The process for creating a hand-tufted rug differs greatly. It is made by punching strands of wool into a canvas that is stretched on a frame with the help of a hand-operated tool. This process is not very time-intensive and does not require the same level of skill that hand-knotting does.
After piling with wool, the rug is removed from the frame, and a scrim fabric is glued to the back. To complete the rug, a fringe is added by either sewing or gluing it on. The hand-tufted technique offers endless possibilities in design. All kind of textures, such as high pile and low pile, cut, loop and tip-shear, can be applied. A 3-dimensional effect can even be achieved, as the carving is done entirely by hand. The pattern can be non-repetitive, as the hand-tuft technique does not stop the design.
The entire artwork is printed onto a cloth, which is then stretched tight in a vertical frame. Meanwhile, the raw materials are dyed to the right colour. A special compressed-air gun shoots little U-shaped tufts of wool, bamboo or silk through the cloth, filling in the pattern with the right colours. This tufting gun is fitted with tiny scissors to determine the pile height. The sooner the tufts are clipped, the lower the pile height. After tufting, a reinforcing latex backing is added. The carpet then goes to the finishing department where the pile is sheared to the right height. Hand carving and/or pencilling further emphasises the patterns.
