F. Conclusion:
To conclude a restoration and conservation project successfully is not a scientific task, an academic test, but rather, a testimony that cultural heritage still remains alive amidst us all and that unsuccessful revival attempts to bring back old craftsmanship does not mean that the old saying ‘Love can conquer all’, is not indeed true and magical on its own.
What is love materialisation if not primarily the premise that we are capable of materialising feelings that are above us spiritually? You might say love can be platonic, but how much platonic love can bring things back to life when they are beyond repair?
Don’t some of us also believe that Jesus Christ redemption brought us all to eternal life? Then why can’t we love objects that signify so much to so many of us at the same time, while bringing them back to life?
How would Cultural Heritage survive otherwise, if not for the collective effort to savage, restore and conserve a bit of all of us into the whole that make us and break us when we recall little things from our ancestors’ homes and photographs?
I see our commonalities in photos of the old American southern houses with quilts by the window and rugs hanging in every wall, as I see photos of Servia homes pre Kosovo war with ethnic runners and rugs hanging in every wall of the home, like I see my rugs and carpets in most walls of the home with the stitches that I stitched getting softer by the years.
It is us and what we leave behind, and it is what we leave behind and those who come ahead that really make these items special.
But it is also and most importantly, us sharing our common experiences of salvaging, restoring and conserving items that make us special to those who we leave behind, those strangers who one day will think that it just might be worthwhile to rescue their inherited rug or carpet without spending a fortune hiring professional services.
In this sense, this book is for you first of all, as I here combine media, text and links to my Youtube videos, so you can see the practical side of restoring and conserving an old tapestry carpet which is in much need of urgent care and love.
Salvaging and restoring is as important as conserving, so I hope that you will see the pictures of my rugs and carpets with an open mind and choose the best backing for your needs.
As you can see I have different backings according to the materials used.
For example for my bica fabric rug I opted for a satin backing, while for my needlepoint I added cotton dust sheet fabric strips around attached with a zig zag stitch.
In other textile works, the rules applied and which we crafters deem acceptable and traditional are rather different. For example, when I stitched my historical Victorian punch needle rug, I finished the rug with a strip of binding fabric. This is the oldest way of finishing punch needle rugs made on hessian fabric either in Ireland or in the American south.
Equally when I finish my penny rugs I get some tongues ( correct older term) at the end of the rug equally bordered with blanket stitch like my pennies, the most important part of the rugs.
This is us the makers maintaining the tradition, but also, reminding everyone that items in museums and cultural heritage institutions are primarily individual items that have a life of their own based in tradition before getting a display place in these institutions.
Above all, this is us keeping tradition alive for all those who want to one day do it the right way and do it with the same pleasure and delight that most experience when visiting museums and cultural heritage institutions.
Therefore, this volume 1 of Historical Textiles Restoration and Conservation of the Clematis Carpet is above all, yours.
Thank you for embarking on this journey and hope to guide you on another one from Past to Future.
Best wishes,
Ariane Crafts
ARIANE CRAFTS 