It Takes a Village...

In my quest to further understand and convey the bespoke rug process, I made the decision to order one for myself. Many designs have been produced over the centuries of weaving rugs, so I had a multitude of options available to me. While flipping through the pages of books, magazines and websites, I found a design I adored. A rug currently on show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, caught my eye. Therefore, my choice of a 17th century Polonaise rug, likely of Safavid origin, was a clear winner. I ventured on to recreate this rug in the same size, using wool yarn instead of silk, and changing the color scheme from a majority red to green. I also changed the border to reflect colors used elsewhere in the body of the rug.

The design plate of my bespoke rug. Once printed, it is followed by the weavers, one row at a time.

With the design solidified, I packed a small bag and headed out to watch the journey of my rug’s creation. While this rug would ultimately take five months to complete, I was at every stage to observe the process. If you have read the previous blog you know about the blazing hot village I visited to get hands-on experience looming a rug. My bespoke rug had its humble beginnings in the same place. Upon my arrival, the looming was coming along, and from my estimate, was a little more than three-quarters complete.

I was overjoyed to see my redesign in real life. Seeing it on a screen does not truly reflect the absolute beauty of it in reality. Since there was still a quarter remaining, I was able to jump in and add some elbow grease of my own. Remember, I am not an expert, nor am I very fast, but I needed to have some hand in the magnificent creation that would live in my home for many years to come. Along with the compliments, I will be able to add “I did this part!”

During my stay in the village, I gained an appreciation for the way work is done and fun is made. Music was played on a small radio while we weaved, and it continued to play when we took breaks together.

Weaving most of the day works up quite the appetite, and snacks abound here. Little known fact; mulberries grow everywhere in this region. So much so that one can take a short walk and grab them from the arms of the trees where they grow. We ate mulberries by the bowl often accompanied by watermelon, another common staple in the area.

After snack time, tea or a meal, I would take short walks to stretch my legs. The sky was always blue and the sun’s rays made me appreciate winter time. As I walked about, I noticed the elder women of the village sitting and chatting amongst each other outside of the weaving workshop. They sat, mostly in the shade, where it was still too hot for me. Their heads were draped in white scarves, perhaps this helped to keep them cooler, as they chatted with the Hoca. They were there to help pass the time but also to see what was being worked on inside.

I included my first initial, and the initials of those who weaved the rug as well. While there are usually two weavers working on a rug, mine was helped by a third. I did not know this would happen prior to my arrival, so I enlisted the help of Hoca’s daughter. It was too late to add the initial of the third weaver to the design plate as there was no printing facility nearby. I did a mock up on my laptop and the little one drew it out with colored pencils on graph paper. It is a subtle addition but one that makes me smile.

I imagined a rectangular rug during the design phase, but I am quite happy with the square result. I learned the banging of the weaver's comb can effect the outcome of the size.  When I learned the wefting process, I noticed varying whacks of the comb in each womans’ hand. The pounding of the comb against the weft adds to the tightness of the weave and therefore compresses the overall rug dimensions. When a bespoke rug is ordered, we make certain to take measurements often to adhere to the size requested as much as possible. A paper measuring tape is used to check the length throughout the weaving process. Since I was involved in the making of this one, and there were no specific size requirements for my carpet, I didn't think it was needed and told the weavers not to worry about the size.

My bespoke rug was nearing the finish line of the weaving process. There were only a few lines left on the design plate and excitement was growing. The final weft was done and measured and then the cutting could occur. I was given the honor of making the first cut to detach the warp from the rug.

The final cuts were made by the two other weavers who were there. I clapped my hands together in delight. After the rug was laid out and dust swept away, Hoca swept her expert eyes over and across the rug to give final approval. She had a beaming smile and gave a thumbs up.

 

The weavers in the rooms all stopped what they were doing, rose from their seats and gathered together to share in the admiration of a job well done. They were followed by people from the village to see the finished results too. It truly does take a village to make a rug. As you have read, many hands helped in its creation, many hands helped make me feel at home and welcome. I will never forget my time here in this beautiful village. My rug would now take a journey overland to the next stop. I, of course, traveled with it.