Kazak Prayer Rug

Here is the pre-inspection video for a 3x4 Kazak prayer rug we got in not long ago, that is in need of some attention. It has enough wear in it to keep it from being a candidate for restoration, but there are some repair option that will make the piece more livable. Kate will do some work to the perimeter and some field work; the results should be quite good.

Pictures (click to enlarge):

Kurdish, Mid-sized... Crying Out for Help!

Pre-Inspection Video

This mid-sized Kurd has perimeter problems, as well as many puncture holes in the field. In this clip, Kate does her pre-inspection evaluation and discusses her strategy for dealing with the issues to bring this rug back to life.

"Before" Pictures (click to enlarge):

             

Mid-Repair Video

A Pair of Hamadans - Before and After

We received these two Hamadans, both belonging to the same client, and they both needed some work. In this clip, Kate provides some basic info about each rug, and details what will be done in each case to address the problems. They both need field work - flatstitching and dyeing in the field - but only one has issues with sides and ends. 

And this is a video taken when the rugs were in progress, showing work that has been done, and discussing what remains to be done.

Before & After Pictures (click to enlarge):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Baktiari - Field Wear and Perimeter Issues

This Baktiari is pretty shot. The field is worn in places, and the ends and sides have been machine surged at some point in the past. Machine surging is definitely not the correct way to secure the perimeter of a handmade rug like this - it was made by hand, it needs to be repaired by hand. The steady drilling of the machine needle has essentially perforated the foundation of the rug, and eventually it will pull off en masse. For the time being, it is stable, so we won't be removing it. We couldn't in any case, since it was also given a layer of latex on the back side, which is not reversible. In most case, such a bad repair would completely devalue the piece, but in this case, the rug had little value to begin with, because of its condition.

We will be doing some flatstitching in the field to help the design to stand out better, but that's about all we can do for this piece. It will not restore value to the piece, but it will make it more livable. 

Pictures:

       

Photo Captions:

1. Overall shot of the Baktiari, post-wash, pre-repair.

2. Close up of a section of the worn field.

3. A close up shot of some of the wear in the border.

4. A close up shot of the worst way you could possibly "repair" the perimeter of a rug. There is no way to undo this, and the rug is now seriously devalued. Whenever we see rugs that have had this sort of obviously damaging repair work done elsewhere, there's not much we can do except frown a bit and shake our heads.

5. A front view of the "wrongâ" way to repair a rug. Handmade rugs needs to be repaired by hand. The steady drilling of the machine needle will perforate the edges of the rug, like paper. Besides, it looks ugly and out of place. But the real killer is the latex, which seeps into the foundation and cannot be safely dissolved and removed. The rug is nearly completely devalued.

Cutting A Hole for Access to an Outlet

Occasionally, the need will arise in which a slot, or hole of some sort, will need to be created in a rug so that a floor outlet can be accessed. Usually, a lamp’s power cord, from a lamp on an end table near a couch. Rather than try to snake a cord across the rug and double it back under, a slit can be safely created to allow immediate access. 

Done properly, the opening in the field can be restored when the need no longer presents itself. In this clip, Kate discusses just such a repair, in a large, room-sized new Pakistani piece.

    

Photo Captions:

1. Overview shot of field where the outlet slit was created.

2. Close-up of cut edge, and how it was properly secured.

3. Shot of outlet slot, from front, closed.

4. Shot of outlet slot, from front, open.