Our custom Artisan rugs have old American roots, while using modern materials and colors that lend themselves to any design project with fast production times. Different cultures find different methods to prolong the lifecycle of their material goods: donation, transformation, insulation, and more. Rag carpets, or “dust catchers”, are one way historic communities reused their denim and other clothing.
These utilitarian pieces are a testament to the resourcefulness of historic communities. They were crafted by the Pennsylvania Dutch and the Amish beginning the late 19th century and into the early 20th century. They first appeared in Lancaster County, PA, though the craft eventually spread all the way to the Midwest. The Amish make their rag rugs of recycled clothing and horse blankets. After all, cloth was valuable, and rather than throwing it away, people found a way to use it—right up until it disintegrated.
These rugs are still made by the Amish community today. Some styles are hand-loomed, and others shirred, an old-fashioned term for Amish “dust catchers”, which are pile surface rugs made of fabric remnants. This style is achieved by cutting the scraps into squares and attaching them to backing, creating a kind of thick pile shag carpet. This method has been adapted to create pillows, bedspreads, and wall hangings as well.
In Amish communities, these tattered garments were often blue denim work clothes, along with other materials. The blues of the denim, along with the blues and purples common in their attire, produced distinctive carpets with soft tones of faded blue, denim, and violet.
Why The History Lesson?
Because our artisan rugs were spawned from this technique! Today the product is fashioned from ultra-suede and leather cuttings. The durability of these fabrics and modern colors make for lasting, eye-catching texture whether used inside or out.
These artisan rugs and pillows are made in the USA and are custom creations. Whereas in Amish communities these rugs were made from tattered garments in the soft tones common to their culture, our modern take on these rugs can include your choice of colors as well as incorporate borders, designs, and logos all while being vacuumable and machine washable, regardless of size. We also offer several pile thicknesses and fabric lengths for further customization.
And because we are a second-generation home-grown American company where all of our products are produced, even for large custom rugs our products are ready to ship in 6 weeks or less. Contact us today to start dreaming up a custom rug that will last you or your clients a lifetime, or browse our collection at https://wishdesignsusa.com/product-category/rugs/.
