Tufter's Voice #01 | Hisato Tsuchiya (Neutuft)

Real voices from people who continue tufting.
Tufter's Voice#01

An interview series with people who continue tufting as a hobby or job.

The guest for this memorable first episode is Tsuchiya Hisato from Neutuft .

We at RUGMATAG first learned about Tsuchiyama in June 2021.
At a time when there was almost no information about tufting in Japanese, we were thinking about spreading the word ourselves, and that's when we came across Tsuchiyama's note article .

As far as we know, this was the first article to carefully summarize tufting in Japanese, and we remember being surprised at how easy it was to understand.

I'm sure many people have started tufting after reading this article.

Neutuft (Neutuft) Tsuchiya's note article

Furthermore, Tsuchiyama is also the person who coined the term "home tufting."

This time, we asked Tsuchiyama about what inspired him to start, his production environment, and what has changed about tufting .

self-introduction

Instagram: @neutuft

Style and theme of works and activities

I aim for designs that are free of individuality and highly anonymous, so when I create something as my own work, I often combine abstract shapes and meaningless patterns .

I also like to add ingenuity to the highly abstract mechanisms rather than the visible parts. For example, in the tufting workshop I run, participants are asked to generate a parametric design on a designated webpage, and then create something using that design data . When viewed individually, the finished pieces don't have any particularly distinctive characteristics, but as the number of pieces increases, a concept begins to emerge. I like things like this, where ingenuity has been added to the "mechanism for creating shapes."

Neutuft: A workshop to make cushions using carpet-making techniques

First Step

What got me started

I've loved making things since I was a child, and I went on to study fine arts at university, where I learned a wide range of things about "making," including graphic design, crafts, and video. After graduating, I got a job at a web production company, but while working there, I took a break from making things with my hands. Around the beginning of 2021 , I happened to come across a video on YouTube of someone overseas doing tufting , and thought, "That looks fun," which sparked my interest. At first, I rented a shared studio and worked alone, working silently. At the time, I was working on web production, and I felt that I should try to gain experience running a business-like PDCA cycle on my own while disseminating information online. I wondered if I could do something involving tufting, so I decided to rent a studio and started small workshops.

First Work

The first thing I made was a rug the size of a doormat , about 45 x 60 cm.

As far as I can remember, it took about 2-3 days to make.

At the time, there was almost no information about tufting on the web, so I had no idea what tools I needed, what type of yarn was suitable, how to finish the lining, or even whether the tufting gun was working properly... Everything was a trial and error process.

Despite all that, I managed to make a rug, so I was extremely happy when it was finished. However, I also remember being quite surprised at the amount of yarn used as material. The first one that worked well happened to be a relatively high-quality craft yarn, and the lining was also carefully made with felt. I remember thinking, "If we carry on like this, the material costs will be too high. If we want to continue, we'll have to find ways to reduce costs." I remember being impressed, but at the same time, I also began to see the practical challenges.

Initial costs and what you need to prepare first

In my case, I spent a period of time buying and trying out a wide variety of yarns, glues, and fabrics through trial and error, so I'm not sure how much to consider as an initial cost, but I think the minimum equipment needed for tufting, excluding consumables, would be around 50,000 to 60,000 yen .

A tufting gun (AK-1 type) costs about 30,000 yen, a DIY frame would cost about 2,000 to 3,000 yen, and peripheral equipment such as a thread winder , clamps , a projector for transferring designs, and a hand mixer for mixing adhesive would cost about 20,000 yen.

Work environment, concerns and countermeasures

Work location

Currently, I am creating tufting in the shared workshop I run .

I mainly use a 60x90cm tufting frame that I made myself. Because it is a multi-purpose space used by many people, there is no permanent space dedicated to tufting, so I fix the frame to a shared work table each time I make something. When I'm done, I remove the frame and put it away.

How we perceive sound and what to do

In my case, I work in a dedicated crafting space, so unfortunately, I don't really mind the noise of tufting. Other users around me also do woodworking and other noise-producing tasks, so the tufting gun's operating noise doesn't seem particularly noticeable. Compared to power tools for woodworking like circular saws and power sanders, I feel the tufting gun's noise is "almost silent." Even in a typical rental property, I think it's fine to use it during reasonable hours without worrying too much about it. If anything, the rattle of the desk or table holding the frame when threading the yarn might be more noticeable. In my own work environment, I don't take any special measures to soundproof or dampen vibrations. I think I've managed to address the noise issue by working in a workshop where some noise is expected.

What were your fears before you started and how did it actually go?

To be honest, I wasn't too worried before I started. Rather, there was a lot I had to research, and I felt like I was trying my hand at something that not many people in the world had done yet, which I found quite fun.

One of the concerns I had after actually trying it was the issue of material efficiency and material costs . I think this has been largely resolved thanks to the emergence of companies like Ragma Tag that handle tufting yarn. On the other hand, I still feel that the issue of material costs being relatively high compared to other expressive techniques remains.

The other thing was how to finish the backing. At first, I didn't know what kind of adhesive was suitable for tufting, and the more I thought about "carefully and sturdily," the more I realized there was no end to the correct way to go. I actually went around to various general stores and observed the backs of commercially available rugs, and little by little I learned what kind of finish would balance ease of production with ease of maintenance as an everyday item.

What has changed with tufting?

The best/happiest moment about tufting

This is a bit off topic from the perspective of my work and craftsmanship, but I think the best thing about tufting is that it has led to an explosive expansion of my relationships , especially with the customers who attend my workshops.

My connection with Ragma Tag is one example . When I first started my workshop activities in 2021, someone from Osaka said, "I'd like to participate in Tsuchiya's workshop." At the time, tufting workshops were not yet well known, so I felt it would be a shame to ask them to come all the way to Tokyo, so I introduced them to Ragma Tag, a workshop that was just about to open, and said, "I'll connect you with them." That was the first opportunity, even though I hadn't met them yet . From there, we actually formed a connection, and we still keep in touch today.

The workshop I currently run originally started when a friend from university came to visit me in the studio I rented for my tufting workshops, and we decided to work together. Looking back, I feel that the stimulating environment I have today is built on relationships with people I would never have met if I hadn't been doing tufting.

I also feel a sense of camaraderie, or even a small sense of solidarity, with people who started researching tufting around the same time as me, around 2021, and with whom I exchanged information in the early days , and I'm very happy that our relationships continue to this day. I'm the type of person who is suited to working quietly and inconspicuously, and I'm rather reclusive, but even so, I'm very grateful and happy when people occasionally invite me to tufting gatherings and show interest in me.

What do you do with the rugs you make? (For yourself/as a gift/for sale etc.)

I have a rug I made myself in the entrance of my home , and I change it out from time to time depending on my mood or the season .

At first, I was quite concerned about its durability since it was handmade, but after using it for about two years, it hasn't broken at all, so I realized I didn't need to worry as much as I thought I would.

Rugs themselves are not something that need to be treated roughly, so I think it's fine if you use them on a daily basis without being overly fussy. Above all, it's nice to be able to actually use something you made yourself in your daily life, and you naturally grow attached to it.

Changes in myself since I started tufting

I still work full-time as a company employee during the weekdays and continue to run the workshop in my spare time, but ever since I started tufting, I feel like my entire life has become centered around making things. "Making" has become a part of both my work and personal life, and it has become a natural premise for me.

In particular , I am confident that my know-how regarding the mechanisms and adjustments of tufting guns is quite advanced even in Japan . The time I have spent understanding the structure and quirks of tools and thinking about how to use them reliably has been a great asset to me. To be honest, I didn't really know what my strengths were before I set my sights on tufting, but now I feel like I have a core that I can speak about with confidence . The fact that I am able to run a workshop and workroom while working full-time on weekdays and make a living from this is one of my strengths, and I believe it has directly led to my confidence.

from now

What work/activity would you like to try next (size, color, where you want to put it, who you want to send it to)

I'm not really looking for anything dramatic or big changes, but I would like to continue what I'm doing now, in a small, steady manner , for long enough that people start asking me, "Are you still doing that?", and then it would be great if it could become a kind of brand .

One thing that has already taken shape is that I have been able to make the tufting gun a part of the "ordinary equipment" in the workshop , which I feel is a personal achievement. I am very happy that I have been able to bring it to a state where it is not a special tool, but can be lined up on a shelf with other tools.

I think the challenge going forward is to lower the barrier to getting to know these tools and techniques. I want to see tufting not as something "special" but something that people can reach if they think, "I'd like to give it a try," and to slowly become familiar with it over time .

A word of advice for those who want to start tufting!

I think tufting is a unique technique in that it can be used to create everyday items like rugs, or as artwork to hang on the wall .

Even if your illustration is a little distorted or you're not very confident in your drawing, tufting can surprisingly give it a good feel. Of course, this goes without saying if it's the kind of drawing a professional illustrator would do. I think it's a technique that both skilled artists and those who aren't can enjoy the same joy of "making it" once they've created something. In that sense, I think it's a technique with a wide appeal and depth. Once you actually try it, I think you'll gradually come to appreciate its depth, both as a way of making things and as a way of expression . If you're interested, I recommend you visit a workshop near you.

Neutuft, a tufting workshop in Bunkyo Ward

RUGMATAG is committed to increasing the number of people who continue tufting in a fun and comfortable way.

Tufter's Voice aims to provide a "concrete image" for those who want to start tufting, and to provide content that also introduces the work and activities of the speakers.