The motivation for this MA work is based on the challenge to the preconception of hand-tufting through material, colour and light. When imagining a rug, a very specific image appears in our mind. Some details of that image could vary from person to person, but what is almost certain, dense and heavy, probably made out of wool, woven textile will pop up in front of our eyes.

This work suggests a possibility of creating new expressions in design by the material driven approach. The investigation was led by practice based research including set up of experiments, experimental work and evaluation complementing the whole process. The exploration proved that qualities of monofilament yarn have a great ability to enhance colours as well as add certain kind of lightness to the hand-tufted piece. Furthermore, due to the transparency of monofilament yarn an interplay between the loops and the backing was possible, opening up for changes in colour perception.

The outcome of the research is collection of woven and hand-tufted textiles contributing to the field of textiles by bringing new qualities to the hand-tufting technique.