Tuft the World

A visual how-to guide on the craft of tufting rugs, home decor, and more from the duo behind Tuft the World, the tufting company that has helped launch and educate a new generation of tufters.

Tuft the World is an easy-to-follow and beautifully illustrated guide to tufting, whether you’re creating your first project or are a seasoned tufter. Brought to you by the preeminent experts in the machine-tufting field, this detailed crafting guide shows you, through step-by-step instructions and 175 full-color photographs, how to create contemporary, stylish, and enjoyable machine-tufted rugs, clothes, and objects. Within these pages, you'll learn about:

• Tufting machines, materials, and techniques
• Workspace setup
• How to create projects from start to finish, including everything from a bathmat, bedside rug, shawl collar, or chair slipcover to a picture frame, sculptural work of art, or stunning tufted cat tree!
• Contemporary rug artists and their designs
• The history of tufting and some of the women and men whose inventions brought the craft to life
• And more

Unlike online videos about tufting, this book is a long-lasting reference showcasing the versatility and creativity of the craft by the experts—a highly accessible, thorough, and enriching guide. Included throughout are sidebars on the historical context for amateur and professional rug-making in America and spotlights on current tufting makers.

Tiernan Alexander and Tim Eads are Texas-born artists and business owners living and working in West Philadelphia. In 2018 they started Tuft the World, which provides tufters the high-quality tools, materials, and instruction they need to make their own incredible projects. They have led tufting workshops across North America and collaborated with industry leaders in rug design and carpet manufacturing. Alexander holds an MA from the prestigious Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and an MFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Along with being a gifted tufter, Eads is a master printer and holds an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.