Clawlab Review: A Sewing Professional Tests the H1 Tufting Kit
Introducing Sophie from Sewing So & La Cabane à coudre — a sewing professional who works with textiles every day. Tufting was completely new to her, so she tested the Clawlab Tufting Kit H1 as a true first-timer and shared what the process actually feels like.
👉 You can watch the full, unedited video here:
The following images and text are excerpted from the Sewing So video above.
Who is Sophie, and why did she try tufting?
Q: What’s your background before tufting?
I’m Sophie from Sewing So & La Cabane à coudre. Sewing and textile work are my daily environment — but tufting was completely new to me.
What is tufting, in simple terms?
Q: How would you explain tufting to a beginner?
Tufting is a textile technique where you push yarn into a stretched fabric using a tufting gun to create raised textures and patterns.
In simple terms: it’s a way to play with yarn, fabric, and tools to create textured pieces like rugs or wall hangings.
Why hadn’t you tried tufting earlier?
Q: What stopped you from starting tufting before?
Two main reasons:
Those tufting guns looked intimidating. Most guns I saw were large, all-metal, heavy machines. As someone with arthritis, that felt unrealistic and uncomfortable.
Traditional frames felt like too much work. Wooden frames with nails, hammering fabric into place — it felt very DIY-heavy and time-consuming. Honestly? I didn’t feel motivated to start that way.
What made the Clawlab H1 different?
Q: Why did you finally decide to try tufting with the Clawlab H1?
The Clawlab H1 immediately looked more approachable. The gun is lightweight (around 550g), and the kit includes everything needed to start — gun, frame, fabric, yarn, and backing materials.
That removed most of the friction that had stopped me before.
What comes in the Clawlab Tufting Kit H1?
Q: What’s included in the kit you tested?
The kit includes:
A lightweight tufting gun (with EU power adapter)
Yarn for testing
Primary tufting cloth (a loose-weave fabric made specifically for tufting)
Non-slip backing fabric for finishing rugs
An aluminum frame with clamps
A short printed guide
Everything needed to start experimenting is in the box — no extra sourcing required.
Is the frame difficult to assemble?
Q: How hard was it to set up the frame?
Not difficult at all.
The instruction manual is very brief and only in English, which could be improved. But the frame is so intuitive that I assembled it in about 12 minutes just by following the images.
The aluminum frame clamps directly to a table, which makes it:
very stable
easy to install and remove
easy to store (even flat under a table or bed)
How do you stretch tufting fabric without nails?
Q: How does fabric tension work on this frame?
Instead of nails, the frame uses clamping mechanisms. You roll and lock the fabric at the top and bottom, then secure and tension it horizontally using side clamps.
Once tightened, the fabric becomes extremely taut — exactly what you need for tufting.
As a seamstress, I immediately appreciated not having to deal with nails.
How do you transfer a design for tufting?
Q: How do you draw patterns for tufting?
You draw on the back side of the fabric. There are several options:
Freehand drawing (if you’re confident)
Projector tracing
Tracing a paper pattern placed behind the fabric
Important detail:
If your design includes text or directional elements, it must be drawn mirrored, since tufting is done from the back.
Is the Clawlab tufting gun easy to use?
Q: How did the tufting gun feel in use?
Surprisingly familiar.
For people who sew, the mechanics feel intuitive:
Threading the gun is similar to threading a sewing needle
The front resembles a sewing machine presser foot
Yarn cutting is automatic
The speed is adjustable using a simple dial, which is very helpful for beginners — especially when doing outlines.
Can a complete beginner use a tufting gun?
Q: Could someone with zero experience try it successfully?
Yes — absolutely.
I even handed the gun to someone who had never touched a tufting gun before. After just two instructions:
always work bottom to top
keep the gun perpendicular with steady pressure
They were tufting successfully within minutes.
Beginner tufting mistakes (uneven lines, small holes) are easy to fix early on and don’t ruin the final piece.
How loud is the Clawlab H1?
Q: Is the Clawlab H1 noisy?
No — it’s surprisingly quiet.
Quiet enough that I could comfortably work while listening to music. That was a big plus.
How long does a first tufted rug take?
Q: How much time did your first rug take?
For a piece around 40 × 40 cm:
~45 minutes for initial coloring
~1.5 hours total tufting time
Most of the improvement happens during the process — the more you tuft, the better your control becomes.
Does tufting use a lot of yarn?
Q: Is tufting yarn-intensive?
Yes. Very.
You go through yarn much faster than expected, especially while learning and testing densities. Using affordable acrylic yarns is completely fine for practice.
Is tufting messy?
Q: Does tufting create a mess?
Yes — especially during trimming and finishing.
Yarn dust is unavoidable. A vacuum nearby is essential, and for longer sessions, a mask isn’t a bad idea. This is normal for textile crafts.
What projects are best for beginner tufting?
Q: What should beginners make first?
large shapes
limited colors
solid areas
Detailed outlines and text are possible, but much more demanding early on.
Final thoughts: Is tufting worth trying?
Q: Would you recommend tufting to beginners?
Absolutely.
What surprised me most is how playful and satisfying tufting is. It looks technical, but it’s very accessible. Mistakes are part of the process, and progress comes quickly.
I discovered a new creative activity that fits perfectly into my textile world — and I’m definitely not stopping here.
