To create a shirred rag rug, strips of wool must be gathered, then they’re shirred in coils or rows with thread. This is different from a sewn shag rug in which gathered strips of fabric are sewn to a base fabric.
Shirred contemporary area rugs have very rich, deep textures and are reversible. The normal shirred rugs can be made by trying several different methods. In exact shirring, the folds of fabric radiate from a center or line up in rows, whereas faux shirring is different in that the folds of fabric are laid round the rug in a sequence of “s” shapes instead of radiating from the center.
The different shirring techniques are described below.
Sewn Center Shirring : this kind of shirring is the oldest type of shirred rugs and are quite straightforward to construct. This technique is done by taking strips of fabric and working them onto a thread, then going in an out to supply folds along the thread. The shirred sections are then coiled and stitched to create the rug.
knitted Center Shirring : There are two versions of this kind of shirred rug which are accomplished by a crocheted action whereby fabric strips are shirred onto a long thin afghan sort of crochet hook.
The 1st method of this kind of shirring is named the “hump-back hook” or “bent” hook methodology. A specifically bent, long thin crochet hook is used to shirr the fabric and each fold of fabric is worked off together with a double crochet stitch or a combination of a single crochet and a chain stitch. The fold is then attached to the rug as it is worked. This crocheted shirring method is considered the most sophisticated of the strategies. Different hump-back crochet hooks have been marked over time that are called the “Schirren” hook, the “Shirret” hook, or “Art rug Needle.”
The second type of shirring method is the afghan hook strategy. This is done using fabric strips which are shirred onto an afghan ( or bent ) hook. Then the folds of the fabric are worked off and secured to form a chain stitch. This results in a long strip of shirred fabric, which is then coiled to make the rugs and secured by sewing or crocheting with a steel crochet hook. This technique of crocheted shirring is the simplest for an amateur to accomplish.
Edge Shirring : this technique is done along one edge of a strip of fabric instead of in the center. The rugs are typically scrub and have to have a spacing strip to permit the rug to lie flat.
Mono-shirring : This system is used to create a thick mat or blanket by trying a single giant piece of wool fabric which is gathered along many threads.
fake Shirring : this type of shirring is generally simpler than the regular shirred methods and have the same deep texture and are also reversible. Wool strips are stitched along with a fold at each stitch. The difference between pretend shirring and shirred rugs is that the folds of fabric lay around the outside of the rug, while in regular shirring the folds spread out from the center.
The three main systems of creating fake shirred rugs are described below.
Needle and thread : A long stitching needle is employed in this method which is quite similar to the development of standing wool rugs. The difference is that each stitch is secured with a folded section of fabric.
Axe stitched : this method is done with an awl and contains a loop of thread that secures each fold of fabric. Various devices have been employed to create these rugs, including the “texing” needle.
knitted : These are made with a little steel crochet hook, with one crochet stitch securing every one of the folds. Since this method is easy to do, it is reasonably simple to make patterns within the rug.
Tags:
area rugs,
base fabric,
fabric strips,
shirring