The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-03-22
How Rugs Are Made.

How many who stop to admire the
show windows of our carpet dealers
know how the rug is madeP That it is
woven somehow is all that is apparent
as it lies there warm, soft, bright with
a dozen colors, fruits, birds or figures.
The rug'is twice woven, and this is It's
history First, the border and center
that is to form the pattern is designed;
then painted in straight lines upon
paper, containing ruled scale, and in
the proper colors that are afterward to
appear on the rug. This paper rug is
then cut up into strips, each contain
ing two spaces of the scale, and these
papers are the pattern that the first or
weft weaver is to follow.
In weaving weft a warp beam OF
say 200 threads in width and a wheep
beam of 100 threads in width are re-
quired. Two threads of the first and
one of the second pass through the
same split in the reed at regular inter-
walls of say one-third of an inch, the
intervening splits of the reed being
empty. The paper pattern is fastened
to the middle of the work, and the
weaver follows it exactly as it Is paint
ed; that is, the pattern may need six
| threads of crimson, two of black,
twelve of corn, ten of green olive, and
80 on, the weaver filling the "spot
exactly as to length and color. Having
woven the full length of the paper as
painted on the left-hand space the
paper is begun again and the painting
in the right-hand space is followed, and
when all the papers which, laid side by
side, form the rug, have been thus
gone over the weft for the rug is fin
ished.
The roll of weft-cloth is then run
through the cutting machine, a ten-inch
cylinder, around which continuous
thread of knife blades is wound. The
cylinder is revolved at high rate OF
speed, and the weft-cloth, passing within
range of the knives, is cut into strips by
them. These strips do not unravel, be-
cause in weaving the wheep-thread is
twisted about the two warp-threads and
the filling is locked in. After twisting
each strip to change it from being flat
thread into round thread, it is wound
upon a bobbin, and is ready for the
second weaver, who is called the setter
The warp of the rug is black fax
and the setter uses two shuttles, alter
nately-a small one, containing bob
bin of two-ply or three-ply flax, and {
large one for the unwieldy bobbin o
weft. A white thread on each side
and one in the middle of the blacl
wrap are the guides to the setter, wht
sees that certain parts of the weft
thread come under those white thread
before he presses the weft in, Eacl
bobbin of weft will weave about thre
inches of the rug; so, if the rug is on
! yard long it will require about twelv
! bobbins, which mean twelve pieces o
? weft- cloth to complete it. But thes
: twelve pieces, having each bee
cut up into ninety.six identica
strips, will make ninety-six simila
: rugs. Therefore should the weft weave
put in, say, eight threads (one-half inc
= in lengthy of wrong color Or shade
. that error would appear IN nlnety-sl
rugs. The setter having finished tn
: ninety.six sets of twelve bobbins, tn
a q rugs are ready for finishing. Th
y machine through which they pass cut
II the surface off evenly, and brushe
! them free of fragments of the material
= used. This treatment brings out ever
. detail of the design and heightens th
q q colors. Most of the rugs made hen
y are of flax and wool; othel
= = are of silk and shodd
% silk. The weft for the silk rugs hi
9 g eight strips to the inch, and to cut
requires 288 knife blades, each one I
, which must have razor edge. II
y y weft cloth and the blades must be 81
~ ~ to nicely, since the variation
g the sixteenth of an inch would NAL
- - the knives cut the 2SS threads instes
- of the filling between the thread
~ There is firm in Glasgow, Scotlan
70 who manufacture for the royal hous
~ u of Europe such elaborate designs as Il
II Lords supper, the weft-weaver,
- some cases, using 400 different shuttle