1:48 scale needlepoint rugs
Many years ago, a mini friend gave me a scrap of gauze so I could stitch a 1:48 rug from a chart I'd come across. I was hooked immediately, and soon started to design my own charts based on full-scale rugs.
If you're looking for my free charts and other resources for mini needlepointers, the Needlepoint charts index is the best starting point.
Tiny rugs are big fun
My first 1:48 scale rugs are shown above. The biggest rug is stitched from Madelyn Cook's design in Nutshell News (November 1996); it's her adaption of an Arts and Crafts rug by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The small Chinese style rug is inspired by her Chinese rug design in Nutshell News (November 1992). Her rug was larger, and I only had a small scrap of silk gauze at hand, so I had to alter the design to fit the size of the scrap. Both rugs are stitched on #40 silk gauze, with one strand of DMC embroidery floss. The Arts and Crafts rug is 4.5 cm by 6.5 cm (1 3/4" by 2 5/8"). I've put it in my English Cottage.
Using larger scale charts
These 1:48 scale rugs are stitched from 1:12 scale patterns in the book Miniature Needlepoint Carpets by Janet Granger. Changing the scale by using finer gauze works best if the original design was for a rather small rug stitched on fairly coarse canvas (in this case 18 holes per inch). Otherwise your rug may turn out way too large for 1:48 scale (do the math before you start stitching!).
First I stitched the Georgian design shown at the right, and later the multi-colored Chinese carpet. Both of these are stitched on #48 silk gauze, with one strand of DMC embroidery floss. The thimble indicates the size - the Chinese carpet measures 4.5 cm by 7 cm (1 3/4" by 2 7/8"), plus fringe.
Designing my own rugs
Making my own designs turned out to be great fun! Even as a teenager I enjoyed the challenge of fitting as much detail as possible into a small needlepoint design, and a few years ago I bought the Easy Cross software. It turned out to be an excellent tool, with lots of great utilities, and I've made charts for lots of 1:48 scale rugs since. I usually base my designs on photos of antique rugs.
The top left rug is oriental (Baluch, circa 1850). My chart for it appeared in the very last issue of LEN. The one next to it is a Victorian design, measuring about 3.5 cm by 5 cm (1 1/2" by 2"). You'll find the chart for that one among my free DIYs! The long narrow rug is based on William Morris' Little Tree rug. That chart has appeared in Miniatyrvärlden.