Smooth faced rugs

Smooth-faced rugs are started just inside the edging stitch, as are pile rugs, but with the unworked length of the canvas facing towards, instead away from, the worker. Other differences as regards general treatment are that:

• The turned-over cut edge should be on the underneath side of the rug instead of on the top. There is a school of thought that prefers to have the cut edge on top whatever type of rug is being made, but however neatly and strongly it is covered, this edge forms a ridge where the double canvas becomes single and therefore it is better to have it on the wrong side of the material for smooth-faced rugs.

• When using pile stitches the starts and stops are all on the top of the rug. With flat stitches the new and old threads should be run in along the back of the work already completed. If attempts are made to do this on the front of the rug the resultant thickening invariably shows.