How long does it take to make your first piece? | Tufting time schedule for beginners

Hello, this is Tsuji from RUGMATAG!

Before working at RUGMATAG, I saw a video on social media of someone making rugs at home and thought, "I want to do that too!" I immediately bought a set of tools and started tufting in my one-room apartment.

Looking back now, there are a few things I think, "If I had known this from the beginning, I would have enjoyed it more smoothly."

Among these, the theme of this article , "the sense of time it takes to complete one piece," is something that will make your process much easier if you know it in advance.
* Feelings may vary from person to person.

In this article, we will summarize the approximate time schedule for completing your first piece.
I hope this will be helpful for those who are just starting out, as well as those who have bought tools but haven't done any tufting recently.

Tufting is not just about hitting with a gun

This is one of the points that is easily overlooked when you become interested in tufting.
When it comes to tufting, the most noticeable step is "driving the fabric with a tufting gun," but there are actually other steps that need to be taken before and after.
By understanding the overall picture beforehand, you can anticipate that things will take longer than you thought.

First photo: Approximate timetable

This time, we will assume that you are making a 35 x 35 cm chair mat, which is an easy piece to make as your first piece.

The design is simple, and the finish is expected to be a flat pile on the surface and a rounded edge .

Recommended division method

Once the adhesive has been applied, all that's left to do is let it dry, and that's it for the day.
Let it dry thoroughly before moving on to Day 2.
If you roughly decide in advance what you will do and when, you will have a clear idea of ​​the time it will take to complete the project and you will be less likely to feel rushed.

What went wrong with the first one

Here's a story about a mistake I made myself.

The size was too big

*Image is for illustrative purposes only.

My excitement skyrocketed as I finally got to make my first piece using tufting for the first time!
I continued on my spurt and created a large frame, preparing the largest design possible.
As a result, the day was completed with only half of the preparation and installation. The remaining installation and adhesive work took another day, another day for drying, and another day for finishing.
In total, it took me 4 days to complete it (actually it took 2 weeks as I worked on it over the weekend).

If I were to give advice to myself at that time, I would say, "Make your first piece small, about 35 x 35 cm, and work on it for 3-4 hours, completing it in 2 days . You'll feel a sense of accomplishment rather than fatigue, and it will make it easier to move on to the next piece."

We started without scoring a goal.

I started the work without knowing how long it would take, and there were times along the way when I wondered, "How much longer will it take?"
At the time, there was very little information available, so it was impossible to make any predictions.

Just deciding on a break beforehand makes a big difference.

• Today, "up to typing"
• Today, "up to adhesive application"
• Finishing up on the weekend

summary

Tufting is a simple process.
However, if you can't see the whole picture in the first picture, some people may find it more difficult than they thought.

Start small and set intervals until you get used to it. Just doing that will make a big difference in your first experience.
If you can do the first one well, the second one will naturally become easier, so be sure to give it a try!

Tufting is a fascinating technique that allows you to make your own rug.
If you're interested, why not try tufting with RUGMATAG?

If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to contact us via email or our official LINE account.
We hope your tufting life improves!

*The times in this article are only a guideline and may vary depending on the complexity of the design, number of colors, finishing method, and drying environment.