Fibers can either originate from plants such as flax, cotton, jute, sea grass, or spun from the fleece of sheep, alpaca, llama and goats. Oh and don't forget the fine silk spun from silk worms! Rayon, a man-made fiber, is synthesized from trees. Nylon and polypropylene are synthesized from petroleum and natural gas.
Polypropylene or Olefin
Polypropylene or Olefin fibers are petroleum products, derived from propylene and ethylene gases. The polypropylene fiber is characterized by its resistance to moisture. It is strong, abrasion resistant, quick drying, colorfast, mildew resistant, and soil and stain resistant. Its fibers have the lowest density of all manufactured fibers giving olefin textiles a very lightweight quality. Polypropylene is inexpensive and due to its lightweight nature, not very resilient to long term wear.
Rayon
Rayon is made of cellulose, which is in the walls of all plant cells, and is the main substance of wood. The first rayon fiber was produced by Count Hilaire de Chardonnet, known as the "Father of rayon," in 1884. It was this inventive Frenchman's dream to produce an artificial silk. Production involves collecting wood chips and putting them through several chemical process that eventually yields viscose. The viscose is pushed through a spinneret, a metal plate with many small holes. The viscose strands shoot out of the spinneret into an acid bath where they harden into fibers. The size of the holes in a spinneret determines the fiber's denier or thickness. Spun rayon is very much like silk and was known for many years as "artificial silk."
Nylon
Nylon is a manufactured fiber that is extremely strong, elastic, abrasion resistant and lustrous. The first commercial production of nylon was begun in the United States in 1939 by the du Pont de Nemours Company, (Du Pont.) The raw materials of nylon are petroleum, natural gas, air, and water. The elements are combined by chemical processes into long-chain polymers that constitute the fiber-forming substance known as polyamides. The polyamide is melt spun and drawn after cooling to give the desired properties for the floorcovering fiber.
Wool, one of the oldest textile fibers known, has survived the test of time because of its unique natural properties. The basic characteristics wool possessed in the Stone Age era, for instance, are still the fundamental qualities that make wool unique in this century. Today there are many other textile fibers, but as yet science has not been able to produce another fiber containing all the natural properties of wool. Wool remains unique; a masterpiece of design.
Wool is Water Repellent
While wool can absorb moisture, it repels liquids. The scales on the outside of the fiber cause liquid to roll off the surface of the wool fabric. For instance, if you accidentally spill water on the floor, it is no use trying to mop it up with an old wool jumper because the wool will not absorb the liquid. Similarly, if water spills on your area rug it will take quite some time before the water penetrates your wool rug.
Wool is Fire Resistant
Wool is naturally safe. It does not have to be specially treated to become non-flammable. While it can catch alight, it will not flare up nor support a flame. Instead of burning freely, once the flame is removed a cold ash is left which can be brushed away immediately. Wool does not melt when burned, and so cannot stick to the skin and cause serious burns. Because of its fire-resistant qualities, wool blankets, furnishings and carpets in your home are necessary insurance, and wool for clothing (particularly children) will protect from accidents associated with fire. Firemen wear wool uniforms, and fire-fighters in rural areas should always ensure they dress themselves in wool before rushing to fight a fire.
Wool is Naturally Elastic
Wool is naturally elastic, greater than that of any other fiber. Wool can be twisted, turned and stretched, and yet it returns to its natural shape. This is why wrinkles disappear from wool garments when they are rested, and why wool carpets retain their springy pile for many years. A wool fiber when dry can be extended by about 30 percent. When wet it will stretch by between 60 and 70 percent.
Wool Wears Longer
Wool not only wears longer, it also keeps its good appearance and stays new-looking longer. It doesn't get shabby in a short space of time. Each wool fiber is made up of millions of "coiled springs" that stretch and give rather than break, and so wool is extremely durable. Wool stands up to the stresses and strains of normal wear because it gives rather than resists friction. The durability and strength of the coarser wool gives us furnishings materials and carpets which retain their good appearance for a long time. One of the reasons why so many people hang on to a favorite old wool garment for so many years is because it retains its original appearance longer than most other fabrics.
Wool is Versatile
Wool fabric, knitwear and carpets are made from a wide range of wool types varying from extra fine for suits and knitwear through to broad fibers which give carpets their strength and character. This means that wool gives designers endless potential for their creations - from delicate fabrics to rugged outdoor wear. Wool technologists have developed an endless number of combinations of weave, knits and textures, from sheer lacy knits and light airy worsteds to bulky tweeds and heavy over coating. Different sheep breeds, each with their own unique fiber characteristics provide manufacturers with different wools for an even wider range of products. Blending various wool types in different ways adds further to wool's versatility. It is small wonder then that wool is found in products as diverse as paint-rollers and mattresses, carpets and coats, furnishing fabrics and high-fashion suits, blankets and underwear, curtains and skiwear, wall paper and tennis ball coverings.
Wool Resists Static
Because wool naturally absorbs moisture from the air, the tendency to collect static electricity is reduced. Walking across a wool carpet, you are less likely to receive a shock when you touch a grounded object. Wool garments are much less likely to "spark" or cling to the body.
Wool Insulates Against Noise
Wool is a wonderful insulator against noise. It absorbs sound and reduces noise level considerably. For this reason wool carpets are often used in offices, restaurants, airport terminals, etc. Wool is also an ideal material used in such places as concert halls to attain the best acoustics possible.
Wool Resists Dirt
Wool resists dirt, retains its appearance, and stays cleaner longer. Its ability to absorb moisture prevents a build-up of static electricity and therefore wool does not attract lint and dust from the air. Furthermore the crimp in the wool fiber and the scales on the outside of the fiber assist in keeping dirt from penetrating the surface. The same qualities also make it easier to clean.
Wool Dyes Beautifully
Wool dyes so easily and the range of colors is limitless. The scales on the surface of the wool fiber tend to diffuse light giving less reflection and a softer color. Because proteins in the core of the fiber are reactive, they can absorb and combine with a wide variety of dyes. This means that the wool holds its color well as the dye becomes part of the fiber.
Most weavers work on fixed, vertical looms (although some semi-nomadic weavers in areas of Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran still use the more portable horizontal ground loom). A simple vertical loom is little more than a sturdy frame, usually made of wooden timbers, designed to hold taut the warp strings upon which the weaver ties rows of knots. A heddle is used to separate alternate warps so that the shuttle carrying the weft string can be passed between warps from one side of the rug to the other. More sophisticated vertical looms have their upper and lower beams constructed as rollers. A roller loom lets the weaver roll the completed part of a rug under and to the back of the loom, allowing the construction of a longer carpet on a loom of the same vertical size.
Warps are the parallel strings stretched from loom beam to loom beam upon which rows of knots are tied. Most weavers use cotton for warp material if it is available because it is easier to weave a flat, straight rug on cotton warps than on wool warps (wool yarn is more elastic than cotton string, and is more affected by changes in humidity). Weavers who are semi-nomadic pastoralists (i.e. not farmers) are much more likely to use wool than cotton for warp and weft.
Wefts run across the width of the rug, over and under the warp strings and between rows of knots. Most often wefts are made of cotton, wool, or silk . Wefts help hold rows of knots in place and strengthen the structure of the rug.
Knots are tied by looping yarn around pairs of warps and cutting off the standing end. The ends of the "knot" become the pile or nap of the rug.
Edge bindings are made by wrapping several warps at the edge of the rug with yarn to reinforce this part of the rug.
End finishes hold knots and wefts from working off the rug's warp strings. Many rug types have a flat-woven kilim selvedge at both ends.
Fringes are formed by gathering and knotting together bundles of warp strings at both ends of the rug after the rug has been cut from the loom. The knots in these bundles of warp strings keep pile knots and end finishes tight at the rug's ends.
If you’re in the market for a handmade Oriental rug, you should know as much as possible about what you’re planning to buy. The more sophisticated you are about the subject of Oriental rugs, the more you’ll get for your money. And the greater will be your appreciation of the time, effort and workmanship that went into your purchase. And the romance and history behind your own personal work of art.
So here, courtesy of Safavieh Carpets is a guide to help you get the best value and most pleasure out of the beautiful Oriental rug that will soon grace a floor or wall in your home.
Learn the basics of construction.
An Oriental rug is made on a frame called a loom. Columns of thread are stretched from the top to the bottom of the loom. Each column is called a warp. Once the warps are arranged up and down the loom, the weaver makes sideways rows. To do this, he merely takes a thread and passes it over the next until he comes to the end of the loom.
After making about 10 rows across he warps and pressing the rows close down to each other, the weaver is ready to do his main job. Using a piece of wool, he ties one or two warps together to the next one or two warps in the same row, and makes a knot.
The weaver works meticulously, knot by knot, row by row until he completes a magnificent, hand crafted Oriental rug.
Learn what happens before weaving begins.
A weaver can only start his job after a design has been created. He needs to know the color of the wool (or silk) he must use for each individual knot.
So first a design is conceived by a master designer. Then the design is plotted out in color on graph paper, with one square on the paper equal to one knot on the rug. This serves as the weaver’s guide.
Learn how to tell a handmade rug from one made by machine.
If you’re planning on spending thousands or even tens of thousands on your purchase, you’re obviously going to buy a rug made by hand, not one that’s been made by machine. Nevertheless, it’s worthwhile knowing how to distinguish between the two.
A surefire way to tell the difference is by looking at the pile. Pile is the name for the strands of material that stand above the base of the rug. Spread the pile apart and look down. If you see knots at the bottom of the pile, the rug was made by hand. It’s that simple.
Just for the record, there’s also a sharpness and clarity to the design of a handmade product that can never be duplicated in a machine made rug. Also, the fringes are sewn on to either end of a machine-made rug.
Learn about the various names given to Persian and Oriental rugs and what they signify.
Tabriz, Kashan, Mashed, Heriz, Bokhara, Qum, Isfahan, Sarouk, Kerman. These names tell you where a rug was made. And a lot more besides. Because different areas are noted for different kinds of designs-florals, medallions, scenes or geometric patterns. Weavers in those various locations use different kinds of knots and differing numbers of knots per square inch. And use different kinds of wool or combinations of wool and silk.
Test the knotting.
Make sure it is strong, tight and absolutely impossible to pull out.
Count the number of knots per square inch. Bring along a ruler, measure off an inch on the back of the rug, and start counting. The square of the number of knots you count will give you the number of knots per square inch.
The more knots per square inch, the more exact, defined and intricate the picture or pattern. Exquisite museum-quality pieces may have as many as 1,000 knots per square inch and take ten years to make. Additionally, the more knots per square inch, the better and more durable the rug. For the knots help reinforce each other and reduce overall wear.
However, you must remember that a variety of other factors beside the number of knots per square inch determine what makes one rug worth more than another.
Fine Oriental rugs can take an incredible amount of wear. With proper vacuuming and maintenance, your rug will last into the next century. Your great-grandchildren will enjoy it as much as you do.
Expect to pay more for an Oriental or Persian rugs than for broadloom.
Fine Oriental or Persian rugs are not cheap. But they offer exceptional value because of their durability.
Buy a book on the lore of Persian rugs. Or get one from the library. Or listen to some tales in person.
Persian rugs have been made for about 3,000 years. There are many fascinating stories about them. The Donnell Library, right across from the Museum of Modern Art on West 53rd Street, has several reference texts on the subject. If you want to purchase a book, we suggest "The Splendor of Persian Rugs" by E. Grans-Ruedin.
THOMAS O'BRIEN CELEBRATES 'WARM MODERNISM' IN NEW SAFAVIEH RUG COLLECTION
By Lissa Wyman
Thomas O'Brien is expanding his signature style of "Warm Modernism" with a new high end Safavieh rug collection slated for introduction this Summer in Atlanta.
The Thomas O'Brien licensing partnership with Safavieh began in January 2006. The Summer 2007 line includes nine new designs with a total of 17 colorations. The rugs are hand knotted of wool and wool and silk. Suggested retail prices range from $3,000 to $7,000 in 6x9 size.
The Thomas O'Brien collection for Safavieh is aimed at the design community, to-the-trade showrooms and high end furniture and rug galleries, according to O'Brien.
In the new collection, O'Brien said his goal is to bring a new twist to traditional styling. "It's a blend of both traditional and contemporary design elements," he told Rugnews.com in a recent interview at Safavieh's Manhattan furniture store. "I work with traditional components and interpret them in a more modern way."
This works in both color and design, explained O'Brien. Antique Batik textiles, Arts & Crafts motifs and even 1920's pottery designs are the starting points for several of the new Safavieh rugs.
Batik design is a multi-level design based on an antique textile. It features a botanical field in a graphic, monochromatic style.
Palma is a trellis design that recalls the mood of damask fabric. The blend of silk and wool creates subtle pattern variation.
Natalie, featuring a single strand of flowering vine, is adapted from elements of an Indonesian batik fabric in O'Brien's private collection.
Colors are both neutral and saturated, according to O'Brien. "In the new collection, we have added both more intense colors and pale and subtle colors. We had tremendous success with the Corsaro blue color in the initial collection. We've used that color in the new group, and we've also added a mossy green," O'Brien said.
Thomas O'Brien is a multi-faceted product and interior designer who is well-known to fans of the Home & Garden TV network. His Aero Furniture store in Manhattan's SoHo district has brought the O'Brien signature style to consumers for the past 15 years. In addition, O'Brien has a licensing agreement for furniture marketed through Hickory Chair.
Thomas O'Brien in a Safavieh store vignette that features his signature furniture from Hickory Chair as well as Safavieh's Thomas O'Brien rugs.
In order to demonstrate how both furniture and rugs complement one another, both products are displayed and photographed together as much as possible. For example, both O'Brien collections are shown together in Hickory Chair showrooms. Safavieh's New York stores also merchandises the two categories together in vignette presentations.
While O'Brien is well known at the luxury end of the market, his work is also being brought to a broader audience with a a large collection of home textiles and home accessory items marketed through Target stores.
O'Brien's design philosophy embraces the whole range of price points. "I believe that a home should contain a variety of decorative pieces. Not everything has to be high end, even in wealthy households," said O'Brien. "In my own store, I have some $40 things as well as some $12,000 items."
When I was a kid, I never really thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up. My mother's the one with the big ambitions. Ballet classes, music lessons, art instruction – she signed up, I did the dirty work. I was her mini Margot Fonteyn-Chopin-Picasso.
Today I'm starving, yes, but not quite the artist. I believe in function over form. Especially since I'm budgeting on a fraying shoestring, my tabletop gooseneck lamp feels more to me like an objet d'art than some famous sculpture like The Thinker.
Well, someone did think to combine household use with fine arts – New Wave Modern Rugs where Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Abstract Expressionism-esque designs are weaved into a thick, plush canvas of 100% wool. Finally the foot gets to enjoy what amuses the eye.
I'm no artsy-fartsy know-all but I'm the expert on things cheap n' good. So I’ll come right out with the fact that New Wave rugs are on the pricier side. But considering the aesthetics and that these rugs last and last forever, they're good value for money.
Plus there are ninety-six rugs in this New Wave line, plenty to choose from. Pick a rectangle rug with a big big circle slapped right in the center. Or a round rug a bunch of squares fitted in. Or find a narrow runner that answers all or any of these patterns.
There’s a New Wave rug that answers every mood of every artistic temperament. Find yours here.
Every $1 you spend earns you 1 loyalty point.
When your total points reach within the values below, you will automatically get the corresponding discount on your next order. Your points will accumulate for a 365 day period, which means points received on orders older then 365 days will be removed.
