Cutting A Rug
Dear Suzy,
I too am infected with the Turkish Rug virus. I was fortunate to be able to tour Turkey in January ’94 and bought several rugs from different areas. I have a small Pergama that needs some repair work and your article caught my eye. The web address is faded on my paper. Is this correct? http://www.chanell.com/skaffrugs/index.html? When I try that address, I get a message that it is incorrect, so I assume I have something wrong.
I enjoyed your thoughts about your first big purchase. Thanks for helping me find out more about all of mine.
Glenda V.
Dear Glenda,
That old Internet is so picky; the actual address is http://www.channell.com/skaffrugs/index.html. (Notice there’s one more “n” in channell.) I’m in one of my backlash-against-the-tyranny-of-technology phases right now, so I decided to exit the cold cyberworld and talk to a warm human about rug repair. Enter textile repair artist Kay Galvin.
Kay learned how to repair and restore textiles in New Orleans, a city which I imagine is full of grand, faded rugs worn thin in places by Mardi Gras dancers and swooning belles. Her first and strictest advice on repairing rugs is never attempt to do it yourself. She’s seen her share of beautiful rugs rendered irreparable by someone trying to glue or tape a tear shut. Once the fibers of the rug have been exposed to any of this latex-based goo, it’s impossible to get a needle through it. No needle, no hope of resurrection.
If you can’t afford professional repair — and it ain’t cheap — Kay suggests you try to hide the area under stress by tucking it under the couch or coffee table. A snag in a rug is like a hang nail; once it appears it will catch on every shoe and paw that stumbles by. Try to catch it early.
According to Kay, the worst assault on a rug’s structural character comes from zealously vacuuming the fringe, which is like the bone structure of the rug. We’ve all done it, right? Can’t you just hear that awful mechanical grinding as the delicate cotton tassels are sucked up into the Hoover? Well, stop it.
And when it comes time for a good cleaning, take the rug to a good cleaner.
Many rugs — even antiques — are colored with chemical dyes and you might be unpleasantly surprised to find a spot remover may create more spots than it eliminates when it reacts with these chemicals.
Hey, isn’t it time you react with me? Send your questions or insults to Suzebe@aol.com or The Austin Chronicle, PO Box 49066, Austin, TX 78765.
This article appears in April 25 • 1997 and April 25 • 1997 (Cover).