Repairing

[Phil Bell]

I would be interested to hear views on repairing rugs. I repair my rugs using appletons tapestry wools. I often dye, split and respin warp threads to get the right dimensions, tightness and colour as most wool is too loosely spun for warp material. The warp wool and cotton is basically anything I can find.

Appletons wool is too dull and fuzzy sometimes, the better the rug the duller tapestry wool looks on it. Does anyone have any ideas about sourcing good quality wool with the right colours.

Also I am plagued by the worry of when to repair and when to leave. You have already seen some of my rugs on the show and tell so you will know my house is no museum and most of my rugs dont have great age or special interest although I do have a fine 19th Century Jaf Kurd rug which I am working on now. Should I be repairing this? I am no master restorer but my view is that my repair will be better than the darned hole (and I dont mean darned in the mild profanity sense).
It bothers me to see selvedges leeching knots into the living room so I often do basic damage limitation repairs if I am using the rugs and in general my rugs are on the floor and in use. I think that's a good way of keeping moth at bay. They are in the light and hoovered and inspected regularly that way.

My last problem is how I can get more floorspace. I think a Mezzanine may work as I have an Edwardian house (1905) with high ceilings. It pleases me to know the rugs are of roughly the same age as does my walk to the local post box which is also from the Edwardian period.
Maybe I do live in a museum after all.

Phil