MOTHS

Hello! So, I found quite a few different yarns that are all potential candidates for my restoration project. It's dark right now so I'll wait until it's daylight to take pictures to show you what I have to choose from - it's never a perfect match, but with any luck, I'll be able to closely match the kilim colors. The best restoration is one that you have to struggle to find once it's done. And to achieve that, the right yarn is key. Stay tuned for more soon.

I was the bearer of some bad news for a client today. I thought I'd write about it to you because it's a problem that so many of my clients have had and a problem that's very easy to avoid. My client inherited some rugs from her grandmother a few years ago. They were truly beautiful rugs - over a century old - and very unique. My client couldn't use the rugs right away so she put them in plastic bags and stored them in the back of a closet. A few days ago, my client took the rugs out and found entire motifs carved out - eaten by moths! The carpets are entirely ruined. It would be possible to restore them, but the damage is so extensive that restoration would be much more expensive than the underlying value of the rugs. Of course, the sentimental value is still there - which is why I was so sad to have to tell her that this problem could have been avoided had she properly moth proofed the rugs before putting them away for so long. Never ever store any wool products in a plastic bag - it just provides the right hot and humid environment for moth larvae to damage your items. And a closet is a terrible place to store rugs - rugs are textiles that need to breathe. So, here's a tip for the day - although there is no 100% protection against moths - try to minimize potential damage and store rugs (after they have been cleaned) in a place where there is cross ventilation and never use plastic bags for storage. - www.traditionalrugrepair.com