Our Current Restoration Project - #579 "An Adventure" By Pearl McGown Episode 2

Initial steps in a restoration.

The first steps in any restoration project is to assess damage and determine what is needed to be done.

For this rug, the issues of dry and brittle vintage burlap needs to be addressed.  Burlap, once the standard of hooked rugs, doesn't stand the test of time.  It tends to dry out, crack and tear leaving gorgeous old rugs in a terrible state.  Luckily this rug isn't too bad in that regard.  It has a few holes and tears but nothing that would make it unsalvageable.  

We start by creating strips of high quality linen which will be used at the edge of the rug.  This part of the rug will have extreme stress put on the aged burlap due to folding the edge for finishing.  The linen strips are attached in such a way as to cover both the edge that will be under the binding tape as well as a small portion of the hooked edge.  The linen will both reinforce the old burlap as well as relieve some of the stress on the finished edge.