Job completed for Mohawk Valley Turkish Kilim Rug Cleaning in Utica

Restoring a woven kilim rug is requires a very skilled artisan weaver

This is an example of a Turkish kilim that has enormous damage in the following areas:

-Border is completely torn off and requires reweaving

-Fringe is completely frayed and worn and requires new fringe to be added

Repairing a woven Turkish kilim requires preserving the original weave, colors, and structure. The exact process varies depending on the damage, Jafri's restoration typically follows these steps:

1. Inspection and Documentation
   • Identify fiber type (usually wool on wool or wool on cotton).
   • Assess damage such as holes, moth damage, worn areas, tears, broken selvages, or fringe loss.
   • Photograph the rug before work begins and determine whether repairs should be structural, cosmetic, or both.
2. Dusting and Washing
   • Remove embedded dust and grit.
   • Hand wash the kilim using fiber-safe detergents.
   • Dry the rug flat under controlled conditions. Repairing a dirty rug can lock debris into the weave and accelerate wear.
3. Stabilization
   • Secure weak edges or tears to prevent additional unraveling during restoration.
   • Reinforce loose wefts or warps before reconstruction begins.
4. Reweaving
   • Match the original wool, yarn thickness, twist, and dye colors as closely as possible.
   • Recreate the missing warp and weft structure.
   • Hand-weave replacement sections following the original weaving technique and pattern.
5. Selvage and Edge Repair
   • Rebuild damaged side cords if needed.
   • Rewrap or reinforce the selvages to restore strength and prevent future fraying.
6. Fringe Restoration
   • Replace or reconstruct damaged fringe if it is structurally important.
   • Secure the fringe to the rug's foundation using traditional techniques.
7. Blocking and Reshaping
   • Square the rug if it has become distorted.
   • Adjust tension so the kilim lies flat without ripples.
8. Final Inspection
   • Check weave consistency and structural integrity.
   • Trim any excess fibers and ensure the repaired area blends naturally with the original rug.

For valuable or antique Turkish kilims, Jafri generally aims for conservation-quality repairs, preserving as much original material as possible rather than replacing large sections unnecessarily. Color matching, yarn selection, and weave replication are key to maintaining both the rug's appearance and value.

The complexity of the repair depends on the extent of the damage. Small moth holes may take a few hours, while reconstructing large missing sections or intricate geometric motifs can require dozens of hours of hand weaving.