Friday, December 10, 2021
When Water is the Enemy - Flooded Handknotted Rugs
Friday, December 3, 2021
Hand knotted Tibetan Rug Damaged by Moths - Before
Friday, July 30, 2021
Antique Persian Rug Cleaning
This lovely antique Persian Sarouk rug was stored for quite some time. Even though it was clean when put into storage, it became infested with moths. It is never safe to store wool rugs for extended periods of time without setting up a regular inspection schedule during which the rug can be examined carefully for early signs of moth damage. Luckily, the moths haven't eaten too much of the rug but the damage has already started. This rug needs a thorough professional cleaning and repair to various sections throughout the rug that have been damaged. Luckily not too much of the warp and weft has been affected. We are looking forward to repairing this rug and making sure it can be enjoyed for decades to come. --www.traditionalrugrepair.com
Sunday, July 18, 2021
Beni Ourain Rug Cleaning
Monday, June 14, 2021
Repairing a Hole in an Oriental Rug.
Monday, June 7, 2021
Repairing a Hole in an Oriental Rug
Sunday, May 30, 2021
Moth Infested Rug Damage
Anyone who has loved and lived with handmade rugs will know that even after an extended period of time, new "discoveries" can be made. Sometimes a rug lover will suddenly see a motif that was previously "hidden" to her, or a particular color blend will stand out, or even a whole section of a border will suddenly be at the forefront to the person who stands and admires it. These kinds of "discoveries" are a wonderful gift from the weaver who spent a great amount of time and care weaving each design, knotting each motif, and putting together the "story" of a detailed rug.
Other discoveries, however, are not as welcome. There are times after a particularly vigorous vacuuming session, a person may notice that fringes have started to be pulled away from a rug. Or, perhaps more seriously, sometimes small holes or carved out areas begin to appear in a rug. This particular damage is worrying because it can accelerate quickly. These are signs of a moth infestation. Moths can attack at any time, but especially when a rug is in storage, or in an area with poor air ventilation. For this reason, it is important to remember to periodically inspect your rugs for any possible moth or other kind of damage. The old adage is as true as ever - a stitch in time .... --www.traditionalrugrepair.com
Monday, April 19, 2021
Fixing a Bad Rug Repair
Thursday, April 8, 2021
What Does a Bad Rug Repair or Rug Restoration Look Like?
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Restoring an Antique Turkish Rug - Final Result
Friday, March 19, 2021
Restoring an Antique Turkish Rug
Thursday, March 18, 2021
From the Desktop of an Antique Rug Restorer
This is one of my favorite views in the entire world. And I am beyond grateful that it is of my own desktop. I know that I am beyond blessed to love my work as much as I do. I don't know what cosmic lottery I won to get to do what I love - to do for work what I would do anyway as a hobby. But I remind myself every day that this is truly a gift. Especially this year during what was such a challenging year for so many, I am grateful that I had this craft to turn to - to drown out all the worries.
It is hard to put into words what I love so much about restoring rugs. Part of it is purely sensorial. I love the different textures. I love feeling the yarns between my fingers - the coarse wool, the smooth silk, the delicate antique yarns, the robust freshly dyed yarn. I love seeing the vibrant electric colors of Moroccan rugs against the muted rich jewel tones of antique Persian rugs. I even love the quiet hush of my hand rubbing against the knotted pile of a beautiful hand knotted rug. I feel a deep sense of gratification as my work is slowly visually manifested into a pattern replacing a hole or a tear that had long ago compromised a beautiful piece. And I feel a strange, but strong, connection to the weaver whom I will never meet, but whose work I hold in my hands for weeks, sometimes months. I think about her life (because it is almost always a her) and wonder what her life was like, what she wanted to express in her art, what each placement of a motif meant to her. I wonder if she meant to sell this rug - if she helped pay for something for her home with what she got for it, or if somehow this rug was meant for herself or her family and over the years, a grandchild sold it for something for his or her home. It is almost always impossible to ever know, but I imagine all these scenarios through each knot and each loop. And for hours, weeks, months, and years, this is what I do. And it is among my life's greatest gifts. ---www.traditionalrugrepair.com
Monday, March 15, 2021
The Final Stage of a Rug Restoration Project - Shearing Reknotted Sections
When a rug is knotted, or reknotted in the case of a rug restoration project, a weaver will use long yarns to knot wool motifs against a grid-like warp and weft. The yarns have to be long-ish for a weaver to be able to manipulate them. Because of their length, the knotted motifs close to the base of the rug are not always very clear to a weaver. Only after the reknotting is done will a weaver cut the excess yarn down so that the pile is of a uniform (short) length. The shearing can be done either with scissors or with a mechanical shearing tool shown above. No matter how it is done, the shearing allows for the pattern to reveal itself more clearly. This is a very enjoyable part of a restoration project as the shearing makes it look like the pattern somehow magically appears (and it also signifies the project is almost done!). ---www.traditionalrugrepair.com
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Moth Infested Rug Care
Monday, February 22, 2021
Moroccan Rug Cleaning
Cleaning Moroccan rugs is a critical part of their ongoing care, which can minimize the risk of damage that comes from daily wear and tear. Professional cleaning can remove particles that become embedded deep at the base of the pile, which in the case of Moroccan rugs is very long and plush. Professional cleaning, coupled with regular vacuuming, removes the particles between the pile that when brushed against the fibers of the pile eventually wear them down. The long term result of the particles brushing against fibers is general weakening of the fibers which eventually become holes. Therefore, vacuuming and professional cleaning is not only recommended for hygienic purposes, but also to extend the lifespan of the rug, which could be generations long if done properly. --www.traditionalrugrepair.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
How Often Should I Have My Handmade Rug Professionally Cleaned?
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Removing a Stain from a Moroccan Rug
As any owner of a beautiful hand knotted rug knows, spills and stains are an inevitable part of having these beautiful pieces be the foundation of our home spaces. If you ever have an unfortunate spill, we recommend blotting the excess liquid immediately. Please take care to blot. Do not rub as that may cause color run. Then take a damp (not wet) white towel and natural soap and carefully try to remove any stain. Be careful not to rub too hard or across colors. Also be sure that the cloth is damp, not wet. If you can not remove a stain, a professional cleaning may remove the stain. If the stain has been left to sit, or if it is a stain of red wine or other difficult stain, a separate more in depth cleaning process may be necessary. In the worst instances, if the stain is very prominent and a cleaning can not eliminate it, you can reweave that area. But in most instances, a cleaning can greatly reduce the appearance of nearly all stains. Even if small evidence remains, it shouldn't detract from the beauty of a handmade piece. --www.traditionalrugrepair.com
Monday, February 1, 2021
How to Save a Rug's Fringe - Binding
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Moroccan Rug Cleaning - Cleaning a Work of Art
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Goat Hair Kilim Repair Project - Before and After