![Tufting gun (TD-01)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Tufting_gun_%28TD-01%29.jpg)
Tufting is a type of textile manufacturing in which a thread is inserted on a primary base.
It is an ancient technique for making warm
garments
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials ...
, especially
mitten
A mitten is a type of glove that covers the hand but does not have separate finger openings or sheaths. Generally, mittens still separate the thumb from the other four fingers. They have different colours and designs. Mittens provide greater th ...
s. After the
knitting
Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.
Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...
is done, short U-shaped loops of extra
yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufact ...
are introduced through the
fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
from the outside so that their ends point inwards (e.g., towards the hand inside the mitten).
Usually, the tuft yarns form a regular array of "dots" on the outside, sometimes in a contrasting
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...
(e.g., white on red). On the inside, the tuft yarns may be tied for security, although they need not be. The ends of the tuft yarns are then
frayed, so that they will subsequently
felt
Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...
, creating a dense, insulating layer within the knitted garment.
Tufting was first developed by
carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester hav ...
manufacturers in
Dalton, Georgia
Dalton is a city and the county seat of Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is also the principal city of the Dalton Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Murray and Whitfield counties.
As of the 2010 census, the ci ...
.
A tufted piece is completed in three steps: tufting, gluing, then backing and finishing. When tufting, the work is completed from the backside of the finished piece. A loop-pile machine sends yarn through the primary backing and leaves the loops uncut. A cut-pile machine produces plush or shaggy carpet by cutting the yarn as it comes through to the front of the piece.
Tufted rugs can be made with coloured
yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufact ...
to create a design, or plain yarn can be tufted and then
dyed
Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular ch ...
in a separate process.
A tufting gun is a tool commonly used to automate the tufting process, more specifically in the realm of
rug
Rug or RUG may refer to:
* Rug, or carpet, a textile floor covering
* Rug, slang for a toupée
* Ghent University (''Rijksunversiteit Gent'', or RUG)
* Really Useful Group, or RUG, a company set up by Andrew Lloyd Webber
* Rugby railway station, N ...
making. The yarn is fed through a hollow needle, that penetrates the stretched cloth backing for a modifiable length.
They can usually create two types of rugs, a cut or loop
pile. A cut pile rug's yarn is snipped every other loop into the backing, creating a “U” shape from the side profile, while a loop pile rug isn't snipped and creates a continuous “M” or “W”. Tufting guns are useful tools for both mass production and home use due to its flexibility in scale and color variation.
Materials
![Tufting_cloth_stretched_on_frame](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Tufting_cloth_stretched_on_frame.jpg)
Tufting requires the use of specialised primary backing fabric, which is often composed of woven
polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene.
Polypropylene
belongs to the group of polyolefins and ...
.
Primary backing fabric is produced with a range of densities and
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...
styles, allowing for use with different gauges of needles.
Primary backing fabric must be stretched tightly to the frame so that it is stable enough to withstand the pressure of the tufting gun and taut enough for the yarn to be held in place.
Tufting frames are generally constructed of wood, with carpet tacks or grippers around the edge to hold the primary backing fabric in place. Eye hooks are an important addition to a tufting frame, they are used as yarn feeders and work to keep the tension consistent. The frame must be sturdy and can be either freestanding or clamped to a table top. It is important to keep pressure and speed consistent when tufting so that the amount of yarn per square inch of the fabric is consistent.
Any mistakes in the design can be corrected throughout the tufting process by simply pulling out yarn strands from the primary backing fabric and re-tufting the area.
Designs can drawn directly on to the primary backing fabric, this can be done freehand or with the aid of a projector.
After tufting is completed, the tufted piece requires a coat of latex
glue
Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation.
The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...
on the back in order to keep the tufts anchored in their place. Latex glue is beneficial for tufted pieces as it provides flexibility and dimensional stability. The piece should remain stretched on the frame until the glue has finished drying to avoid loss of shape and the possibility of
mildew
Mildew is a form of fungus. It is distinguished from its closely related counterpart, mould, largely by its colour: moulds appear in shades of black, blue, red, and green, whereas mildew is white. It appears as a thin, superficial growth consi ...
.
A secondary backing layer is then applied, providing further dimensional stability and protection for the finished piece as well as improving its appearance.
A wide variety of materials can be used for the secondary backing fabric depending on the intended use of the piece.
Felt
Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...
,
canvas
Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbags ...
,
drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
and other harder wearing materials can be used for floor rugs, however backing fabric for wall hangings need only be aesthetic, as it is only required to cover up the glue layer and does not need to be hard wearing.
Wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
As ...
is the traditional fibre used in pile tufting and is considered to be a high-quality material, especially for pieces designed to be used in high-traffic areas.
Wool can be spun into yarn by two systems, either woollen or worsted. Worsted yarn is more favourable for tufting when the finished product will be used in high-traffic areas, as it produces a hard flat surface that is tightly woven together. This is due to the tightly wound, fine yarn which is created in the worsted process. In comparison, woollen yarn used in tufting encases more entrapped air in the finished product and a bulkier finish.
Different yarn fibres can be used depending on the final use of the tufted object and the desired effect. Cotton and acrylic yarns are also commonly used, and decorative yarns may be used for wall hangings or other decorative tufting projects. Yarn should be spun onto cones before tufting to ensure it unwinds consistently and without tangles. Either a single strand or multiple strands of yarn can be used, depending on the thickness of the yarn and the gauge of the needle.
Tools
![Tool, rug-hooking (AM 1932](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Tool%2C_rug-hooking_%28AM_1932.212-1%29.jpg)
There are two types of tufting guns, manual or electric. A tufting gun is a handheld machine where yarn is fed through a needle and subsequently punched in rapid succession through a backing fabric, either with or without scissors. Electric tufting guns can be cut-pile, loop-pile, or a combination of both and are able to produce multiple pile heights.
A similar effect can be achieved with
punch needle embroidery or
rug hooking
Rug hooking is both an art and a craft where rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base such as burlap, linen, or rug warp. The loops are pulled through the backing material by using a crochet-type hook mounted in ...
.
After tufting, the pile can be sheared or cut using electric shearers or scissors to tidy and sculpt the yarn for the finished product. This can be done either before or after the latex glue is applied to the backing. This process also helps to remove any loose fibres which may have come to the surface during the tufting process.
Cleaning and maintenance
Tufting guns must be regularly cleaned and maintained to prevent damage. Regularly removing excess yarn fluff that gathers around the needle and gears helps the mechanism to move without and excess friction. In order to avoid wear and ensure the mechanisms can function smoothly, lubricating oil should be regularly applied to the machine. Tufted rugs can be cleaned regularly with a vacuum to remove dirt, however spills or stains should be spot cleaned immediately.
Popularity
Tufting has seen a rise in popularity since 2018, when Tim Eads started an online community for tufting and made electric tufting guns easily accessible.
Tufting produces both practical and decorative pieces with many uses and effects. The short format of
TikTok
TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
TikTok is an international version ...
and
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
reels lends itself well to the process of tufting, providing a platform for the textile artform to reach a wider audience.
The increase in popularity online has also seen a rise in copyrighted images being recreated without permission.
Environmental impact and effects
Recycling tufted pieces can be difficult as they are typically made up of three layers, which can require additional energy to break down into their individual components.
Processed waste from tufting can be turned into many things, including cushion stuffing, as concrete reinforcement or as modifiers in asphalt mixtures.
Tufted pieces, such as rugs or wall hangings, provide
acoustic properties which can minimize noise and absorb airborne sounds.
They also provide
thermal comfort
Thermal comfort is the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment and is assessed by subjective evaluation ( ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55).ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2017, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupan ...
when walking on tufted rugs with bare feet, and larger pieces provide insulation which may reduce the cost of heating.
Rugs or wall hangings made from wool fibres have been shown to improve
air quality
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
in indoor spaces.
Wool acts as a filter through which contaminants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen are absorbed.
Wool is also a highly absorbent fibre and can help manage
humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity depe ...
changes indoors.
Tufted carpets and rugs provide a safe surface to walk on, offering slip resistance and a more forgiving surface should objects be dropped or falls occur.
Wool carpets are also resistant to flammability and hide soil and other dirts well.
Tufted pieces made from nylon yarn may face colour degradation over time if exposed to excess sunlight.
References
Knitting
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Design
Crafts
Textile arts