Merry Rugs!

This is the display in our showroom in Suite 542 at International Market Square in Minneapolis.

Casbah Tangerine...Hot and Spicy!

With the recent announcement of the Pantone color of the year for 2012, I couldn't resist showing you "Casbah Tangerine"....a hot and spicy coloring with tangerine orange and salsa red.  I prefer the design without the border.  How about you?

Flat weave rugs on the stretcher in Nepal

Have you ever wondered how the weavers get the rugs into a perfect rectangle after removing them from the loom?  Well, being a lifelong quilter, I wondered if the rug workshops blocked the rugs when damp and then let them dry to a perfect shape.  In fact, my supplier in Nepal uses a stretcher to create the perfect rectangle.  Here are pictures of 2 flat weave rugs on the stretcher in Nepal.

Update a traditional rug pattern with modern colors

The lotus flower design is a traditional motif in Tibetan rugs.  However, the traditional colors used in the lotus flower rugs may not be suited for today's interiors.  It's an easy problem to fix.  Simply, update the colors in a traditional design to reflect more modern colors.  Here's an example.

Lotus Flower design in traditional colors
Image courtesy of Wikepedia

Modern colors in a traditional lotus flower design
Round Rug--colored by Julie Dasher Designs

Raised Silk--A Beautiful Touch in a Rug

I love the color purple and what could be a prettier use of that color than in raised Chinese silk in a rug design...   I created this trellis pattern for a client in Florida who loves the color too.  The silk is raised about 2 mm higher than the wool pile in the background.  The border is the same color as the background but in a loop pile instead of a cut pile, which makes the color look a shade lighter.

Art in a Rug

We recently contracted with an artist, Tracie Thompson, who created a beautiful mural in our new showroom at International Market Square in Minneapolis.  Tracie shared some of her lovely paintings with me and I decided to have my manufacturer in Nepal "rugify" one of the pictures.  I changed the background color to a neutral brown to make it more "rug friendly." This would make a lovely rug for an entry way or even a wall hanging.

Tracie's Mural

Tracie's Picture

Rug

Tulip Wreaths

Today's inspiration was a tulip...multiplied into a circle of flowers and centered with a starburst.  Pink and green always seems fresh and crisp.  This rug would be a beautiful focal point for a dining room, sunroom or bedroom.

Tulip Wreath Rug--Hand-knotted in Nepal with Tibetan wool