repairing rugs.

luckyoldme

luckyoldme

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I have just purchased a horsewear mid weight turnout rug.. and have a weather beater from last year. ...both rugs are full neck rugs.
both have rips now...(thanks Chester) and i have made a descision to not buy any more full necks.
the weather beater is particuarly bad..so bad in fact that im going to remove the neck, rebind it and use the neck as patches... thats all easy enough , ive got all the machines for the job at work. I just wondered if anyone has found some good on line guides as to patching rugs... I know i can work it our myself but maybe there might be a guide which can make it easier for me to do. i tried goosle but couldn t find anything !
 
Wide duct tape is very useful for short term repairs though mine have been taped together for quite some time now. Just need a bigger patch to avoid any residue stickiness when you get round to it, if you ever do!
 
Quick update if anyone is interested.
Chester desided the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence and got himself inbetween the boundry fence and another fence about 1m in from that. The beautiful georgous amigo rug which i bought two weeks ago had 3 rips taking up about half of one side of the rug. these rips are top layer only as well as a full thickness rip on the other side.
Not being tight or anything but i was determined to rescue it/ ive took the neck off using another rug as a template. and used the neck for patches. It really does look quite profesional if i do say so myself. Its now a no neck rug and the weatherbeata will soon be the same. Im going on ebay in the summer and im never ever buying my minging ginger horse a brand new rug again!
I evan reused the binding from the neck to rebind the new neck line so it all matches.
 
My girl's stable rug has a lovely Von Trap style floral curtain material patch on the neck. It had a rip in it and I wanted to wash it without all the filling falling out. It's stood up well.
Turnout rugs are a bit more tricky due to being heavier material but I bought myself a Davies Speedy Stitcher which gets through the fabric fine (it's like one half of a sewing machine and all manual so takes ages - and it's very easy to impale yourself on the massive razor sharp needle)
I have been known to rummage through the yard bin scrounging rug straps / buckles / velcro.
Shame my girl isn't a rug trasher - I have all the bits and bobs and no rugs to fix!
 
I fix all my own too :) I have an industrial machine so it's easy enough. I sacrificed an old turnout that was pretty much beyond repair to use as patches/spare fastenings. Colours don't match but my lot aren't particularly fashion conscious ;)
Luckily for me though mine aren't particularly bad for trashing rugs.
 
would be interested to see the results as friends horse has recently trashed the neck beyond repair on his and I was wondering how best it could be repaired
 
Used to wash and repair quite a few every month, main rules are, always either cover the edges of the patch with existing binding where it's on an outer edge of the rug(open the binding up and tuck the edge of the patch in then re sew round) or where the patch lays on the rug with no binding near it turn the edges of the patch under to make a hem type edge with no raw edges showing. If you replace front straps, leg straps or surcingles try sewing them onto another larger patch to act as a larger bearing surface instead of just sewing the webbing straight onto the rug, then sew that larger patch onto the rug, it helps stop them ripping off so easily but will still give in an emergency as well as help stop ripping the rug underneath.Whatever you sew on whether it be patches or straps, the chances are it will leak through the stitches under heavy rain, so either buy some water proof wax in a tub (not a spray as they are too watery) or make some yourself using 50% beeswax and 50% paraffin wax.Work it into the seams and over the stitches, you might need a few coats before it becomes totally waterproof in these areas.Once the wax is on use a hair dryer on hot setting to melt the wax into the fibres and or stitch holes, use a nail brush to work the wax in and DON'T smoke or stand near a naked flame when you are doing it!
Allow to dry naturally and your rug is good to go!
Hope it helps, Oz :)
 
thankyou cremedemonthe!
The sewing was no problem... ive got two huge industrial long arms..both about 40 year old but pure diamonds!
I made patches and overlocked the edges then sewed the overlocked edges before sewing them onto the rug, im pleased with the results but hadnt thought about waterproofing the edges ..so thankyou.
The neck looks good too..i cut the neck off and then overlocked the raw edge before rebinding...the binding isnt as neat as the original ..but i had to reuse the neck binding..i didn t have any soft enough for the job.
Great advice too about the straps , the weatherbeta is drying at the moment prior to repair and i think that will need to have the straps taken off.
Im now unsure about taking the neck off this one as having seen the damage done to the first one it does nt look that bad now..so the repairs to the weatherbeta wont be matching...poor horse!
I will try to get some pictures, but im keeping away from my workshop this weekend as i need the time away from it!
 
I have read the how to insert an image on faq so please let me know if anyone can see them or not!
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There was a lot of damage and i don t think i would have gone to the trouble with an older rug ..but i could nt bear to throw a two/three week old rug out!
 
Hi, i've fixed rugs using stormsure glue and patches - glued underneath not over - goid easy fix - a bit messy but works if you don't sew (i do but dont have room for industrial lockstitch :-( )
 
Well i have had a right day mending all the rugs. That one neck has now saved three rugs. It has patched up the rug it came off and also two weatherbeetas. I also took the two fasteners off and used one of the to repalce a missing one off my heavyweight weatherbeeeta, We won t win any prizes for turnout in them, but Im proud to say im baqck to my full quota of rugs without having spent a penny. I must say though having deconstructed a couple of rugs in the process the workmanship on the weatherbeetas is really really good. I have one with slightly dodgy velcro so it anyones interested the actual velcro make fron the diy shops is very very strong... im off to eay now to see if there are any ripped rugs going cheap now that im an expert !!!
 
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