Early American rugs

Rag rugs were probably the first floorcoverings made in the American colonies. Certainly they were the most plentiful in early times.

The first settlers had no new materials to spare for their floors, so scraps of worn-out cloth of every sort were pain­stakingly cut into strips, sewed together, and wound into big balls to be woven into rugs.

Sometimes the rags were woolen, very occasionally silk, in later years usually cotton. The family loom was strung with strong linen or cotton warps and the long strips of rags were woven over and under them and packed tightly to make a sub­stantial reversible fabric.

The looms were usually narrow so the carpet was narrow.

To make big carpets, several strips were sewed together.