ISSN 2207-100X March 2022
A question often asked…
“Where can you buy cut wool fabric for rug hooking in Australia ?”
In North America, many rug hooking instructors sell wool fabric from their studios or online; by the metre, as swatches, or strips cut to the size required. You can find online sellers showing “.au” in their online address – however the cost of the postage indicates the wool strips are coming from overseas and the postage costs more than the wool!
If you are trying to achieve the “carpet” effect in your next rug, then you know you need to use strips of durable wool fabric to achieve the “even loops” that simply can’t be achieved by using miscellaneous recycled fabrics that tend to “mushroom” or shred in a textural way (but still loved by many). The intricate, tapestry-like antique rug patterns were specifically designed for wool strips!
COVID de-stashing – holds the answer!
I received an email from Jenny in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, who was sorting her late mother’s craft supplies and is interested in selling two (2) wool fabric cutters; a large quantity of “re-cycled” wool garments, along with previously cut wool strips; plus a large selection of rug designs drawn on Hessian. Not being a rug hooker, she didn’t know where to find buyers for these supplies or where to start advertising.
Rugmakers in Australia are well-aware of how difficult rug hooking supplies are to come by, so once again the network of the Australian Rugmakers Group is able to come to her rescue and help our Australian rugmakers! You will find all the items on our Swap n Sell page along with the Jenny’s email address for easy contact.
If you need wool strips but don’t want to go to the expense of buying a cutter; and Jenny’s current stash of strips are not the size you want, or in your colourway, you could arrange with her to have some of the recycled wool fabric cut to the size you need.
If you have shopped online for pre-cut wool strips, you know they are generally cut from swatches that are 31-46 cm (12-18 in.) long and are sold online through places like eBay and Amazon, in 100-strip lots that range in price from US$12.95 – US$15 plus postage of US$25 – more than what the wool strips cost!
Here’s an image showing the different sizes of strips and a Wool Calculator – this information is shared from the website of Loopy Wool Rug Hooking Wool and Supplies, who I’m sure won’t mind the publicity. https://www.loopysupply.com/
Traditional Rug designs are also available For Sale on this website’s Swap n Sell. Some are commercially printed, others hand drawn.
If you have purchased old patterns printed or drawn on Hessian, you know the primary problem has to do with the Hessian backing and how it was stored. These patterns are probably 40-50 years old and have been folded while stored instead of being rolled like quilts. While the creases could be ironed out, it does mean the backing has probably been weakened along the crease lines and most rug makers are reluctant to invest a lot of time and wool into an intricate design on a “suspect” backing.
However, it is possible to save these antique designs by copying them onto a new backing of your choice (i.e., new Hessian, synthetic linen or monks cloth, all available in Australia.) Copyright would not become an issue as long as the purchaser merely transfers the commercial pattern for their personal use and does not make additional copies for sale.
The rug hooking supplies listed are located in Tanunda, South Australia. If you are interested contact Jenny at jenny-au@ihug.com.au who said anyone passing through the Barossa Valley is welcome to inspect the items and/or save on postage.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I know several Aussie Group members who have purchased and hooked up designs on backing from this era – I have done so myself – it seems to hold up quite well. The quality and finish of the “old” Hessian is superior to the Hessian available today, which is smelly and hairy!
In the West, after 2 years of no COVID, numbers are climbing rapidly and we are masked and dealing with severe COVID restrictions. While on the East Coast, they are coming out of horrendous floods. To top this, in Europe, Ukraine and its people are being decimated! Thoughts are with everyone dealing with adversity. Stay Safe and keep on rugmaking. 
