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The Repair Tour!
Welcome to our Repair Tour!
We will take you on a quick trip through our repair process, from pre-wash inspection to finishing work.
Rugs that come to us for repair are thoroughly inspected to identify the damage, the cause of that damage, and the various options available to correct or minimize that damage. Our goal is not only to make the rug “look” better cosmetically, but to also make certain that the structure of the repaired area is strong enough to allow you to use and enjoy your rug without worrying about further damage. Rugs are woven to last decades at the least, and centuries at the most, and rugs of all ages travel through our doors. Our specialty is antique and semi-antique rug care, and our knowledge regarding these textiles allows us to give you the information necessary in making the right rug care decisions. If a rug gets to the point that it is “past its prime,” we will let you know what type of floor, type of pad, and level of traffic would be best to help the piece last longer.
Most rugs have white cotton fringe tassels, and others have wool or silk tassels (depending on where and when they were woven). Some rug owners like the look of the fringe on their rugs, to others it drives them nuts to always be straightening them, or keeping them from getting caught in the vacuum cleaner (that’s why you vacuum from side to side instead of from end to end).
But, the fringe is not just a “pretty” way to finish the rug – it is actually the foundation fibers of the rug. The rug’s “skeleton.” Each individual tassel that you grab in your hand runs through the middle of the rug all the way to the other end, emerging as another individual tassel on the opposite end.
WARP:
Each individual foundation strand that runs the length of a rug. These strands end up being the fringe tassels of the rug.
WEFT:
Each individual foundation strand that runs the width of a rug. We remember these as being the strands that run “weft” to “right.” J Because the tassels are the warps of a hand woven rug, torn or worn fringe is damage to pay special attention to. This damage can easily result in your rug unraveling and losing its knots (this is where the labor – and value – of a rug is).
A proper overcast stitch (by hand) along the end of a rug will anchor the knots in place so that they will not “slide” off of the warps. This is a simple looking stitch (either a buttonhole or cross-stitch variety), but knowledge about how to properly anchor the stitch to a weft thread is key. A poorly executed stitch will lead to a tension inconsistency that can result in additional knots unraveling from the rug.
A minimum of an inch of original fringe (exposed warps) tassel is needed for a correct overcast stitch, and it is ideal to have one consistent row of knots to anchor together from left to right – this many times means that the rug must be evened out beforehand to prepare it for the overcast stitch. With the proper conditions met, this leads to a superior overcast stitch. This service should then last and never have to be redone (barring some extreme damage such as from a vacuum or a dog’s teeth). It is the one service that we guarantee for the life of your rug.
The fringe is the first thing to go on a rug. It’s inevitable. Years of footsteps on individual tassels cause abrasion. Vacuum cleaners cause damage. And they both contribute to tearing, fraying, and an eventual wearing down of the tassels. Most of the time we want our rugs “fixed” with new fringe because it just looks bad when the original fringe is worn. It’s a noticeable thing to fix, and it is the most common repair that comes through our doors. First the end must be secured with an overcast stitch so that the structure of the rug is sound. Then a new prefabricated fringe can be laid along the top of the original fringe base, and attached by hand. Because the fringe is laid on top of the original fringe base (the original tassels are trimmed shorter so that they do not “peek” through the new tassels) it protects the end of the rug from further foot traffic abrasion. Now the “new” fringe takes all of the abuse from footsteps.
Just as tied-off fringe tassels hold the knots in place from the ends; the side cords hold the knots in place from the sides. The weft (left to right) threads are wrapped around a thick side cord that runs the entire length of the rug (with the warps). This cord holds the rows in place, and is usually (after the weaving is completed) wrapped in wool, cotton, goat hair, or silk. The over-wrapping is usually done in a color that blends well with the overall look of the rug.
Sometimes multiple rugs are woven on the same large loom for higher production numbers. When this is done, the rug wefts are shared between the rugs. To separate the rugs then, the shared wefts need to be cut. This means that these wefts are not wrapped securely around a side cord. In fact, what is often done is a side cord is already over-wrapped in a matching color and they baste it to each side of the finished rug without securing the “loose” weft threads. This makes the rug “look” right, but there’s a problem with this…
Contemporary rugs from Pakistan are a good example of this type of finishing on the sides. Because the wefts are not secured to the side cords, you can pull hard on the side and literally pull it off. This can happen with a shoe heel, or a vacuum cleaner, or a pet’s bite. And it pulls off almost as if the side is perforated. Some Pakistani rugs are woven in pairs, so there is only one “shared” side that has this problem.
And, this weaving characteristic is not just a Pakistani characteristic – you find it also in several India and Persian pieces as well. The fear is that you’ll pull the side loose and will begin losing knots. However, this can be fixed by either adding additional securing stitches to the existing side cord (to delay replacement), or by removing the original cord and replacing it with a new one that is properly anchored to the body of the rug. Flip over the sides of you rug onto itself and inspect them to see if there are any loose areas along the sides. If you catch the problem early, it is a very inexpensive repair.
Small holes and tears in the center of a rug can be caused by many things – excessive foot traffic, furniture friction (rolling chairs), planter water damage (dry rot), or just old age. Regardless of the cause, the area needs immediate attention to ensure further loss of knots is avoided. Embroidery stitching can strengthen small worn areas to protect fragile foundation fibers from further friction. If the hole is significant, then patching or reweaving will be needed. Selective dyeing is a “cosmetic” repair to make your rug look better. Permanent textile dyes can be used to blend away worn areas, discolored areas, white knots, and repairs. On collectible rugs dyeing beyond some small particular areas can affect the value of the rug. We will share the positives and negatives in these situations so you can make an informed decision.
Many rugs make striking wall hangings, and showcasing them as your piece of art is a popular choice for many textiles from silk rugs to tapestries to American Indian weavings. Some fragile pieces that cannot be walked on any longer can also be prepared to hang so that you can continue to enjoy them.
The Textile Museum recommends using velcro to hang textiles, so we offer this to our clients to hang their textiles for display. The velcro is attached by hand to the rug, and then the mate piece is attached to a piece of wood that you can then secure to your wall. The advantages of using velcro are:
1) The rug can be adjusted to hang evenly (rugs are rarely symmetrical, so this allows you to make slight adjustments).
2) The rug lays against the wall more evenly.
3) It makes it easy to take down to dust (at least once a month to ensure no insects are making a home behind them).
If you would like to use a decorative rod to hang your rug with, then a sleeve can be sewn along the back of the rug by hand to slide the rod through.
Another option is to attach a rug to a material covered frame to “mount” the rug on a wall. We do not recommend encasing a rug in a Plexiglas or plastic, or anything that is airtight – offgassing of the fibers (especially moisture evaporation from wool fibers in extreme heat) can lead to mildew and other deteriorating conditions.
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