy, grows to be the habit of his life, so that even ifhe becomes well-to-do, or even rich, he distrusts exceedingly thewisdom of any expenditure save his own. 

A mechanic, or a man in any small line of business, must trust hiswife with the disbursement of a certain part of the family income. Itpasses through her hands in the way of housekeeping, and themanagement of it exercises and develops her faculties; but the wife ofthe farmer has no such interest. The farm is expected to supply thefamily living, and this blessed fact becomes almost a curse when itdeprives the wife of the mental stimulus incident to the management ofresources. 

Added to this there is often, at least through the winter, partial orcomplete isolation from neighbourly or public interests. The greatcrops of the country are produced under circumstances whichnecessitate distance from even the most limited social centres, andthat the farmer's wife suffers from this we know, not only fromobservation, but from the statistics of insane asylums. And here I amtempted to quote from a letter of a close student of farmhouse life inthe West. She writes:

"That the farmer himself, as isolated and hard worked, makes no suchrecord, I believe due to the mental tonic, the broadening influencethat comes from a sense of responsibility in life's larger affairs. The woman works like a machine, irresponsible as to final results; theman like a thinking, planning, responsible, independent human being. "

This seems to me a very fair statement of the case. The woman, whomisses social companionship, and who has not the saving influence ofadministration and responsibility even in her own household, isnarrowed to a very small point in life's affairs, and it is inevitablethat she should suffer from it. The variety of her work also hasdwindled. Cooking and house-cleaning follow each other in monotonousroutine, with too much of it at planting and harvest seasons and toolittle at others. She has not even the pleasure of comparison andemulation in her daily work; it neither exercises her faculties norstimulates her thought. 

During the winter months she has abundant leisure for a harvest of herown, in some interesting manufacture adapted to her education andcircumstances, and in the prosecution of these she would be broughtinto a bond of common interest with other women. So far I have spokenonly of the individual and personal reasons for which certain domesticand artistic industries well might be encouraged; but the public andeconomic reasons are easy to find. 

In looking at the variety and bulk of our national imports, we may besurprised to see how large a proportion of them are of domesticorigin. In fact, nearly everything which comes under the head ofartistic products is the result of domestic industry. The beauty andsimplicity of many of these things is surprising, and yet they haverequired neither unusual talent or careful training. They are simplythe result of the _habit_ of production, and their value is in thepersonal expression we find in them. They have always this advantageover mechanical manufacture, and can be safely relied upon to find amarket in the face of close mechanical imitation. 

Among these domestic products we shall find the laces of allcountries, Ireland, Belgium, France, Italy, Sweden and Russiacontributing this beautiful manufacture, from finest to coarsestquality. It is as common a process as knitting in the homes of manycountries, and the fact of it being successfully taught in the Indiancabins of the far West proves that it is not a difficultaccomplishment. Embroideries, in all countries but our own, are commonand profitable home productions; and when we come to hand-weavings thevariety is infinite. In practical England, the value of hand-weavingsin linens has led to the introduction of small "parlour looms" fromSweden; and damasks of special designs are woven for special customerswho appreciate their charm and worth. 

Of all hand processes, weaving is the most generally or widelyapplicable, and the range of beautiful production possible to thesimplest weaving is almost beyond calculation. 

Many of the costly Eastern rugs are as simply woven as a Navajoblanket, or even a rag carpet. The process is in many cases almostidentical, the variation being only in closeness or fineness of warpand arrangement of colour. 

I have been much interested of late in an application of art to alocal industry in New Hampshire. It is one which seems to prevail toa greater or less degree all through New England, and the product iscalled "pulled rugs. " The process consists of drawing finely cut ragsthrough some loose, strong cloth, mainly bagging or burlap. I haveseen these rugs at Bar Harbor and along the Massachusetts coast formany years, and while they possessed the merit of durability, theywere, for the most part, so ugly and unattractive that only the mostsympathetic personal interest in the maker would induce one topurchase them. The change that has been wrought in this manufacture byan intelligent application of art is really marvelous. The productcame under the attention of a woman trained in that valuable school, "The Institute of Artist Artisans. " She tried the experiment of usingnew material carefully dyed to follow certain Oriental designs, andthe result is a smooth, velvety, thick-piled rug, which cannot bedistinguished from a fine Oriental rug of the same pattern. The costof this manufacture is necessarily considerable, since the process isslow and the material costly. But in spite of these disadvantages, thedrawn rugs have met with deserved favour, and are a source ofprofitable labour to the community. It is undoubtedly the beginning ofan important industry, which owes its success entirely to the arteducation of one woman. 

There is an improvement somewhat akin to this in the weaving ofrag-carpet rugs, and this is not confined to one locality. It consistsin the use of _new_ rags, carefully selected as to colour both of ragsand warp, and the result is surprisingly good. 

One might say that we have in this country peculiar advantages forpositive artistic excellence as well as volume of production. We growour own wool and cotton. We have a great and growing population, withsuch application of mechanical invention to routine and necessary workas greatly to reduce household labour. Added to this, there has beenduring the last ten years so much and such general art study as tohave created a sort of diffused love of art manufactures, so that manyof the people who would naturally adopt the work would have aninstructive judgment regarding it. I should not be afraid to predictgreat and even peculiar excellence in any domestic manufacture whichbecame the habit of any given locality. 

_The subject of our domestic industries is one which should fallnaturally within the objects of women's clubs. _ If every woman's clubin the country chose from its members those who by artistic instinctor education, and the possession of practical ability, were fitted tolead in the work, and made of them a committee on home industries, thereports from it would soon become a matter of absorbing interest tothe club, and the productions made under the protection, so to speak, of the club, would have an advantage that any commercial businesswould consider invaluable. Neither would the advantage be limited bythe interest of a single club. That great social engine, "TheFederation of Women's Clubs, " can wield an almost magical power in thecreation of interests or encouragement of effort, and the federationof organizations, each one exchanging experiences as well as products, would be an ideal means of growth and extension. 

The machinery for the work exists in almost every county of everyState of the Union, and with the threefold interest of the promotionof practical art, that of increased manufacture, and the extension ofthat sisterhood which is one of the most Christian-like and desirableaims of women's clubs, it would seem a natural and congenial effort. 

The best results of this general awakening will probably be in theSouth. Certainly no conditions could be more favourable than thoseexisting in the Cumberland Mountains, where wool and cotton grown uponthe rough farms are habitually spun and woven and dyed in the homecabin. The dyes are often made from walnut bark, pokeberry, andcertain nuts and roots which have been found capable of "fast" stainand are easily procured. Unfortunately, the facility with whichaniline dyes can be used is not unknown. The "linsey woolsey, " whichis not only a common manufacture in the farmhouses, but the commonwear of both men and women, is an interesting and good manufacture, capable of much wider use than it enjoys at present. 

And linsey woolsey is not the only home weaving done in the CumberlandMountains. The showing of cotton homespun towel weaving at theAtlanta Exposition was a feature of the Exposition, and the homespunblankets of the various kinds which one finds in common use are only astep removed from the process of the admirable Navajo blanket. 

We see from these different possibilities and indications, thatalthough we are still a people without true home productions, there isevery reason to believe that this condition will not be a lasting one, and that before many years we shall find the special advantages andgeneral cultivation of the country have not only produced but givencharacter to a large domestic manufacture. 

CHAPTER I. 

RUG WEAVING. 

Rag carpets have been made and used in farmhouses for manygenerations, but it is only of late that there has been a generaldemand in all country houses for home-made piazza rugs, bedroom rugs, and rugs for general use. 

It has been found that the best and most durable rugs for thesepurposes, and for bath-rooms for town and city houses, can be made ofcotton or woolen rags sewed and woven in the regular old-fashionedrag-carpet way, the difference being--and it is rather a largedifference--that the rags must be new instead of old, and that thecolors must be good and carefully chosen instead of being usedindiscriminately, and in addition to this it must be woven in two-yardlengths, with a border and fringe at either end. This being done, good, attractive and salable rugs can be made of almost any color, andsuitable for many purposes. It is an industry perfectly adapted tofarmhouse conditions, and if well followed out would make a regularincome for the women of the family. 

The cumbrous old wooden loom is still doing a certain amount of workin nearly every country neighbourhood, and it is capable of a greatlyenlarged and much more profitable practice. I find very little if anydifference in the rugs woven upon these and the modern steel loom. Itis true that the work is lighter and weaving goes faster upon thelatter, and where a person or family makes an occupation of weaving itis probably better to have the latest improvements; but it is possibleto begin and to make a success of rag rug weaving upon anold-fashioned loom, and as a rule old-fashioned weavers have little tolearn in new methods. 

This small book is intended as a help in adapting their work to moderndemands, as well as to open a new field to the farmer's family duringthe winter months, when their time is not necessarily occupied withgrowing and securing crops. 

 [Illustration: WEAVING]

It does not undertake to teach any one who buys or has inherited aloom to begin weaving without any further preparation. The warping orthreading of it must be _seen_ to be understood, but when that is oncelearned, all of the rest is a matter of practice and experiment, andis really no more difficult than any other domestic art. One would notexpect to spin without being shown how to pull the wool and turn thewheel at the same time, or even to sew or knit without some sort ofinstruction, and the same is true of weaving. 

There are many old looms still to be found in the garrets offarmhouses, and where one has been inherited it is best to beginlearning to weave upon it instead of substituting a new one, since thesame knowledge answers for both. Probably some older member of thefamily, or at least some old neighbour, will be able to teach the newbeginner how to set up the loom and to proceed from that to actualweaving. After this is learned it rests with one's self to become agood weaver, a practical dyer, and to put colors together which areboth harmonious and effective. 

What I have chiefly tried to show is how to get proper materials andhow to use them to the best advantage. I think it is safe to say thatno domestic art is capable of such important results from a pecuniarypoint of view, or so important an extension in the direction ofpractical art. Where it is used as an art-process and an interestingoccupation, by women of leisure, it is capable of the finest results, and there is no reason why these results should not become a matter ofbusiness profit. 

Rag carpets have generally been woven of rags cut from any oldgarments cast aside by the household--coats and trousers too old forpatching, sheets and pillow-cases too tender to use, calico, serge, bits of woolen stuffs old and new, went into the carpet basket, to becut or torn into strips, sewed indiscriminately together, and rolledinto balls until there should be enough of them for the work of theloom. When this time came the loom would be warped with white cottonor purple yarn, dyed with "sugar paper" or logwood, and the carpetwoven. Even with this entire carelessness as to any other result thanthat of a useful floor covering, the rag carpet, with its "hit ormiss" mixture, was not a bad thing; and a very small degree ofattention has served to give it a respectable place in domesticmanufactures. But it is capable of being carried much farther; infact, I know of no process which can so easily be made to producereally good and beautiful results as rag carpet weaving. 

The first material needed is what are called carpet warps, and thesecan be purchased in different weights and sizes and more or lessreliable colours in every country store, this fact alone showing theprevalence of home weaving, since the yarns are not--at least to myknowledge--used for any other purpose. 

The cost of warp, dyed or undyed, depends upon the quantity required, or, in other words, upon its being purchased at wholesale or retail. At retail it costs twenty cents per pound, and at wholesale sixteen. To buy of a wholesale dealer one must be able to order at least ahundred pounds, and as this would weave but a hundred and fifty rugsit would not be too large a quantity to have on hand for even amoderate amount of weaving. These prices refer only to ordinary cottonwarps, and not to fine "silk finish, " to linen, or even to silk ones, each of which has its special use and price. 

In all of them fast colour is a most desirable quality, and, indeed, for truly good work a necessity. I have found but two of the colourswhich are upon ordinary sale to be reasonably fast, and those are avery deep red and the ordinary orange. The latter will run when dippedin water; in fact, it will give out dye to such good purpose that Ihave sometimes used the water in which it has been steeped to dyecotton rags, as it gives a very good and quite fast lemon yellow. 

It follows, then, that in weaving rugs (which must be washable) withorange warp, the warp must be steeped in warm water before using. Itcan be used in that state, or it can be _set_ with alum, or it can bedipped in a thin indigo dye and made into a good and fast green. 

The only recourse of the domestic weaver who wishes to establish herrugs as of the very best make is to dye her own warps; and this is notonly an easy but a most interesting process; so much so, in fact, thatI am tempted to enlarge upon it as a practical study for the youngpeople of the family. It is necessary at the very beginning to putmuch stress upon the value of fast colour in the warping yarn, since afaded warp will entirely neutralize the colour of the rags, and spoilthe beauty of the most successful rug. 

The most necessary and widely applicable colour needed in warps, or, indeed, in rags, is a perfectly fast blue in different depths, andthis can only be secured by indigo. Aniline blue in cotton is neversun-fast and rarely will stand washing, but a good indigo blue willneither run or fade, and is therefore precisely what is needed fordomestic manufacture. Fortunately, the dye-tub has been, in the pastat least, a close companion of the loom, and most old-fashionedfarmers' wives know how to use it. With this one can command reliableblue warps of all shades; and when we come to directions for makingwashable rugs its importance will be seen. 

As I have said, by dipping orange warp in medium indigo blue a fastand vivid green can be secured, and these two tints, together withorange and red, give as many colours as one needs for rug weaving;they give, in fact, a choice of five colours--orange, red, blue, green and white. Orange and red are both colours which can be reliedupon when prepared from the ordinary "Magic" dyes of commerce. Turkeyred especially is safe to last, even when applied to cotton. In thegeneral disapproval of mineral dyes, this one may certainly beexcepted, as well as the crimson red known as "cardinal, " which isboth durable and beautiful, in silk or woolen fibre or texture. 

After good warps are secured, the second material needed is _filling_;and here the subject of old and new rags is to be considered. Ofcourse, cloth which has served other purposes, as in sheets, pillow-cases, curtains, dress skirts, etc. , is still capable ofprolonged wear when the thin parts are removed and those which arefairly strong are folded and bunched into carpet filling; and forfamily use, or limited sale, such rags--dyed in some colour--arereally desirable. Good varieties of washable rugs can be made ofhalf-worn cotton without dyeing (although they will not be as durableas if made from unworn muslin) by using blue warps to white fillings. The colour effects and methods of weaving will be the same whetherold or new rags are used; but in making a study of rag rug weavingfrom the point of view of building up an important industry, it isnecessary to consider only the use of new rags and how to procure thebest of them at the cheapest rates. 

There is a certain amount of what is called waste in all cloth mills, either cotton, wool or silk, and also in the manufacture of every kindof clothing. The waste from cotton mills, consisting for the most partof "piece ends, " imperfect beginnings or endings, which must be tornoff when the piece is made up, are exactly suitable for carpetweaving; and, in fact, if made for the purpose could hardly be better. These can be bought for from ten to twelve cents per pound. The sameprice holds for ginghams and for coloured cottons of various sorts. 

Cutting from shirt-making and clothing establishments are not as good. In shirt cuttings the cloth varies a good deal in thickness, and, inaddition to this disadvantage, cannot be torn into strips, many of thepieces being bias, and therefore having to be cut. It is true thatwhile this entails additional use of time in preparation, bias ragsare a more elastic filling than straight ones, and if uniformly andcarefully cut and sewed a rug made from them is worth more and willprobably sell for more than one made of straight rags. 

Shirt cuttings sell for about three cents per pound, and while aproportion of them are too small for use and would have to be re-soldfor paper rags, the cost of material for cotton rugs would still bevery trifling. Suitable woolen rags from the mills sell fortwenty-five cents per pound. Tailors' and dressmakers' cuttings aremuch cheaper, and very advantageous arrangements can be made withlarge establishments if one is prepared to take all they have tooffer. 

One difficulty with woolen rags from tailoring establishments is inthe sombreness of the colours; but much can be done by judicioussorting and sewing of the rags, for it is astonishing how bits ofevery conceivable colour will melt together when brought into a mixedmass; also if they are woven upon a red warp the effect is brightened. 

Having secured materials of different kinds, the next step is in thecutting and sewing, and here also new methods must step in. 

The old-fashioned way of sewing carpet rags--that is, simply _tacking_them together with a large needle and coarse thread--will not answerat all in this new development of rug making. The filling must besmooth, without lumps or rag ends, and the joinings absolutely fastand fairly inconspicuous. Some of the new rags from cotton or woolenmills come in pieces from a quarter to a half-yard in length and theusual width of the cloth. These can be sewed together on the sewingmachine, lapping and basting them before sewing. They should lap froma quarter to a half inch and have two sewings, one at either edge ofthe lap. If sewed in this way they can afterward be torn into strips, using the scissors to cut across seams. It can be performed veryspeedily when one is accustomed to it, and is absolutely secure, sothat no rag ends can ever be seen in the finished weaving. 

If the cloth pieces which are to be used for rags are not wide enoughto sew on the sewing machine, they should be lapped and sewed by handin the same way, unless they happen to have selvedge ends, in whichcase they should by all means be strongly overhanded. This makes thebest possible joining, as it is no thicker than the rest of the ragfilling, and consequently gives an even surface. Good sewing is thefirst step toward making good and workmanlike rugs. 

Whenever the rags can be torn instead of cut, it is preferable, as itsecures uniform width. The width, of course, must vary according tothe quality of cloth and weight desired in the rug. A certain weightis necessary to make it lie smoothly, as a light rug will not stay inplace on the floor. In ordinary cotton cloth an inch wide strip is nottoo heavy and will pinch into the required space. If, however, adoor-hanging or lounge-cover is being woven, the rags may be made halfthat width. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE PATTERN. 

When proper warp and filling are secured, experimental weaving maybegin. If the loom is an old-fashioned wooden one, it will weave onlyin yard widths, and this yard width takes four hundred and fiftythreads of warp. Warping the loom is really the only difficult ortroublesome part of plain weaving, and therefore it is best to put inas long a warp as one is likely to use in one colour. One and a halfpounds of cotton rags will make one yard of weaving. 

The simplest trial will be the weaving of white filling, either old ornew, with a warp of medium indigo blue. Of course each warp must belong enough to weave several rugs; and the first one, to make theexperiment as simple as possible, should be of white rags alone upon ablue warp. There must be an allowance of five inches of warp forfringe before the weaving is begun, and ten inches at the end of therug to make a fringe for both first and second rugs. Sometimes thewarp is set in groups of three, with a corresponding interval between, and this--if the tension is firm and the rags soft--gives a sort ofhoneycomb effect which is very good. 

The grouping of the warp is especially desirable in one-coloured rugs, as it gives a variation of surface which is really attractive. 

When woven, the rug should measure three feet by six, without thefringe. This is to be knotted, allowing six threads to a knot. Thiskind of bath-rug--which is the simplest thing possible inweaving--will be found to be truly valuable, both for use and effect. If the filling is sufficiently heavy, and especially if it is made ofhalf-worn rags, it will be soft to the feet, and can be as easilywashed as a white counterpane; in fact, it can be thrown on the grassin a heavy shower and allowed to wash and bleach itself. 

Several variations can be made upon this blue warp in the way ofborders and color-splashes by using any indigo-dyed material mixedwith the white rags. Cheap blue ginghams, "domestics" or half-worn andsomewhat faded blue denims will be of the right depth of color, but asa rule new denim is of too dark a blue to introduce with pure whitefilling. 

The illustration called "The Onteora Rug" is made by using aproportion of a half-pound of blue rags to the two and a half of whiterequired to make up the three pounds of cotton filling required in asix-foot rug. This half-pound of blue should be distributed throughthe rug in three portions, and the two and a half pounds of white alsointo three, so as to insure an equal share of blue to every third ofthe rug. After this division is made it is quite immaterial how itgoes together. The blue rags may be long, short or medium, and theeffect is almost certain to be equally good. 

The side border in "The Lois Rug, " which is made upon the same bluewarp, is separately woven, and afterward added to the plain white rugwith blue ends, but an irregular side border can easily be made bysewing the rags in lengths of a half-yard, alternating the blue andwhite, and keeping the white rags in the centre of the rug whileweaving. 

These three or four variations of style in what we may call washablerugs are almost equally good where red warp is used, substitutingTurkey red rags with the white filling instead of blue. An orange warpcan be used for an orange and white rug, mixing the white filling withordinary orange cotton cloth. 

The effect may be reversed by using a white warp with a red, blue oryellow filling, making the borders and splashes with white. One of thebest experiments in plain weaving I have seen is a red rug of the"Lois" style, using white warp and mixed white and green gingham ragsfor the borders, while the body of the rug is in shaded red rags. 

This, however, brings us to the question of color in fillings, whichmust be treated separately. 

 [Illustration: THE ONTEORA RUG]

Of course, variations of all kinds can be made in washable rugs. Lightand dark blue rags can be used in large proportion with white ones tomake a "hit or miss, " and where a darker rug is considered better forhousehold use it can be made entirely of dark and light blue on awhite warp; the same thing can be done in reds, yellows and greens. Brown can be used with good effect mixed with orange, using orangewarp; or orange, green and brown will make a good combination on awhite warp. In almost every variety of rug except where blue warp isused a red stripe in the border will be found an improvement. 

A very close, evenly distributed red warp, with white filling, willmake a pink rug good enough and pretty enough for the daintiestbedroom. If it is begun and finished with a half-inch of the same warpused as filling, it makes a sort of border; and this, with the redfringe, completes what every one will acknowledge is an exceptionallygood piece of floor furnishing. 

In using woolen rags, which are apt to be much darker in colour thancotton, a white, red or yellow warp is more apt to be effective thaneither a green or a blue; in fact, it is quite safe to say that lightfilling should go with dark warp and dark filling with light or white. 

There is an extremely good style of rag rug made at Isle Lamotte, inVermont, where very dark blue or green woolen rags are woven upon awhite warp, with a design of arrows in white at regular intervals atthe sides. This design is made by turning back the filling at a givenpoint and introducing a piece of white filling, which in turn isturned back when the length needed for the design is woven and anotherdark one introduced, each one to be turned back at the necessary placeand taken up in the next row. Of course, while the design is inprogress one must use several pieces of filling in each row ofweaving. 

The black border can only be made by introducing a large number ofshort pieces of the contrasting colour which is to be used in thedesign and tacking them in place as the weaving proceeds. Of course, in this case thin cloth should be used for the colour-blocks, asotherwise the doubling of texture would make an uneven surface. If therug is a woolen one, not liable to be washed, this variation of colorin pattern can be cleverly made by brushing the applied color pieceslightly with _glue_. Of course, in this case the design will show onlyon the upper side of the rug. In fact, the only way to make thedesign show equally on both sides is by turning back the warp, as inthe arrow design, or by actually cutting out and sewing in pieces ofcolour. 

By following out the device of using glue for fastening the bits ofcolour which make border designs many new and very interesting effectscan be obtained, as most block and angle forms can be produced bylines made in weaving. It is only where the rug must be constantlysubject to washing that they are not desirable. It must be rememberedthat the warp threads bind them into place, after they areglue-fastened. 

Large rugs for centres of rooms can be made of woolen rags by weavinga separate narrow border for the two sides. If the first piece isthree feet wide by eight in length, and a foot-wide border is added atthe sides, it will make a rug five feet wide by eight feet long; or iftwo eight-foot lengths are sewn together, with a foot-wide border, itwill make an eight-by-eight centre rug. The border should be of blackor very dark coloured filling. In making a bordered rug, two dark endsmust be woven on the central length of the rug--that is, one foot ofblack or dark rags can be woven on each end and six feet of the "hitor miss" effect in the middle. This gives a strip of eight feet long, including two dark ends. The separate narrow width, one foot wide andsixteen feet in length, must be added to this, eight feet on eitherside. The border must be very strongly sewn in order to give the samestrength as in the rest of the rug. 

The same plan can be carried out in larger rugs, by sewing breadthstogether and adding a border, but they are not easily lifted, and areapt to pull apart by their own weight. Still, the fact remains thatvery excellent and handsome rugs can be made from rags, in any sizerequired to cover the floor of a room, by sewing the breadths andadding borders, and if care and taste are used in the combinations asgood an effect can be secured as in a much more costly flooring. 

The ultimate success of all these different methods of weaving ragrugs depends upon the amount of beauty that can be put into them. Theypossess all the necessary qualities of durability, usefulness andinexpensiveness, but if they cannot be made beautiful other estimablequalities will not secure the wide popularity they deserve. Durableand beautiful colour will always make them salable, and good colour iseasily attainable if the value of it is understood. 

There are two ways of compassing this necessity. One is to buy, ifpossible, in piece ends and mill waste, such materials as Turkey red, blue and green ginghams, and blue domestics and denims, as well as allthe dark colours which come in tailors' cuttings. The other and betteralternative is to buy the waste of white cotton mills and dye it. Forthe best class of rugs--those which include beauty as well asusefulness, and which will consequently bring a much larger price ifsold--it is quite worth while to buy cheap muslins and calicoes; andas quality--that is, coarseness or fineness--is perfectly immaterial, it is possible to buy them at from four to five cents per yard. Thesegoods can be torn lengthwise, which saves nearly the whole labor ofsewing them, and from eight to ten yards, according to their fineness, will make a yard of weaving. The best textile for this is undoubtedlyunbleached muslin, even approaching the quality called "cheesecloth. "This can easily be dyed if one wishes dark instead of light colours, and it makes a light, strong, elastic rug which is very satisfactory. 

In rag carpet weaving in homesteads and farmhouses--and it is so trulya domestic art that it is to be hoped this kind of weaving will beconfined principally to them--some one of the household should beskilled in simple dyeing. This is very important, as better andcheaper rugs can be made if the weaver can get what she wants incolour by having it dyed in the house, rather than by the chance offinding it among the rags she buys. 

CHAPTER III. 

DYEING. 

In the early years of the past century a dye-tub was as much anecessity in every house as a spinning wheel, and the re-establishmentof it in houses where weaving is practised is almost a necessity; infact, it would be of far greater use at present than in the days whenit was only used to dye the wool needed for the family knitting andweaving. All shades of blue, from sky-blue to blue-black, can be dyedin the indigo-tub; and it has the merit of being a cheap as well as analmost perfectly fast dye. It could be used for dyeing warps as wellas fillings, and I have before spoken of the difficulty, indeed almostimpossibility, of procuring indigo-dyed carpet yarn. 

Blue is perhaps more universally useful than any other colour in ragrug making, since it is safe for both cotton and wool, and covers arange from the white rug with blue warp, the blue rug with whitewarp, through all varieties of shade to the dark blue, or cloudedblue, or green rug, upon white warp. It can also be used in connectionwith yellow or orange, or with copperas or walnut dye, in differentshades of green; and, in short, unless one has exceptional advantagesin buying rags from woolen mills, I can hardly imagine a profitableindustry of rag-weaving established in any farmhouse without theexistence of an indigo dyeing-tub. 

RED. 

The next important color is red. Red warps can be bought, but thelighter shades are not even reasonably fast; and indeed, the only sureway of securing absolutely fast colour in cotton warp is to dye it. Prepared dyes are somewhat expensive on account of the quantityrequired, but there are two colours, Turkey red and cardinal red, which are extremely good for the purpose. These can be brought atwholesale from dealers in chemicals and dye-stuffs at much cheaperrates than by the small paper from the druggist. 

COPPERAS. 

The ordinary copperas, which can be bought at any country store, givesa fast nankeen-coloured dye, and this is very useful in making a dullgreen by an after-dip in the indigo-tub. 

WALNUT. 

There are some valuable domestic dyes which are within the reach ofevery country dweller, the best and cheapest of which is walnut orbutternut stain. This is made by steeping the bark of the tree or theshell of the nut until the water is dark with colour. It will givevarious shades of yellow, brown, dark brown and green brown, accordingto the strength of the decoction or the state of the bark or nut whenused. If the bark of the nut is used when green, the result will be ayellow brown; and this stain is also valuable in making a green tintwhen an after-dip of blue is added. Leaves and tree-bark will give abrown with a very green tint, and these different shades used indifferent rags woven together give a very agreeably clouded effect. Walnut stain will itself set or fasten some others; for instance, pokeberry stain, which is a lovely crimson, can be made reasonablyfast by setting it with walnut juice. 

RUST-COLOUR. 

Iron rust is the most indelible of all stains besides being a mostagreeable yellow, and it is not hard to obtain, as bits of old ironleft standing in water will soon manufacture it. It would be a gooduse for old tin saucepans and various other house utensils which havecome to a state of mischievousness instead of usefulness. 

GRAY. 

Ink gives various shades of gray according to its strength, but itwould be cheaper to purchase it in the form of logwood than as ink. 

LOGWOOD CHIPS. 

Logwood chips boiled in water give a good yellow brown--deep inproportion to the strength of the decoction. 

YELLOW FROM FUSTIC. 

Yellow from fustic requires to be set with alum, and this is moreeffectively done if the material to be dyed is soaked in alum waterand dried previous to dyeing. Seven ounces of alum to two quarts ofwater is the proper proportion. The fustic chips should be wellsoaked, and afterward boiled for a half-hour to extract the dye, whichwill be a strong and fast yellow. 

ORANGE. 

Orange is generally the product of annato, which must be dissolvedwith water to which a lump of washing soda has been added. Thematerial must be soaked in a solution of tin crystals before dipping, if a pure orange is desired, as without this the color will be a pinkbuff--or "nankeen" color. 

What I have written on the subject of home dyeing is intended more inthe way of suggestion than direction, as it is simply giving someresults of my own experiments, based upon early familiarity withnatural growths rather than scientific knowledge. I have found theexperiments most interesting, and more than fairly successful, and Ican imagine nothing more fascinating than a persistent search fornatural and permanent dyes. 

The Irish homespun friezes, which are so dependable in colour forout-of-door wear, are invariably dyed with natural stains, procuredfrom heather roots, mosses, and bog plants of like nature. It must beremembered that any permanent or indelible stain is a dye, and if boysand girls who live in the country were set to look for plantspossessing the colour-quality, many new ones might be discovered. I amtold by a Kentucky mountain woman, used to the production of reliablecolour in her excellent weaving, that the ordinary roadside smartweedgives one of the best of yellows. Indeed, she showed me a blanket witha yellow border which had been in use for twenty years, and still helda beautiful lemon yellow. In preparing this, the plant is steeped inwater, and the tint set with alum. Combining this with indigo, or byan after-dip in indigo-water, one could procure various shades of fastblue-green, a colour which is hard to get, because most yellows, whichshould be one of its preparatory tints, are buff instead of lemonyellow. 

An unlimited supply and large variety of cheap and reliable colour inrag filling, and a few strong and brilliant colours in warps, areconditions for success in rag rug weaving, but these colours must bestudiously and carefully combined to produce the best results. 

I have said that, as a rule, light warps must go with dark filling anddark warps with light, and I will add a few general rules which I havefound advantageous in my weaving. 

In the first place, in rugs which are largely of one colour, as blue, or green, or red, or yellow, no effort should be made to secure _even_dyeing; in fact, the more uneven the colour is the better will be therug. Dark and light and spotted colour work into a shaded effect whichis very attractive. The most successful of the simple rugs I possessis of a cardinal red woven upon a white warp. It was chiefly made ofwhite rags treated with cardinal red Diamond dye, and was purposelymade as uneven as possible. The border consists of two four-inchstrips of "hit or miss" green, white and red mixed rags, placed fourinches from either end, with an inch stripe of red between, and thewhole finished with a white knotted fringe. 

A safe and general rule is that the border stripes should be of thesame colour as the warp--as, for instance, with a red warp a redstriped border--while the centre and ends of the rug might be mixedrags of all descriptions. 

It is also safe to say that in using pure white or pure black in mixedrags, these two colours, and particularly the white, should appear inshort pieces, as otherwise they give a striped instead of a mottledeffect, and this is objectionable. White is valuable for strongeffects or lines in design; indeed, it is hard to make designprominent or effective except in white or red. 

 [Illustration: THE LOIS RUG]

These few general rules as to colour, together with the particularones given in other chapters, produce agreeable combinations in verysimple and easy fashion. I have not, perhaps, laid as much stress uponwarp grouping and treatment as is desirable, since quite distincteffects are produced by these things. Throwing the warp into groups ofthree or four threads, leaving small spaces between, produces a sortof basket-work style; while simply doubling the warp and holding itwith firm tension gives the honeycomb effect of which I havepreviously spoken. If the filling is wide and soft, and well pushedback between each throw of the shuttle, it will bunch up between thewarp threads like a string of beads, and in a dark warp and lightfilling a rim of coloured shadow seems to show around each littleprominence. Such rugs are more elastic to the tread than aneven-threaded one, and on the whole may be considered a very desirablevariation. 

It is well for the weaver to remember that every successful experimentputs the manufacture on a higher plane of development and makes itmore valuable as a family industry. 

CHAPTER IV. 

INGRAIN CARPET RUGS. 

Undoubtedly the most useful--and from a utilitarian point of view themost perfect--rag rug is made from worn ingrain carpet, especially ifit is of the honest all-wool kind, and not the modern mixture ofcotton and wool. There are places in the textile world where a mixtureof cotton and wool is highly advantageous, but in ingrain carpeting, where the sympathetic fibre of the wool holds fast to its adoptedcolour, and the less tenacious cotton allows it to drift easily away, the result is a rusty grayness of colour which shames the wholefabric. This grayness of aspect cannot be overcome in the carpetexcept by re-dyeing, and even then the improvement may be transitory, so an experienced maker of rugs lets the half-cotton ingrain drift toits end without hope of resurrection. 

The cutting of old ingrain into strips for weaving is not so serious atask as it would seem. Where there is an out-of-doors to work in, thebreadths can easily be torn apart without inconvenience from dust. After this they should be placed, one at a time, in an old-fashioned"pounding-barrel" and invited to part with every particle of dustwhich they have accumulated from the foot of man. 

For those who do not know the virtues and functions of the"pounding-barrel, " I must explain that it is an ordinary, tight, hard-wood barrel; the virtue lying in the pounder, which may be abroom-handle, or, what is still better, the smooth old oak or ashhandle of a discarded rake or hoe. At the end of it is a firmly fixedblock of wood, which can be brought down with vigour upon rough andsoiled textiles. It is an effective separator of dust and fibre, andis, in fact, a New England improvement upon the stone-pounding processwhich one sees along the shores of streams and lakes in nearly allcountries but England and America. 

If the pounding-barrel is lacking, the next best thing is--after avigorous shaking--to leave the breadths spread upon the grass, subjectto the visitations of wind and rain. After a few days of suchexposure they will be quite ready to handle without offense. Thencomes the process of cutting. The selvages must be sheared as narrowlyas possible, since every inch of the carpet is valuable. When theselvages are removed, the breadths are to be cut into long strips ofnearly an inch in width and rolled into balls for the loom. If thepieces are four or five yards in length, only two or three need to besewn together until the weaving is actually begun, as the balls wouldotherwise become too heavy to handle. As the work proceeds, however, the joinings must be well lapped and strongly sewn, the rising of oneof the ends in the woven piece being a very apparent blemish. 

Rugs made of carpeting require a much stronger warp than do ordinarycotton or woolen rugs, and therefore a twine made of flax or hemp, ifit be of fast colour, will be found very serviceable. Some weaversfringe the rags by pulling out side threads, and this gives an effectof _nap_ to the woven rug which is very effective, for as the rag isdoubled in weaving the raveled ends of threads stand up on thesurface, making quite a furry appearance. I have a rug treated inthis way made from old green carpeting, woven with a red warp, whichpresents so rich an appearance that it might easily be mistaken for afar more costly one. It has, however, the weak point of having beenwoven with the ordinary light-red warp of commerce, and is thereforesure to lose colour. If the warp had been re-dyed by the weaver, with"Turkey red, " it would probably have held colour as long as it heldtogether. 

This cutting of ingrain rags would seem to be a serious task, butwhere weaving is a business instead of an amusement it is quite worthwhile to buy a "cutting table" upon which the carpet is stretched andcut with a knife. This table, with its machinery, can be boughtwherever looms and loom supplies are kept, at a cost of from seven toeight dollars. If the strips are raveled at all, it should be at leastfor a third of an inch, as otherwise the rug would possess simply arough and not a napped surface. If the strips are cut an inch in widthand raveled rather more than a third on each side, it still leavesenough cloth to hold firmly in the weaving, but I have known oneindustrious soul who raveled the strips until only a narrow third wasleft down the middle of the strip, and this she found it necessary tostitch with the sewing machine to prevent further raveling. I havealso known of the experiment of cutting the strips on the bias, stitching along the centre and pulling the two edges until they werecompletely ruffled. Although this is a painstaking process, it hasvery tangible merits, as, in the first place, absolutely nothing ofthe carpet is wasted--no threads are pulled out and thrown away as inthe other method--and in the next the sewings together are overhandinstead of lapped. The raveled waste can often be used as filling forthe ends of rugs if it is wound as it is pulled from the carpet rags. Indeed, one can hardly afford to waste such good material. 

It will be seen that there are great possibilities in the carpet rug. Even the unravelled ones are desirable floor covering on account oftheir weight and firmness. They lie where they are placed, with noturned-up ends, and this is a great virtue in rugs. 

Of course much of the beauty of the ingrain carpet rug depends uponthe original colour of the carpet. Most of those which are withoutdesign will work well into rugs if a strongly contrasting colour isused in the warp. If, for instance, the carpet colour is plain blue, the warp should be white; if yellow, either an orange warp, which willmake a very bright rug, or a green warp, which will give a softyellowish green, or a blue, which will give a general effect of greenchanging to yellow. 

If the carpet should be a figured one, a red warp will be found moreeffective than any other in bringing all the colours together. If itshould happen to be faded or colourless, the breadths can be dipped ina tub of strong dye of some colour which will act well upon theprevious tint. If, for instance, it should be a faded blue, it may bedipped in an indigo dye for renewal of colour, or into yellow, whichwill change it into green. A poor yellow will take a brilliant reddye, and a faded brown or fawn will be changed into a good claretcolour by treating it with red dye. Faded brown or fawn colours willtake a good dark green, as will also a weak blue. Blue can also betreated with yellow or a fresher blue. 

Of course, in speaking of this kind of dyeing, the renewal of oldtints, it is with reference to the common prepared dyes which are forsale--with directions--by every druggist, and with a little knowledgeof how these colours act upon each other one can produce very goodeffects. It is quite a different thing from the dyeing of fibre whichis to be woven into cloth. In the latter case it is far wiser to usevegetable dyes, but in the freshening of old material the preparedmineral dyes are more convenient and sufficiently effective. 

CHAPTER V. 

WOVEN RAG PORTIERES. 

Rag weaving is not necessarily confined to rugs, for very beautifulportieres and table and lounge covers may be woven from carefullychosen and prepared rags. The process is practically the same, thedifference being like that between coarse and fine needlework, wherefiner material and closer and more painstaking handiwork is bestowed. The result is like a homespun cloth. Both warp and woof must be finerthan in ordinary carpet weaving. Instead of coarse cotton yarn, warpmust be fine "mercerized" cotton, or of linen or silk thread, and thewarp threads are set much closer in the loom. In place of ten ortwelve threads to the inch, there should be from fifteen to twenty. The woof or filling may be old or new, and either of fine cotton, merino, serge, or other wool material, or of silk. The ordinary"silk-rag portiere" is not a very attractive hanging, being somewhatakin to the crazy quilt, and made, as is that bewildering production, from a collection of ribbons and silk pieces of all colours andqualities, cut and sewed together in a haphazard way, without anyarrangement of colour or thought of effect, and sent to the weaverwith a vague idea of getting something of worth from valuelessmaterial. This is quite a different thing from a silk portiere madefrom some beautiful old silk garment, which is too much worn forfurther use, where warp and woof colour are selected for fitness andharmony, and the weaver uses her rags, as the painter does hiscolours, with a purpose of artistic effect. If the work is done fromthat point of view, the last state of the once beautiful old garmentmay truly be said to be better than the first. If a light cloth isused for this kind of manufacture, it may be torn into strips sonarrow as to simulate yarn--and make what appears to be yarn weaving. This cannot well be done with old or worn cloth, because there is notstrength in the very narrow strip to bear the strain of tearing; butnew muslin, almost as light as that which is known as "cheesecloth, "treated in this way makes a beautiful canvas-like weaving which, ifwell coloured, is very attractive for portieres or table covers. 

If one has breadths of silk of a quality which can be torn withoutraveling, and is sufficiently strong to bear the process, it isdelightful material to work with. If it is of ordinary thickness, ahalf-inch in width is quite wide enough, and this will roll or doubleinto the size of ordinary yarn. If the silk is not strong enough totear, it is better to cut the strips upon the bias than straight, andthe same is true of fine woolens, like merinos, cashmeres, or anyworsted goods. There is much more elasticity in them when cut in thisway, and they are more readily crushed together by the warp. 

I know a beautiful hanging of crimson silk, or rather of crimson andgarnet--the crimson having been originally a light silk dress dyed toshade into the garnet. The two coloured rags were sewn together "hitor miss" fashion and woven upon a bright cardinal-coloured warp. Therewas no attempt at border: it was simply a length of vari-colouredcoarse silk weaving, absolutely precious for colour and quality. 

Treated in this way, an old silk gown takes on quite a new value andbecomes invested with absorbing interest. Spots and tarnish disappearin the metempsychosis, or serve for scattered variation, and if theweaver chooses to still further embellish it with a monogram or designin cross stitch embroidery, she has acquired a piece of drapery whichmight be a valuable inheritance to her children. 

Merino or cashmere which has been worn and washed, and is coupled withother material of harmonizing colour, like pieces of silk or velvet, is almost as valuable for the making of portieres and table covers asif it were silk. Indeed, for the latter purpose it is preferable, being generally washable. 

Cotton hangings made in this way are often very desirable. "Summermuslins" which have served their time as dresses, and are of beautifulcolour and quite strong enough to go into the loom, can be woven witha warp of gray linen thread into really beautiful hangings, especiallythe strong, plain tints--the blues and greens and reds which havebeen so much worn of late years. They have the advantage of beingeasily washable, and are particularly suitable for country-househangings. Even worn sheets and pillow-cases can be dyed to suit thefurnishing of different rooms, and woven with a silk warp of strongercolour. They should be torn into strips not more than a third of aninch wide, so that it may crush into a roll not larger than anordinary yarn. This will weave into a light, strong cloth, alwaysinteresting because it differs from anything which can be purchasedthrough ordinary channels. To reappear in the shape of a beautiful andvaluable rag-weaving is the final resurrection of good textiles, whenthey have performed their duty in the world and been worn out in itsservice. 

These home-woven portieres are better without borders, the wholesurface being plain or simply clouded by mixing two tints of the samecolour together. They can be elaborated by adding a hand-made fringeof folds of cloth sewn into a lattice and finished with tassels. Thisis quite a decorative feature, and particularly suitable to theweaving. 

It can easily be understood that a large share of the beauty of makingthese household furnishings lies in the colour. If that is good therug or portiere or table-cover is beautiful. If it is either dull orglaring, the pleasure one might have in it is lacking, and it is quitewithin one's power to have the article always beautiful. 

It must also be remembered, if weaving is taken up as a source ofprofit, that _few things which do not please the eye will sell_. Therefore, if for no other reason, it is well worth while for theweaver to first study the choice, production and combination ofbeautiful colours rather than the fabric of the rug. 

I have said, and will reiterate, that for this particular kind ofmanufacture--the restoration and adaptation of old goods, and thestrengthening of tints in carpet warps--the yellows and reds of theMagic or Diamond dyes of commerce are effective and reliable. Indeed, for new goods cardinal dye is all that could be asked, but when itcomes to the use of dyes for the weaving of textiles and artisticfabrics, one must resort to dye woods and plants. 

 [Illustration: KNOTTED WARP FRINGE FOR WOVEN TABLE-COVER]

 [Illustration: SEWED RAG FRINGE FOR WOVEN PORTIERE]

FRINGES. 

Nothing is more important than the proper _finish_ of the rug, andthis generally consists in a careful going over of the work after ithas come from the loom--the cutting of stray ravelings and sewing ofloose ends, and the knotting of the long warp ends. 

It is only a very careless or inexperienced weaver who leaves the warpends in the state in which they come from the loom; and indeed theycan be made one of the most effective features of the rug. Simpleknotting of every six threads will make them safe from raveling, andsometimes the shortness of the warp ends allows no more than this. Itis well worth while, however, to leave six or eight inches to workinto decorative fringes, and these can be made in various ways, ofwhich illustrations are given. 

In the case of decorative fringes there can be double or tripleknotting--straight, or worked into points; braided fringes which havethe merit of both strength and beauty, and are free from thetangle-trouble of long fringes, and the very effective rag-latticefinish for portieres and table-covers. Indeed, half the beauty of therug may lie in the fringing and finish. 

PROFITS. 

The pecuniary gain from rag rug weaving may easily be calculated. First of all comes the cost of the loom, which will be about seventydollars. The interest upon this, with necessary repairs, may bereckoned at about five dollars per year. 

To every six-foot rug goes two-thirds of a pound of warp, and thiswould amount to from ten-and-a-half to fourteen cents, according tothe rate of purchase. To every such rug must go three pounds of cottonor two pounds of woolen rags, costing for cotton thirty and for woolenfifty cents. To the cotton rugs must be added the possible cost ofdye-stuffs, which, again, might cost twenty cents, making cost ofmaterial in either cotton or woolen rugs from sixty to sixty-fourcents. 

As far as profit is concerned, if rag rugs are well made they willsell for two dollars each, if successful in colour, from two dollarsand a half to three and a half, and if beautiful and exceptional incolour and finish from four to six dollars. But it must be rememberedthat this latter price will be for rugs which have artistic value. Probably the average weaver can safely reckon upon one dollar andeighty-five cents to two dollars regular profit for the labor ofsewing and filling and weaving and knotting the rugs. It is fair toaccept this as a basis for regular profit, the amount of which mustdepend upon facility of production and the ability to produceunexceptionable things. 

But it is not alone pecuniary gain which should be considered. Abilityto produce or create a good thing is in itself a happiness, and thevalue of happiness cannot easily be reckoned. The knowledge necessaryto such production is a personal gain. Everything we can do whichpeople generally cannot or do not do, or which we can do better thanothers, helps us to a certain value of ourselves which makes lifevaluable. For this reason, then, as well as for the gain of it, a loomin the house and a knowledge of weaving is an advantage, not only forthe elders, but to the children. If the boys and girls in everyfarmhouse were taught to create more things, they would not only beabler as human beings, but they would not be so ready to run out intothe world in search of interesting occupations. A loom, aturning-lathe, a work-bench, and a chest of tools, a house-organ ormelodeon, and a neighbourhood library, would keep boys and girls athome, and make them more valuable citizens when independent livingbecame a necessity. Everything which broadens the life, which must byreason of narrow means and fixed occupation be stationary, givessomething of the advantage of travel and contact with the world, andthe adding of profitable outside industries to farmhouse life is animportant step in this direction. 

CHAPTER VI. 

WOOLEN RUGS. 

There are two conditions which will make home weaving valuable. Thefirst is that the material, whether it be of cotton or wool, should begrown upon the farm, and that it could not be sold in the raw state ata price which would make the growing of it profitable. In wool cropsthere are certain odds and ends of ragged, stained and torn locks, which would injure the appearance of the fleece, and are thereforethrown aside, and this waste is perfectly suitable for rug weaving. 

In cotton there is not the amount of waste, but the fibre itself isnot as valuable, and a portion of it could be reserved for homeweaving, even though it should not be turned to more profitableaccount. 

The next condition is that the time used in weaving is also waste orleft-over time. If housekeeping requires only a quarter or half of awoman's time, weaving is more restful and interesting, as well asmore profitable, than idleness; and in almost every family there aremembers to whom partial employment would be a boon. 

There is no marketable value for spare time or for individual taste, so that the women of the family possessing these can start a weavingenterprise, counting only the cost of material at growers' prices. Ifthey can card, spin, dye and weave as well as the women of twogenerations did before them, they have a most profitable industry intheir own hands in the shape of weaving. 

If materials must be purchased the profit is smaller, and the questionarises whether spare time and personal taste and skill can be madeprofitable. This depends entirely upon circumstances and character. When circumstances are or can be made favourable, and there isindustry and ambition behind them, domestic weaving is a beautiful andprofitable occupation. 

There are many neighbourhoods where the conditions are exactlysuitable to the prosecution of important domestic industries--localitieswhere sheep are raised and wool is a regular product, or where cottonis grown and the weaving habit is not extinct. This is true of manyNew England neighbourhoods and of the whole Cumberland Mountainregion, and it is in response to a demand for direction of unappliedadvantages that this book is written. 

I am convinced that the weaving of domestic wool or cotton rugs mightbe so developed in the mountain regions of the South as to greatlydecrease the importation of Eastern ones of the same grade. 

An endless variety might be made in these localities, the differenceof climate, material and habits of thought adding interest as well asvariety, and it is safe to say that the home market is waiting forthem. Housekeepers have learned by experience that a rug which can beeasily lifted and frequently shaken is not only far more cleanly, andconsequently safer, from a sanitary point of view, than a carpet, butthat it has other merits which are of economic as well as estheticimportance. 

A rug is more durable than a carpet of equal weight and texturebecause it can be constantly shifted from points of wear to thosewhich are less exposed. It can be moved from room to room, or evenfrom house to house, without the trouble of shaping or fitting; andlast but not least, it brings a concentration of colour exactly whereit is needed for effect, and this is possible to no other piece ofhouse furnishing. In short, there seems to be no bar to its generalacceptance, excepting the bad floors of our immediate predecessors inbuilding. 

It only needs that cost, quality and general effect of the home-wovenrugs should be shaped into perfect adaptation to our wants, to makethem as necessary a part of ordinary house-furnishing as chairs andtables. 

These three requirements are within the reach of any home-weavingfarmer's wife who will give to the work the same thought foreconomical conditions, the same ambition for thorough work and thesame intelligent study which her husband bestows upon his successfulfarming. 

As there is already one American rug which fulfills most of theseconditions, it is well to consider it as a starting point forprogress. This is the heavy Indian rug known as the Navajo blanket. Originally fashioned to withstand the cold and exposure of outdoorlife, it has combined thickness, durability and softness withexcellent colour and weaving and perfectly characteristic design. 

In the best examples, where the wool is not bought from traders, butcarded, spun and dyed by the weaver, the Navajo blanket is a perfectproduction of its kind, and I cannot help wondering that themanufacture of these rug-like blankets--some of which are of greatintrinsic value--should have been so long confined to a primitiverace, living at our very doors. The whole process of spinning, dyeingand weaving could be carried on in any farmhouse, using the coarsestand least valuable wool, and by reliable and well-chosen colour, goodweight and careful weaving bringing the manufacture into a prominentplace among the home productions of our people. 

One can hardly imagine simpler machinery than is used by the Indians. It is scarcely more than a parallelogram of sticks, supported by aback brace, and yet upon these simple looms an Indian woman willweave a fabric that will actually hold water. 

The clumsy, old-fashioned loom which is still in use in manyfarmhouses is fully equal to all demands of this variety of weaving, but there are already in the market steel-frame looms with flyshuttles which take up much less room and are more easily worked. Iwas about to say they were capable of better work, but nothing couldbe better in method than the Indian rug, woven on its three uprightsticks; and after all it is well to remember that _quality is in theweaver_, and not in the loom. The results obtained from the simplestmachinery can be made to cover ground which is truly artistic. 

As an example of what may be done to make this kind of weavingavailable, we will suppose that some one having an ordinary loom, andin the habit of weaving rag carpet, wishes to experiment toward theproduction of a good yarn rug. The first thing required would, ofcourse, be material for both warp and woof. 

The warp can be made of strong cotton yarn which is manufactured forthis very purpose and can be bought for about seventeen cents apound. This is probably cheaper than it could be carded and spun athome even on a cotton-growing farm. 

The wool filling should be coarse and slack-twisted, and onwool-growing farms or in wool-growing districts is easily produced. Ifit is of home manufacture, it may be spun as loosely or slackly aspossible, dyed and woven without doubling, which will be seen to be aneconomy of labor. The single thread, slackly twisted, gives a verydesirable elasticity to the fabric, because the wool fibre is not tooclosely bound or packed. On the other hand, if the wool as well as thewarp must be bought, it is best to get it from the spinning machine inits first state of the single thread, and do the doubling and twistingat home. In this case it can be doubled as many or as few times as itis thought best, and twisted as little as possible. 

The next and most important thing is colour, and it is a greatadvantage if the dyeing can be done at home. There is a strong andwell-founded preference among art producers in favor of vegetabledyes, and yet it is possible to use certain of the aniline colours, especially in combination, in safe and satisfactory ways. 

Every one who undertakes domestic weaving must know how to dye one ortwo good colours--black, of course, and the half-black or gray which agood colourist of my acquaintance calls _light black_; indigo blueequally, of course, in three shades of very dark, medium and light;and red in two shades of dark and light. Here are seven shades fromthe three dyes, and when we add white we see that the weaver isalready very well equipped with a variety of colour. The eight shadescan be still further enlarged by clouding and mixing. The mixing canbe done in two ways, either by carding two tints together beforespinning, or by twisting them together when spun. 

Carding together gives a very much better effect in wool, whiletwisting together is preferable in cotton. 

Dark blue and white or medium blue and white wool carded together willgive two blue-grays, which cannot be obtained by dyeing, and are mostvaluable. White and red carded together give a lovely pink, and anyshade of gray can be made by carding different proportions of blackand white or half-black and white. A valuable gray is made by cardingblack and white wool together (and by black wool I mean the naturalblack or brownish wool of black sheep). Mixing of deeply dyed andwhite wool together in carding is, artistically considered, a veryvaluable process, as it gives a softness of colour which it isimpossible to get in any other way. Clouding--which is almost anindispensable process for rug centres--can be done by winding certainportions of the skeins or hanks of yarn very tightly and closely withtwine before they are thrown into the dye-pot. The winding must beclose enough to prevent the dye penetrating to the yarn. This means, of course, when the clouding is to be of white and another colour. Ifit is to be of two shades of one colour, as a light and medium blue, the skein is first dyed a light blue, and after drying is wound as Ihave described, and thrown again into the dye-pot, until the unwoundportions become the darker blue which we call medium. 

In a neighbourhood where weaving is a general industry, it is anadvantage if some one person who has a general aptitude for dyeingand experiments in colours undertakes it as a business. This is on theprinciple that a person who does only one thing does it with morefacility and better than one who works in various lines. Yet even whenthere is a neighbourhood dyer, it is, as I have said, almostindispensable that the weaver should know how to dye one or twocolours and to do it well. 

Supposing that the material, in the shape of coarse cotton warp, black, red or white, has been secured, or that a wool filling in thecolours and shades I have described has been prepared for weaving; theloom is then to be warped, at the rate of fifteen or less threads tothe inch, according to the coarseness or fineness of the filling. 

It is well to weave a half-inch of the cotton warp for filling, asthis binds the ends more firmly than wool. Next to this, a border ofblack and gray in alternate half-inch stripes can be woven, andfollowing that, the body of the rug in dark red, clouded with white. After five feet of the red is woven, a border end of the black andgray is added, and the rug may be cut from the loom, leaving aboutfour inches of the warp at either end as a fringe. If the fillingyarn is of good colour, and has been well packed in the weaving, _soas to entirely cover the warp_, the result will be a good, attractiveand durable woolen rug, woven after the Navajo method. 

In this one example I have given the bare and simple outline byfollowing which a weaver whose previous work has been only rag carpetweaving can manufacture a good and valuable wool rug. The differencewill be simply that of close warping and a substitution of wool forrags. Its value will be considerably increased or lessened by thechoice of material both in quality and colour and the closeness andperfection of weaving. 

The example given calls for a rug six feet long by three feet inwidth. To make this very rug a much more important one, it needs onlyto vary the size of the border. For a larger rug the length must beincreased two feet, and the border, which in this case must be ofplain or mixed black--that is, it must not be alternated with stripesof gray--must measure one foot at either end. When this is complete, two narrow strips one foot in width, woven with mixed black filling, must be sewed on either side, making a rug eight feet long and five inwidth. It is not a disadvantage to have this border strip sewn, instead of being woven as a part of the centre. Many of the cheaperOriental weavings are put together in this way, and as many of theolder house-looms will only weave a three-foot width, it is well toknow that that need not prevent the production of rugs of considerablesize. 

Endless variations of this very simple yarn rug can be made withvariation in size as well as in colour. Two breadths and two borders, the breadths three feet in width and the borders one foot and sixinches, will give a breadth of nine feet, which with a correspondinglength will give a rug which will sufficiently cover the floor of anordinary room. If the centre is skilfully mottled and shaded, it willmake a floor spread of beautiful colour, and one which could hardly befound in shops. 

 [Illustration: ISLE LA MOTTE RUG]

The border can be made brighter, as well as firmer and stiffer, byusing two filling threads together--a red and a black; or an alternateuse of red and black, using two shuttles, will give a lighter andbetter effect than when black is used exclusively. 

After size and weight--or, to speak comprehensively, _quality_--issecured in this kind of simple weaving, the next most important thingis colour. Of course the colour must be absolutely fast, but I haveshown how much variety can be made by shading and mixing of three fastcolours, and much more subtle and artistic effects can be produced byweaving alternate threads of different colours. Indeed, the effectsobtained by using alternate threads can be varied to almost anyextent; as, for instance, a blue and yellow thread--provided the blueis no deeper than the yellow--will give the effect of green to theeye. If the blue is stronger or deeper, as it will almost necessarilybe, it will be modified and softened into a greenish blue. 

Red and white woven in alternate threads upon a white warp will givean effect of pink, and with this colour for a centre the border shouldbe a good gray. 

Of course, alternate throwing of different coloured yarns makes theweaving go more slowly than when one alone is used, and something ofthe same colour effect can be produced by doubling, instead ofalternating. It is, of course, not quite the same, as one colour mayshow either under or over the other, and the effect is apt to bemottled instead of one of uniform stripes. 

The end in view in all these mixtures is _variation_ and liveliness ofcolour, not an effect of stripes or spots; indeed, these are veryobjectionable, especially when in contrasted or different colors. Adeepening or lightening of the same colour in irregular patches, aswill occur in clouded yarns, gives interest, whereas if thesecloudings were in strongly contrasted colours they would be crude andunrestful. For this reason, if for no other, it is well to work in fewtints, and use contrasting colours only for borders. 

To show how much variety is possible in weaving with the few dyes Ihave named, I will give a number of combinations which will producegood results and be apt to harmonize with ordinary furnishing. Byadding orange yellow, which is also one of the simplest and safest ofdyes, we secure by mixture with blue a mottled green, and thiscompletes a range of colour which really leaves nothing to be desired. 

No. 1. _Colours black and red. _ Border, alternate stripes of black anddark red, as follows: First stripe of black, one and a half inches;second stripe of red, one inch; third stripe of black, one inch;fourth stripe of red, one-half inch; fifth stripe of black, three-quarters inch; sixth stripe of red, one-half inch; seventhstripe of black, half-inch; centre of light red clouded with dark red;reversed border. 

No. 2. _Colours black and red. _ Border one foot in depth, of black andred threads woven alternately. Centre dark red, clouded with lightred. Woven six feet, with one-foot border at sides as well as ends. 

No. 3. _Colours red and white. _ Border seven inches of plain red. Centre of red and white woven alternately. 

No. 4. _Colours red and black. _ Border black and red, threads wovenalternately, one foot in depth; centre of alternate stripes, twoinches in width, of dark red and light red; eight feet in length, withfoot-wide side borders, woven with alternate threads of red andblack. 

No. 5. _Colours red and black. _ Border eighteen inches in depth, ofalternate red and black, half-inch stripes. Centre of dark red, clouded with light. 

No. 6. _Colours gray, red and white_, to be woven of doubled, slightlytwisted threads. Border one foot in depth at ends and sides, woven ofred and gray yarn twisted together. Centre of red and white yarn intwisted threads. 

No. 7. _Colours red and white. _ Border of plain red, twenty inches indepth. Centre in alternate half-inch stripes of red and white. 

No. 8. _Colours blue, red and black. _ Border four inches deep ofblack, two inches of plain red, one inch of black. Centre of cloudedblue. 

No. 9. _Colour blue. _ Border eight inches of darkest blue. Centre ofclouded medium and light blue. 

No. 10. _Colours blue and white. _ Border of very dark and medium bluewoven together. Centre of blue and white yarn woven together. 

No. 11. _Colours blue and white. _ Border of medium plain blue. Centreof blue, clouded with white. 

No. 12. _Colours blue and white. _ Border of medium blue. Centre ofalternate stripes of one inch width blue, and half-inch white stripes. 

No. 13. _Colours blue and white. _ Border twelve inches deep of darkblue, clouded with medium. Centre of alternate threads of medium blueand white. 

No. 14. _Colours blue, black and orange yellow. _ Border eight inchesdeep of black, one inch of orange, two of black. Centre, alternatethreads of blue and orange. 

No. 15. Border of doubled threads of dark blue and orange. Centre ofalternate stripes of inch wide light blue and orange woven together, one-half inch stripes of clear orange and white woven together. 

In the examples I have given, wherever doubled threads of differentcolours woven together are used, it must be understood that they areto be slightly twisted, and that the warping for double-filling rugsneed not be as close as for single filling. Twelve threads to the inchwould be better than fifteen, and perhaps ten or eleven would be stillbetter. Doubled yarn of different colours produces a mottled or brokeneffect, and this can often be done where the colours of the yarns donot quite satisfy the weaver. If they are too dull, twisting themslackly with a very brilliant tint will give a better shade than ifthe original tint was satisfactory, but in the same way yarns whichare too brilliant can often be made soft and effective by twistingthem together with a paler tint. Minute particles of colour broughttogether in this way are brilliant without crudeness. It is, in fact, the very principle upon which impressionist painters work, giving purecolour instead of mixed, but in such minute and broken bits that theeye confounds them with surrounding colour, getting at the same timethe double impression of softness and vivacity. 

These examples of fifteen different rugs which can be woven from thethree tints of blue, red and orange, together with black and white, donot by any means exhaust the possibilities of variety which can beobtained from three tints. Each rug will give a suggestion for thenext, and each may be an improvement upon its predecessor. 

CHAPTER VII. 

COTTON RUGS. 

The warp-covered weaving which I have described in a previous chapteras being the simplest and best method for woolen rugs, is equallyapplicable to cotton weaving. It is, in fact, the one used in makingthe cotton rugs woven in prisons in India, and which in consequenceare known as "prison rugs. " They are generally woven in stripes ofdark and light shades of indigo blue and measure about four by eightfeet. They are greatly used by English residents in India, being muchbetter adapted to life in a hot climate than the more costly Indianand Persian rugs, which supply the world-demand for floor coverings. 

In our own summer climate and chintz-furnished summer cottages theywould be an extremely appropriate and economical covering for floors. The warp is like that of the Navajo blanket, a heavy cotton cord, thefilling or woof of many doubled fine cotton threads, which quite coverthe heavy warp, and give the ridged effect of a coarse _rep_. 

As I have said, they are woven almost invariably in horizontal stripesof two blues, or blue and white, with darker ends and a warp fringe. Simple as they are and indeed must be, as they are the result ofunskilled labour, they are pleasant to look at, and have many virtuesnot dependent upon looks. They are warm and pleasant to unshod feet, and therefore suitable for bedroom use. They are soft to shoe tread, and give colour and comfort to a summer piazza. They can be hung asportieres in draughty places with a certainty of shelter, and can belifted and thrown upon the grass to be washed by the downpour of athunder shower, and left to dry in the sun without detriment to colouror quality. 

Surely this is a goodly list of virtues, and the sum of them is by nomeans exhausted. Their durability is surprising; and they can be sewntogether and stretched upon large floors with excellent colour effect. They can be turned or moved from room to room and place to place witha facility which makes them more than useful. The manufacture is sosimple that a child might weave them, while at the same time, by askilful use of colour and good arrangement of border, they can be madeto fit the needs of the most luxurious as well as the simplest summercottage. In short, they are capable of infinite variation andimprovement, without departure from the simple method of the "prisonrug. "

Of course the variation must be in colour and the arrangement ofcolour; and in studying this possible improvement it must beremembered that cotton will neither take nor hold dyes as readily aswool or silk, and that certain dyes which are very tenacious in theirhold upon animal fibre cannot be depended upon when applied tovegetable fibre. There are, however, certain dyes upon which we cansafely rely. Indigo blue, and the red used in dyeing what is calledTurkey red, are reliable in application to both wool and cotton, andare water and sun proof as well. Walnut and butternut stains will givefast shades of brown and yellow, and in addition there is also thebuff or nankeen-coloured cotton, the natural tint of which combineswell with brown and blue. 

In giving directions for rug colourings in cottons, I shall confinemyself to the use of black, white, blue and red, because these coloursare easily procurable, and also because rugs manufactured from themwill fit the style of furnishing which demands cotton rugs. 

The examples I shall give call for graduated dyeing, especially in thetwo tints of red and blue. 

Any one expecting to succeed in rug weaving must be able to procure orproduce from two to three planes of colour, as well as two mixtures ineach. These would be as follows:

In blue:--1st, dark blue; 2d, medium blue; 3d, light blue. 

After these three tints are secure, three variations of blue can bemade by knotting the skeins more or less closely and throwing medium, light blue and white together into the dye-tub. Here they must remainuntil the white skeins show an outside of light blue; the light blueskeins are apparently changed to medium, and the medium to dark. Whenthey are untied and dried they will show three clouded mixtures:

1st, the medium blue clouded with dark; 2d, light blue clouded withmedium blue; 3d, white, clouded with light blue. 

Here we have six variations of the one tint. Red can be treated in thesame way, except that a rather light and a very dark red are all thatcan be counted upon safely as plain tints. A very light red will nothold. Therefore we have in reds:--1st, dark red; 2d, light red; 3d, light red, clouded with dark; 4th, white, clouded with light red. 

This gives ten shades in these two tints, and when we add thevariations which seem to come of themselves in dyeing, variationswhich are by no means subject to rule, we shall see that with thesetwo, and black and white, we are very well equipped. 

The more irregular the clouding, the better the results. The yarn maybe made into large double knots, or small single ones, or into more orless tightly wound balls or bundles, and each will have its ownspecial and peculiar effect. Perhaps it is well to say that inclouding upon white the colours should be kept as light as isconsistent with the tenacity of tint. 

After clouding, still another process in cotton mixtures is possible, and this is in "doubling and twisting, " which has the effect ofdarkening or lightening any tint at will, as well as of giving amottled instead of a plain surface. 

Having secured variety by these various expedients, the next step isto make harmonious and well-balanced combinations, and this is quiteas important, or even more so, as mere variety. 

There is one very simple and useful rule in colour arrangements, andthis is to make one tint largely predominant. If it is to be a bluerug, or a pink, or a white one, use other colours only to _emphasize_the predominant one, as, for instance, a blue rug may be emphasized bya border of red and black; or a red rug by a border of black andwhite, or black and yellow. 

The border should always be stronger--that is darker or deeper incolour--than the centre, even when the same colour is used throughout, as in a light red rug, with dark, almost claret-red ends, or a mediumblue rug with very dark blue ends. 

White, however, can often be used in borders of rather dark rugs inalternation with black or any dark colour, because its total absenceof tint makes it strong and distinct, and gives it _force_ in markinga limit. 

One successful combination of colours will suggest others, and theweaver who has taken pains to provide herself with a variety ofshades, and will follow the rules of proportion, will be at no loss inlaying out the plan of her weavings. 

The examples for fifteen weavings given in the paper on wool rugs areequally available in cotton. I will, however, add a few variationsespecially adapted for cotton rugs:

No. 1. _Colours blue and white. _ Border six inches of plain dark blue. Six inches of alternate half-inch stripes of dark blue and white. Fourto five feet of clouded blue, border repeated, with four inches ofwarp fringe as a finish. 

No. 2. _Colours blue and white. _ Border eight inches wide of plainmedium blue. Centre, six feet of light blue, clouded with medium. Twoside borders eight inches wide; finish of white warp fringe. 

No. 3. _Colours black, white and red. _ Border twelve inches ofalternate half-inch stripes of black and white. Centre, four feet oflight red, clouded with dark. Repeat border, and finish with warpfringe. 

No. 4. _Colours red and white. _ Border, twelve inches of dark andlight red, in twisted double thread. Centre, light red and whitetwisted double thread. Repeat border and finish with four-inch fringe. 

No. 5. _Colours butternut-brown, walnut-yellow, red, and white. _Border of six inches of brown and yellow, twisted together. Centre, five feet of light red and white, twisted together. Repeat border, andfinish with fringe. 

No. 6. _Colours brown, blue, and clouded-white. _ Border, half-inchstripes of medium blue and brown alternated for six inches. Centre, five feet of light blue, clouded with medium. Repeat border and finishwith warp fringe. 

These six examples may be varied to any extent by the use of clouded, plain or mixed centres. Borders, as a rule, should be woven ofunclouded colours. 

A natural development of the cotton rug would be the weaving of coarsecotton yarns into piece lengths which could be cut and sewn likeingrain carpet, or like the fine cotton-warped mattings which havebeen so popular of late years. They would have the advantage overgrass-weavings in durability, ease of handling and liveliness ofeffect. Indeed, the latter consideration is of great importance, ascotton carpets can be woven to harmonize with the chintzes and cottonswhich are so much used in summer furnishings. This is especially trueof indigo-blue floor covering, since so few things are absolutelyperfect as an adjunct to the blue chambrays, striped awning-cloths, denims, and India prints so constantly and effectively used indraperies. Indeed, such excellent art in design has been devoted toblue prints, both foreign and domestic, that one can safely reckonupon their prolonged use, and this being taken for granted, it is wellto extend the weaving of mixtures of white and blue indefinitely. 

Although the warp-covered method described for woolen and cotton rugweaving can very well be used for carpets, the still simpler one ofthe alternate thread, or basket-weaving, when warp and filling are ofequal weight and size, can be made to answer the purpose quite aswell. In fact, there is a certain advantage in the latter method, since it makes the warp a factor in the arrangement of colour. 

It is necessary in this style of weaving that the filling should be ahand-twisted thread of the same weight and size as the warp, and of alighter or darker shade of the same colour. If the warp is dark, thefilling may be light, or the reverse. It should be warped at the rateof about twenty-four threads to the inch. 

In this kind of weaving the colours must be plain--that is, unclouded--as the variation is obtained by the different shades ofwarp and filling. Still another variation is made by using a closerwarp of thirty threads to the inch and a large soft vari-colourfilling which will show between the warp threads with a peculiarwatered or vibratory effect. A light red warp, with a very looselytwisted filling of black and white, or a medium blue warp with a blackand orange filling, will give extremely good results. 

 [Illustration: GREEK BORDER IN RED OR BLACK]

 [Illustration: BRAIDED FRINGE]

 [Illustration: DIAMOND BORDER IN RED OR BLACK]

What I have said thus far as to the weaving of woolen and cotton rugs, and of cotton carpets, gives practical directions for artistic resultsto women who understand the use of the loom in very simple weaving. Ofcourse, more difficult things can be done even with ordinary looms, asany one who has examined the elaborate blue-and-white spreads ourgrandmothers wove upon the cumbrous house-loom of that period cantestify. In fact, the degree of skill required in the weaving of theseprecious heirlooms would be quite sufficient for the production ofrugs adapted to very exacting purchasers. 

Perhaps it is as well to add that the directions given in this and thepreceding chapter for rug weaving are designed not only or exclusivelyfor weavers, but also for club women who are so situated as to haveaccess to and influence in farming or weaving neighbourhoods. 

Home manufactures, guided by women of culture and means, would havethe advantage not only of refinement of taste, but of a certainty ofaim. Women know what women like, and as they are the final purchasersof all household furnishings, they are not apt to encourage themaking of things for which there is no demand. 

I am often asked the question, How are all of these homespun andhome-woven things to be disposed of? To this I answer that the firsteffort of the promoters or originators must be--_to fit them for anexisting demand_. 

There is no doubt of the genuineness of a demand for special domesticweavings. Any neighbourhood or combination of women known to be ableto furnish such articles to the public would find the want far inexcess of the supply, simply because undirected or commercialmanufactures cannot fit personal wants as perfectly as special thingscan do. It must be remembered, also, that the interchange of newsbetween bodies of women interested in industrial art will be a verypotent factor in the creation of a market for any domestic specialty. In fact, it is in response to a demand that these articles uponhome-weavings have been prepared, and a demand for technicalinstruction presupposes an interest in the result. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

LINSEY WOOLSEY. 

It has often been given as a reason for the discontinuance of homeweaving, that no product of the hand loom can be as exact or as cheapas that of the power loom. The statement as to cost and quality istrue, but so far from being a discouraging one, it gives actualreasons for the continuance of domestic weavings. The very fact thathomespun textiles are not exact--in the sense of absolutesameness--and not cheap, in the sense of first cost, is apt to be areason for buying them. Hand-weaving, like handwriting, is individual, and this is a virtue instead of a defect, since it gives the varietywhich satisfies some mystery of human liking, a preference forinequality rather than monotonous excellence. 

Every hand-woven web differs from every other one in certaincharacteristics which are stamped upon it by the weaver, and we valuethese differences. In fact, this very trace of human individuality isthe initial charm belonging to all art industries, and even if wediscount this advantage, and reckon only money cost and money value, durability must certainly count for something. A thing which costsmore and lasts longer is as cheap as one which costs less and goes topieces before its proper time. 

In a long and intimate acquaintance with what are called "arttextiles"--that is, textiles which satisfy the eye and the imaginationand fulfill more or less competently the function of use, I havelearned that certain very desirable qualities are more often found inhome-woven than in machine-woven goods. Something is wanting in eachof the excellent and wonderful variety of commercial manufactureswhich would fit it for the various decorative and art processes whichmodern life demands. To perfectly satisfy this demand, we should havea weaving which is not only in itself an artistic manufacture, butwhich easily absorbs any additional application of art. 

In my own mind I call the thing which might and does not exist, TheMissing Textile. To make it entirely appropriate to our esthetic andpractical needs, the missing textile must be strong enough forevery-day wear and use; it must be capable of soft, round folds inhanging; and have the quality of elasticity which will preventcreasing; and above all, it must have beautiful and lasting colour. Ifit can add to these qualities an adaptability to various householduses, it will achieve success and deserve it. These differentqualities, and especially the one of a natural affinity for suchart-processes as colour and embroidery, exist in none of our domesticweavings, excepting only linsey woolsey. After much study of thisvirtuous product of the mountain regions of our Southern States I findit capable of great development. It has two qualities which are notoften co-existent, and these are strength and flexibility; and this isowing not only to its being hand-woven, but also to its being awool-filled textile--that is, it is woven upon a cotton warp, with asingle twisted wool-filling. This peculiarity of texture makes it verysuitable for embroidery, since it offers little resistance to theneedle, and yet is firm enough to prevent stitches sinking into itssubstance--a frequent fault with soft or loosely woven textiles. Thewarp is generally made of what the weavers call mill yarns, cottonyarns spun and often dyed in cotton mills; and when the cloth is wovenfor women's wear it is apt to carry a striped warp of red and blue, with a mixed filling made from spinning the wool of black sheep with asmall proportion of white. 

In searching for art textiles, one would not find much encouragementin this particular variety of linsey woolsey, but the unbleached, uncoloured material which is woven for all kinds of household use, orpiece-dyed for men's wear, is quite a different thing. In its undyedstate it is of a warm ivory tint, which makes a beautiful ground forprinting, and in my first acquaintance with it, which was made throughthe women commissioners from Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia duringthe Columbian Exposition, I made some most interesting experiments inblock printing upon this natural background. 

One can hardly expect that linsey woolsey will come into frequent orcommon use as a printed textile, since the two processes ofhand-weaving and block-printing are not natural neighbours, but thiscapacity for taking and holding stains is of great value inembroidery, since it enables an artistic embroiderer to produceexcellent effects with comparatively little labour. A cleverneedlewoman, working upon a fabric which takes kindly to stains, canapply colour in many large spaces and inter-spaces in her design whichwould otherwise have to be covered with stitchery, and in thisway--which is a perfectly accepted and legitimate one--she gains aneffect which would otherwise be costly and laborious. 

From the composite nature of this domestic fabric, its cross-weavingof animal and vegetable fibre, it takes colour irregularly. Everycross-thread of wool is deeper in tone than the cotton thread itcrosses, and this gives the quality which artists call vivacity orvibration. Linsey woolsey even when "piece-dyed" has something of thiseffect, and judicious and artistic colour treatment would complete itsclaims to be considered an art textile. 

It is not to be supposed that the weavers themselves can work outthis problem. It will need the direction and encouragement of educatedand artistic women. Taking the fabric just as it exists, it is readyfor the finer domestic processes learned by the women of the Southduring the hard years of the Civil War. The clever expedients ofstitchery, the ways in which they varied their simple home-manufactures, and above all the knowledge gained of domestic "colouring, " will be ofinestimable value in the direction of artistic industries. In truth, Southern women have ways of staining and dyeing and producingbeautiful colour quite unknown to other American women. They know howto get different grays and purples and black from logwood, and goldenand dark brown from walnut bark, and all the shades of blue possibleto indigo; and yellow-reds from madder, and rose-red and crimson frompokeberry, and one yellow from pumpkin and another from goldenrod; andthey are clever enough to find mordants for all these dyes and stains, and make them indelible. It needs exactly the conjunction which wefind in the South, of facile home-weaving, knowledge and practice ofexperimental dyeing, and love of practical art, to develop true artfabrics. 

To show what linsey woolsey is capable of, I will instance a materialwoven in India in thin woolen strips of about twelve inches in width. It is what we should call a _sleazy_ material to begin with. Thestrips of different colours are sewn, and very badly sewn, together, and they are also badly woven. Too flimsy for actual wear, they aresimply admirable vehicles for colour, and to this quality alone theyowe their popularity and importance. After being sewn together, thestrips are generally embroidered in a rough way, with a constantlyrepeating figure on each breadth. The colour is certainly beautiful, acontrast of soft blues, and a selection of unapproachablebrowns--yellow-browns, red-browns, green-browns and gold-browns, withyellows of all shades, and whites of all tints, and this colour-beautygives them a place as portieres and curtains where they do not belongby intrinsic or constitutional worth. 

If one was intent only upon producing an imitation of the Bagdadcurtains in linsey woolsey, it would be easy to weave narrow lengthsof various colours, and by choosing those which were good contrasts orharmonies, and embroidering them together with buttonhole-stitch, orcat-stitch, or any ornamental stitch, to get something very like themin effect and far better in quality. But it should be the aim ofdomestic manufacture to do something which is _distinctive_, andtherefore it would be better to start with the intention of producingthe effect in one's own way. This could be done by weaving the clothin full width (which should, if possible, be four feet), dependingentirely upon the warp threads for colour. This, it may be remembered, is already one of the means of variation applied to linsey woolsey inweaving homespun dress goods; but in this case it must be carefullychosen art-effort, using colours which are in themselves beautiful. Independing upon the warp alone for colour the fact must be kept in mindthat it will be much obscured by the over-weaving of the wool filling. It will be necessary, therefore, to use far stronger colours than ifthey were to stand unmixed or unobscured. Vivid blue, strong orange, flaming red and gold-brown could be used in the warp in stripes ofabout ten inches in width, with two inches of dead black on the sidesand between each colour. The filling must be of one pale tint, eitheran ivory white or lemon yellow, or a very pale spring green woven overall. This would modify the violence of colour, giving an effect likehoar frost over autumn leaves. As a simple weaving this would have abeautiful effect, but when a coarse orange-coloured silk embroidery, consisting of a waved stem and alternate leaves, is carried down thecentre of each black stripe, the simple length of linsey woolsey istransformed into what would be called a very Eastern-looking andvaluable embroidery. 

This is just one of its possible and easily possible adaptations forportieres and hangings. Quite another and perhaps equally popular onewould be cross-colour upon a tinted warp. In this case the warp mightbe ivory white, yellow, light green, or even for darker effects, claret red, dark blue, dark green, or black. If an ivory white orlight warp colour should be chosen, the cross-colours must be selectedwith special reference to the warp tint. A beautiful effect for alight room would be made on an ivory-coloured warp by weaving at thetop and also below the middle a series of narrow stripes like a Romanscarf. There should be a finger's depth of rose colour at the top, andthis would be obtained by a filling of light red, woven upon the ivorywhite warp. Then should come an inch stripe of pale blue, an inch ofgold, another inch of blue; three inches of orange, then the inch ofblue, the gold, and the blue again, and after that the rose-red fortwo-thirds the length of the portiere, when the ribbon stripes shouldagain occur, after which the remaining third should be woven with adeeper red or a pale green. 

Such a portiere would not require embroidery to complete its effect, for if the tints were pure as well as delicate, it would be a lovelypiece of colour in itself. 

This variety or style of hanging would have the advantage of throwingthe burden of colour upon the wool, and as the animal fibre is apt tobe more tenacious in its hold upon colour than vegetable, the questionof fading would not have to be considered. 

These two varieties of artistic homespun can by experiment be made tocover a great deal that is beautiful and artistic in manufacture, andyet it leaves untouched the extensive field of plain piece-dyed oryarn-dyed weavings. Yarn-dyed material always has the advantage of thepossible use of two colours, one in the warp and one in the filling, but in certain places, as in upholstery, a solid colour produced bypiece-dyeing would be preferable. Linsey woolsey dyed in fast andattractive colour would undoubtedly be a good material for upholsteryof simple furniture, because of its strength and durability, but itseems to me its chief mission and probable future is to supply anexceptional art textile; one which has the firmness and flexibilitybelonging to hand-woven stuffs, and can be at the same time beautifulin colour, capable of hard wear and reasonably inexpensive. I amtempted to modify the last qualification, because no hand-woven goodsought to be or can be inexpensive, in comparison with thosemanufactured under every condition of competitive economy. And intruth, domestic weavings are sure of their market at paying prices, simply because they are what they are, _hand products_. 

I have shown in a limited way some of the possibilities of artistichand-weaving without touching upon cotton or flax diapers and damasks, since these cannot readily compete with power-weavings, but I have notspoken of the difference it would make in the lives of the mountainweavers of the South if their horizon could be widened by theintroduction of art industries. Only those who know the joy andcompensation of producing things of beauty can realize the change itmight work in lives which have been for generations narrowed to merelyphysical wants; but there are many gifted Southern women who do fullyrealize it, and we may safely leave to them the introduction andencouragement of art in domestic manufactures. 

NEIGHBOURHOOD INDUSTRIES

AFTER-WORD

I am often asked by women who are interested in domestic manufactures, how one should go to work to build up a profitable neighbourhoodindustry. To do this one must know the place and people, for anxiousas most country women are to earn something outside of farm profits, they are both timid and cautious, and will not follow advice fromunpractical people or from strangers. 

In every farming community there will be one or two ingenious orambitious women who do something which is not general, and which theywould gladly turn to account. One woman may be a skilled knitter oftidies, or laces, or rag mats; another may pull rags through burlap, and so construct a thick and rather luxurious-looking door-mat;another may have an old-fashioned loom and weave carpets for all theneighbourhood; and each one of these simple arts is a foundation uponwhich an industry may be built, important to the neighbourhood, and inthe aggregate to the country. 

The city woman or club woman who wishes to become a link between thesethings and a purchaser must begin by improving or adapting them. Shemust show the knitter of tidies an imported golf stocking with all ofthe latest stitches and stripes and fads, and if the yarn can be had, undoubtedly the tidy-knitter can make exactly such another. When agood pair has been produced, the city friend will not have to look faramong her town acquaintances for a "golf fiend, " even if she herselfis not one, and to him or her she must show the stocking and expatiateupon its merits: That it is not machine-made, but hand-knit; that itis thicker, softer, made of better material than woven ones, and aboveall, not to be found in any shop, but must be ordered from aparticular woman who is a phenomenal knitter. All of which will betrue, and equally so when the demand has increased and it has become aneighbourhood industry. 

 [Illustration: THE LUCY RUG]

A golf player hardly need be told how to create a demand forhand-knit stockings, or how to assist the knitter by advice, both inthe improvement and disposal of her wares; but it should be averitable golf player and not a philanthropic amateur. 

It is the same with other industries. The adviser must study them, improve them, adapt them, and find the first market, after which theywill sell upon their own merits. 

As far as I know, nothing has been done in the way of improvement ofknitted mats or rugs, although a very beautiful manufacture has beenfounded upon the method of pulling rags through burlap. Knitted rugshave much to recommend them. They can be made of all sorts of pieces, even the smallest; they wear well, and can easily be made beautiful. 

The building up of a rag carpet or rag rug industry is a much simplermatter, because the demand exists everywhere for cheap, durable andwell-coloured floor covering. In my own experience I have found thatthe thing chiefly necessary is to teach the weavers that the colourmust be pleasing and permanent, and to put them in communication withsources of supply of rags and warp. The rugs sell themselves, andprobably will continue to do so. 

The thing to remember when one wishes to be of use to their own andother communities, is that they must be sure of a commercial basis forthe products before they encourage more than one person to begin amanufacture, and that the demand must be in advance of a full supply. Kindly and cultivated women who wish to be of real use to their summerneighbours will find this a true mission. Their lives lie within thecurrent of demand, while the country woman lives within that ofsupply, and it is much easier for the city woman to bridge the spacebetween than for her working neighbour. All good and well-foundedindustries take care of themselves in time, but until the merchantfinds them out, and interposes the wedge of personal profit betweenthings and their market--inciting and encouraging both--it seems to bethe business of women in every lot of life to help each other.