Half rug is a textile which is only partially covered by pile.
If some base cloth can be seen it must be selected so that it fits the whole design.
Those parts which will not be covered by pile can be filled in many ways: embroidery, painting, appliquee, ...
Swedish relief rya - relief rug
Idea is to sew rug surface and half stitch surface on a canvas following your own design. Study images!
Best yarn is wool, it makes beautiful and tight pile. When the pile is cut it can also be shaped; cut different lenghts, round from edges etc. Steaming, combing and brushing will make woolen pile very even "fur".
Relief rya -technique has been brought up and ideadeveloed by a swedish textile teacher and multimedia producer Inger Degerfält. All of this technique is on her @tt Brodera - embroidery cd-rom.
Images (except relief rug) and web editing Pirjo Sinervo
Relief-rug idea and images Inger Degerfält