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Rug Backings and Foundations

Rug Backings or Foundations

Requirements:

A foundation fabric for rug hooking must be woven loosely enough to permit the width strips you are using to be pulled through easily. Wider cuts dictate a more loosely woven fabric.

The foundation material should be durable, especially for hooked items used as floor rugs.

Avoid materials which stretch too much. If you must use such a material, use caution in hooking so that the finished piece is not stretched in some areas, producing a lumpy or rippling rug.

Of course, the material used for rug foundation should not irritate your skin or cause respiratory distress due to flying fibers or odors. Some individuals are sensitive to certain materials.

Cost is a factor but generally the foundation fabric is a small part of the total cost of a rug. Consider cost in context.

Availability used to be a problem, but with the advent of internet shopping, you should be able to find whatever materials you desire.

Commonly used rug foundations:

1. Burlap (Angus, Scotch, Hessian, etc.) - Jute burlap is generally the least expensive option. Until about 10 years ago, almost all commercially available patterns were printed on burlap. It is fairly strong, firm and inexpensive, making it a good choice for beginners and for small items which will not take a lot of abuse/exposure to the elements.

2. Monks cloth - Made of cotton, monks cloth is white and soft and appeals to those who find burlap "scratchy." It stretches quite a bit if you are not careful to mount it on the frame properly and hook without packing your loops. Also, be sure to hook into the "holes", not between the thread groupings.

3. Linen - More available today than just a few years ago, linen is a long-lasting fiber; linen rug foundations should be more durable than burlap when exposed to the same conditions. There are many styles and qualities of linen on the market today. Most linens sold for rug hooking are fairly firm and will not stretch like monks cloth. It is at least two to three times more expensive than burlap (by the yard) and somewhat more expensive than monks cloth. However, patterns printed on linen are usually more more than the same pattern printed on burlap.

4. Rug Warp - Cotton, sturdier and less stretchy than monk's cloth. Mid range price. Good for #3 to #6 cut strips. Not ideal for wide cuts, such as #8 (1/4") or wider as the "holes" are not so big and the threads of the foundation are not very moveable to accomodate the strips.

5. 2 x 2 or 4 x 4 - These are woven cotton fabrics; the weave structure is either 2 threads by 2 threads or 4 x 4. As with monks cloth, be careful not to stretch it out of shape or split the threads.

6. Panel cloth - Usually made of some modern synthetic but sometimes found made of wool, this is used to cover cubicle panels in offices. Because it comes in many colors and looks "finished," it can be used where you want to hook only the motif, not the background.

7. Woolen fabric - Loosely woven woolen fabric can be used for hooked rug foundation material, especially for garments and accessories and decorative wall or tabletop art.

Our recommendations:

For beginners, we advise either linen or burlap rather than monks cloth because of reasons stated above: the tendency to pack too many loops into an area and the stretchy nature of monks cloth. Packing and stretching produce a rug that will be permanently rippled.

For small pieces, either linen or burlap will do nicely. However, for rugs to be used on the floor, especially large rugs which we assume you will consider heirlooms of the future, we advise that you use linen.

CLICK HERE for more information about how our patterns are printed.