Oriental Rug Patterns (Part 1)

Most Oriental Rugs are rectangular and have a field and border. One of the most common designs is that of a central medallion either alone or or with designs radiating from it. The field may also be composed of small repetitive patterns, depict a scene or be divided into several compartments.

The border frames the field and may be simple lines or intricate patterns which project into the field. Certain border designs are quite popular and may include single or multiple lines or symbols such as the Greek key, and wandering vine, the stylized turtle and scroll.

Some of the most popular field design are the tree of life, hunting scenes and prayer rugs. Prayer rugs are easy to recognize because the rectangular field contains an arch or similar shape which comes to a point at one end. These designs represent the prayer niches used by Muslims in a mosque. Often images of religious articles associated with Islamic worship, such as lamps, ewers and combs are contained in the pattern.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Strengthening a Sarab Runner Rug Carpet

A Sarab wide runner was brought in by a customer recently for our deep cleaning process. While we were inspecting the rug, we noticed that both the sides(selvages) and the ends had started coming undone. This unraveling of all 4 sides means that the strength of the rug was diminishing and soon the threat of damage to the design was a possibility. Take a look below:

At Rug Ideas we have dealt with this problem many times, and we knew just how to solve it. We had one of our master weavers do the repair all by hand using New Zealand wool, the best wool a carpet can get. The results are evident by just looking at the results, which can be seen below:

As you can see, the repair looks fantastic and the 4 sides of this rug are now strong and secure; the unraveling will not continue and the rug looks beautiful. If you have a rug that has seen some wear over the years and needs these kind of professional repairs, contact us at Rug Ideas where we can help you bring YOUR rug ideas to life!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Rugs From Around The World

Numerous other countries produce rugs, but they are often only available in limited quantities, patterns & sizes. Yugoslavia, Albania, and Bulgaria produce rugs that follow the traditional Persian patterns and are well constructed. We are currently seeing a growing production of rugs from Tibet and Nepal, with simple designs and muted colors, unlike the older productions from this area, which typically followed Chinese designs, but use bright colors and small sizes.

Hand-made rugs are also exported from Spain, Egypt, Mexico, Morocco, Tunisia and Poland, but many are flat woven rugs and the production is limited. Egypt in particular is producing fine replicas of antique Mahals, Sultanabads, Agras and Oushaks in many large sizes.

sourced from 'The Mystique of Oriental Rugs' by O.R.R.A.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Does Cedar Actually Repel Moths?

Cedar-lined storage chests and closets have long been used for long-term storage of out-of-season clothing, in the belief that the cedar will deter moths from destroying the clothing. But does it really work? The damage moths cause to natural fibers is caused not by the moth itself, but by the larvae that hatch out of the eggs the moth lays. Therefore preventing the damage can take two forms, preventing the moth from laying the eggs in the clothing, and killing the larvae as they emerge (or in the egg).

The heavy scent of the cedar is thought to mask the smell of wool, effectively hiding it from the moth seeking a home for her eggs. That is, it doesn't repel moths so much as it camouflages the moth's natural target. If the smell-disguise in fact does deter moths, then any masking smell would work as well, and people have packed old garments away with sprigs of lavender, tansy and rosemary tucked in them for literally centuries.

If the scent-deterrent works (and there's only anecdotal evidence that it does), then it only works on the egg-laying moth. Packing away garments already hosting moth-eggs will yield a cupboard full of rotting wool. Since the larvae are repelled by strong light, shaking and hanging clothing in the sun for a few hours before folding for storage should ensure that what you are storing is larvae-free.

A report from the University of California at Davis suggests that one type of cedar, Eastern Red Cedar (which is actually a juniper), does kill moth larvae over a period of time. The wood contains an aromatic oil that in sufficient concentration, as in an airtight cabinet, will kill small moth larvae. If there is too much air circulation, as in a closet, concentration of the vapors will remain insufficient to kill larvae, although the scent might deter adult moths.

Whether other junipers, or juniper essential oil, which is made from another form of juniper, and from the berries, not the wood, will protect clothing from moths, has not been determined. Even Eastern Red Cedar is only effective against moth larvae for a few years, after which the aromatic oil has evaporated. The presence of a pleasant cedar-scent in grandma's old hopechest is not proof that the box will protect your woolens from munching moths.

One service we offer to our customers is moth proofing for their rugs. After the rug/s are cleaned we can spray a light coating which acts as a bitorent, giving the wool a bad taste to moth. We have found this treatment to be quite effective in the prevention of moth damage. We are in the midst of moth season so if you want to protect your rugs, bring them in to Rug Ideas so we can help you keep those pesky insects away from your pieces of art.

sourced from wisegeek.com

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Romanian Rugs

Romania has over a three hundred year history of producing beautiful, high quality rugs. This tradition faltered during World War I. It was not until 1950, when the Romanian government established cooperatives and standardized the rug weaving industry, that Romania had a resurgence in rug production.

Then in 1990, with the fall of communism, the Romanian rug industry has all but disappeared. With skilled weavers, excellent wool supply, and a tradition of quality rug weaving, the Romanian weaving industry is struggling with changing to a free-enterprise economy. Only time will tell if this industry will survive at all.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Rug Tours: Los Angeles Rug Tour & Workshop August 10-12, 2012

Dear Dr. Sobhe;

I wanted to thank you for the gracious invitation that you extended to both Ann and me, to attend your workshop; especially, since neither one of us is in the trade of maintenance, conservancy or appraisal of Persian and As

ian fine and antique rugs.

The speakers that you chose for your symposium could not have been any better for the layman or the professional. Most impressive was the talk on the “Five Centuries of Rug Weaving in Kerman , Iran ”; by, Dr Taher Sabahi. His incredible knowledge of the history of the Kerman area, the weavers and construction techniques made me feel as though I was at the feet of a master, listening to the passing of knowledge, through the ancient art of oral tradition.

Equally impressive, from a business and marketing view; was, your son Ashkan’s, lively and entertaining presentations on the necessary and correct ways to market a business on the Internet. I’m sure that everyone in attendance walked away with a renewed sense of energy and ideas to help them stay atop their competition as the internet continues to change and reinvent the dynamics of every business.

My many thanks to your son Kash for opening the door to your world, it was his professionalism, patients and knowledge that allowed Ann and I to feel secure in knowing that our rugs and tapestries were in the most capable of caring hands. No business could have a finer ambassador to represent its products and services than Kash.

The knowledge and history that you, your guest speakers and working masters imparted to the group will always be of immeasurable value to both Ann and me as each of us continues to add to each of our minor collections of rugs.

John Middleton

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Dog Troubles & A Deep Cleaning Solution

A new customer of ours recently brought in her favorite rug that had been soiled by her dog. Not only had her dog urinated on the rug but had also thrown up on various places on it. She had tried a home cleanser but she said it only seemed to make the problem worse. The rug also had a trouble area at the middle of 1 end of the rug. Take a look below:

This rug went through our deep cleaning process which cleans, sanitizes and deodorizes the entire carpet. Color stabilizers were used before the washing began to prevent color bleeding. When the rug was done drying the vibrancy of the colors looked absolutely great. We then had one our of weavers secure the rip at the end so that unraveling would not continue. Take a look at the results below:

When the owner came in to pick up her rug yesterday, she was ecstatic at how vibrant the rug looked and how much it looked just as it did when it was brand new. If you have a rug that has had an encounter with your pet, bring it in to Rug Ideas where we can help bring it back to life!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

The Old World Look

With colors and designs from medieval Europe through the arts and craft movement the old world look is a strong decorating trend today. It is only natural that a large segment of the Oriental Rug industry would produce hand woven rugs to fill the floor covering demand for those interiors.

Bold patterns are skillfully created in deep rich mellow colors which are many times enhanced by the use of vegetable dyes or tea and herbal washes. This look is perfect for contemporary interpretations of early European interiors, whether Tudor, Victorian, Bidermeier or William Morris - arts and craft, art nouveau, or art decor. If this is your taste there is a rug for your room!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Pakistani Rugs

The surrounding countries around Pakistan have had a tremendous impact on Pakistan itself, and the result in the Pakistan rug industry has been a blend of Persian, Caucasian, Turkish and Turkoman designs. When Pakistan was separated from India after World War II, the weaving industry went into a decline. Recent government support has resulted in a thriving industry for the country and the Oriental Rugs being produced there are increasingly more diverse and higher in quality.

There are two major weaving areas in Pakistan. To the East around the city of Lahore, Persian designs are woven in traditional colors, along with the so called Pakistan Bokharas in traditional Turkoman designs. There is much experimentation with vegetable dyes and antique wash. To the north close to the Afghanistan border at Peshawar, are woven a variety of Persian, Afghan and Caucasian design carpets with a more primitive look, having soft vegetable dyes antique colors.

sourced from 'The Mystique of Oriental Rugs' by O.R.R.A

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Handmade Runner Repair

A customer from Orange County recently came in with some runners that needed some repair. They were beautiful hand knotted pieces with a few problems. First prefabricated fringes had been placed at the ends of the runners, taking away from the fact that the whole rug is a hand made piece; those prefabricated fringes had to go. Secondly the sides (selvages) had deteriorated and made the rug look like an eyesore in certain places. Take a look at one of the runners(before repair) below:

The owner had worked with Rug Ideas before and knew that we were the right people to handle the job. We had one of our master weavers work on his runners, first taking of the prefabricated fringes and going a little into the rug so as to make natural fringes from the actual rug. Not only that but both ends were secured during this process to fortify the ends and give the rug strength. Take a look below:

Next was handling the sides, which were completely redone by hand. Take a look at the results:

After our repair job the rug looks absolutely beautiful! It is now all natural with nothing prefabricated and is ready to be used for many more years. Stay tuned to see the repairs of the other runners in a post to come; and if you have any repairs that need to be done to your precious rug, know that Rug Ideas has the knowledge and expertise to make your rug wishes come true.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)

www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

www.RugIdea.com

Tel. 310-770-9085