Banjara

Patch Work

Patchwork is a hot trend happening in the flooring and toss pillow category.

Evidence of patchwork piecing small pieces of fabric together to create a larger piece, then quilting layers of textile together as been found throughout history. The earliest examples have been located in Egyptian tombs and also in early age of China about 5000 years ago. Further finds have been dated from the early Middle Ages, where layers of quilted fabric were used in the construction of armour his kept the soldiers warm and protected. Japanese armour was made in a similar fashion.

Using this technique, quilts began to appear in households of the 11th to 13th centuries. As the European climate became colder around this time, the incidence of the use bed quilts rose, and so developed the practice of embellishing a simple cloth through the creation of pattern and design, alongside the development of decorative quilting. The tradition of making quilts in this fashion was taken to America by the Pilgrims.

At Raj Overseas we continue this trend in the rugs and carpets of this season.

Overdyed Rugs

West Elm - Empire Kilim rug

The idea of overdyed rugs originates in Turkey: it involves using the remnants of old, even vintage, carpets by sewing them together and dying over them with a single color to make it appear monochromatic. The magic, however, is in the memory of the patterns that emanate faintly from below. In India, patchwork rugs are made from recycled hand-woven rugs and overdyed. The hues are created not only in patterns, but also in the revelation of the basic weave below, so that motifs are created in form rather than motif. 

ABC Carpet - Color Reform Rug

Anthropologie - Euphrates Rug

Due to the processes involved in making the overdyed rugs, they appear as antiques.  One of the reasons why they are so special is because no single rug can be the same. The dying produces a different effect on each rug which makes every piece a unique item.

Elte - Patchwork Second Life rug

World Market - overdyed patchwork