Rag rug making

The tradition of making ‘rag’ or ‘thrift’ rugs became widespread during the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century. However by the 1920s the craft was dying out as it was associated with hard times. The necessity for thrift during World War II brought a brief revival and interest in the craft grew again in the 1980s. It is currently practised by many amateurs who enjoy making things.

• Progging: Small rectangles of recycled fabric are poked or pulled through a hessian backing to create a shaggy texture for rugs and other projects. This technique appears to have originated the UK, but as it was done by the poor, it is not well documented.
• Hooking: pulling a thin strip of fabric, or yarn, into loops through a hessian backing to cover the surface. This technique is suitable for detailed and pictorial rugs/hangings and is popular in USA, Canada, Australia as well as the UK.
• Plaiting (braiding): strips of fabric can be stitched into spirals and other shapes to make reversible rugs. Also popular in USA, Canada and now such rugs are imported from India.

There are other techniques involving strips of recycled fabric such as crocheting, knitting and weaving.

Progged rugs were often made from mill waste in parts of the UK where there were mills. In other parts of the country old clothes were used. Originally the backing was hessian food sacks. In different parts of the UK the rugs had many different names: proggies, proddies, poke mats, peg mats and clootie mats.

• The International Guild of Handhooking Rugmakers – founded in 1994 in London by a group of international friends who decided to establish a worldwide group involved in rugmaking.

• Jenni Stuart-Anderson
• Heather Ritchie
• Cilla Cameron
• Lynne Stein
• Debbie Siniska
• Sue Clow
• Susan Harrison

• Stuart-Anderson, Jenni, (2011) More Rag Rugs & Recycled Textile Projects (available from author)
• M.F. Hemeon Collection (MERL 74/131 and MERL Archives D79/31), Museum of English Rural Life