Hand knotted Silk Rug Repair - Before Pictures

When people think of hand knotted rugs, they often think of Persian central medallion rugs with their rich red and deep blue floral motifs.  But one of the wonderful things about hand knotted rugs is that they come in a vast variety of motifs and color palettes.  The rug pictured above is a good example of a geometric and monochromatic hand knotted rug.  Its palette of browns, tans, and golds is made even more visually striking by the silk yarns which comprise its pile.  The silk pile lends the rug a certain sheen which makes the same section of pile appear darker or lighter depending on the direction in which the viewer is observing it.  Unfortunately, this is hard to capture in photos.

This rug had various areas in need of repair, including the corner pictured below.  

Below is a photo we took of the back of the rug as we prepared to begin to repair the damaged corner.  --www.traditionalrugrepair.com

Patchwork Rugs

 Patchwork rugs are made by sewing together various pieces of vintage rugs of different patterns, ages, and, sometimes, textures.  They are suitable for both traditional and modern spaces making them very popular in home design.  Some patchwork rugs are made by simply sewing different pieces of rugs together.  Other patchwork rugs are made by taking various pieces of rugs and kilims, sewing them together, and then dying them all a similar color.  Both dyed patchwork rugs (sometimes called "over dyed patchwork rugs") and undyed patchwork rugs are yet another way to recycle weavings and to extend the life of hand knotted and hand woven pieces.  Some patchwork rugs, through creative composition, are reminiscent of the rich tradition of American quilting.  

Caring for patchwork rugs is similar to caring for the hand knotted and hand woven pieces from which they are made.  Regular vacuuming is recommended, as is the professional cleaning of your patchwork rugs every two years or so, depending on the amount of foot traffic and other stresses to which the patchwork rug is subject.  Most of the damage that occurs with patchwork rugs is to the binding that joins the various pieces together.  Therefore,  careful attention should be paid to these areas when assessing whether patchwork rug repair is necessary.  --www.traditionalrugrepair.com

Persian Rug Repair - After

After professionally cleaning this Persian rug, we removed all the damaged fibers, as well as all the surrounding fibers that had been compromised.  We then reconstructed the warp, weft, and pile.  Above is a picture of the selvage after our repair.  Below is a photo of the same area as seen from the back of the rug.  Often, it is easier to spot a repair or restoration from the back of the rug rather than the front.

Below is a photo of our rug repair in progress.  The grid-like area comprised of cotton yarns is the structure upon which we reknotted the woolen pile with motifs consistent with the original design of the rug.

As a reminder, below are pictures of the front and back of the damaged area before we undertook our repair of the damaged edge of this rug. --www.traditionalrugrepair.com