Rug Tufting with SIMJI

September 2, 2024
Textile artist Simji debuts with an approachable manual on how to make small rugs and other items with a tufting gun, which is used “to push yarn through a primary cloth.” Offering a rundown of tools and materials, she explains that acrylic yarns wear down easily and are best used for art pieces, while wool yarns are more durable but less soft. Simji provides a detailed overview of how to wield a tufting gun, showing how to thread it and sharing handling tips (“Tie back your hair and wear clothes that aren’t too loose or drapey”). A simple “warm up” project introduces readers to the basic tufting process by describing how to create a red rectangular rug smaller than a standard sheet of paper, with instructions detailing how to set up a workstation, tuft the cloth, apply glue to the rug’s underside to hold the yarn in place, and shave the top for a tidy finish. Subsequent playful projects include a coaster set that, when stacked, looks like a cheeseburger; an orange border for a circular mirror; and clothing patches depicting a dinosaur, alien face, and heart. The comprehensive instructions contain everything tufting novices need to get started, and QR codes to Simji’s YouTube tutorials will be a boon for those who want further guidance on properly stretching fabric and tracing designs onto cloth. This is lots of fun.