Today's Alteration is Home Dec

Today I've been asked to preserve a memory. The client has a rug hooked by a relative who has since passed away. She would like to clean it and have it backed.
I bought a yard of jute and began by cutting it to the same size as the rug.








Next, I turned under about ¾" of the jute, so the edge became even with the rug bottom. Jute stretches a bit, so I had enough to make the folded edge even with the rug edge. I pinned all the way around.








Using a simple catch stitch, I rotated around the rug to attach the jute to the back of the rug. Here is a close up, sewn in contrasting blue thread.




It took about 2 hours to sew all the way around the rug. The fabric of the rug is stiff and hard to work with.


And here, the real thing.









The rug now has a finished look to it and the raw edges are encased in the jute.