Category Archives: Crafts

Guide to Evaluating the Quality of Turkish Rugs

by

joe Ellis

While purchasing rugs for your office or your home, simply relying on the word of the salesman may not be enough. Considering the size of the investment you will be making, it is important that you learn how to evaluate the quality of the carpet you are purchasing.

The right kind of purchase will help save tons of money on rug repairing in the future. Furthermore, authentic Turkish carpets are often considered appreciable investments provided you purchase one with the right quality and pursue effective rug cleaning activities on regular basis.

How to Evaluate the Quality of the Rug

1.Check if the carpet you are purchasing is hand knotted. If your carpet is authentic, it will have taken months or even years to finish.

2.Also, it is important to understand that there are two types of knots that are essentially used in Turkish Rug weaving. The double knot, which is also known as the Gordes knot helps make the carpet a lot more durable. Here, the strand of yarn typically encircles two threads.

3.On the other hand, the single knot or the Sennah or Persian knot encircles a single thread.

4.While evaluating the rugs, make sure you also assess the underside of the rug. If the carpet you are looking at is hand knotted, chances are that there will be some visible imperfections here. If you see a perfect looking backside, chances are that the carpet in question was made by machine and not be hand.

5.Another aspect of the rug quality that needs to be evaluated is the knots per square inch (KPSI). The higher the KPSI of a rug, the higher is the perceived quality. An average rug will come with approximately 150 KPSI. Fine Turkish rugs come with counts of 500 or more.

6.Now, go back to the underside of the rug. The higher the number of knots, the more distinct will be the design on the back of the rug.

7.While evaluating various rugs, also make it a point to find out what materials are used in its creation. Most Turkish rugs and flat weaves are made out of sheep wool, silk, cotton, floss silk or goat hair. Few are even made out of natural materials which are much more durable than their synthetic counterparts.

8.Many buyers tend to be partial towards purchasing rugs that are made out of wool. They are considered to be the most traditional types of Turkish rugs and are usually woven by hand in villages in the countryside. However, it is important to note that the quality of the wool tends to vary by climate and region. The best quality wool comes from the sheep that are found is higher elevations where temperatures are lower.

9.You may also select a Turkish carpet that is made out of silk. The silk used in these rugs come from cocoons. When unrolled, a single thread of silk can stretch for about 25,000 meters. These fibers are considered to be extremely strong and easily twistable. Silk can be easily used for rugs that need feature about 625 KPSI.

Finally, make it a point that you check with the vendor about instructions with respect to rug cleaning and repairing. A major aspect of maintaining the quality of your rug is ensuring that you take good care of it.

Joe Ellis is a content developer and publisher on the topics related to rugs like large rugs london services, large rugs UK, handmade rugs,

rug repair

,modern rugs,

rug cleaning

and more.

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ArticleRich.com

Men s Linen Suits – A perfect pick for all occasions and purpose

by

Nancy Dante

Linen fabric is made from flax fiber, which undergoes a whole process from plant rotting to yarn spinning and finishing. Though the process takes a couple of months, it is completely worth the effort.

Men s Linen suits have gained huge popularity over the period of time. Linen fabric is well-known for its durability and strength. Cotton is well liked by everyone, but linen fabric is even stronger than cotton. These suits can be used for a variety of purposes and it can be worn in all kinds of weather.

Men s formal and casual Linen suits are available in a number of varieties all around the world; some people look for a linen fabric that is smooth and soft while others need a stiff, rough cloth to accomplish the perfect look. Linen fabric is a product of flax fibers that run throughout the length of the stem and it is found inside the bark. The fabric also gives the suits a natural shine which lasts very long. In addition to the shine, linen by itself is a long-lasting, tough material and will remain like that without you needing to maintain them.

Normally, suits produced from cotton often fade when cleaned too much, but linen may be washed again and again and will still continue to shine. So it s a rough and tough fabric, and also easy to handle with minimal care. Initially, linen shirts and linen pants were believed to just look great in light shades and because of this, most of the tailors or branded manufacturers used to stitch linen suits for men mostly in white. However, nowadays creative designers have experimented with the fabric and have created various kinds and variety of Linen Suits that are obtainable in dark colors such as blue, black and grey also.

Linen Suits are always in demand because of its affordable cost, fashionable, trendy designs and comfort. It fits for just about every event no subject whether it is really a home based business getting together with or perhaps a friend s party. Linen fits are readily available for everyone in different colors, and for different occasions. It s a must for every man s wardrobe.

Linen products are fast to wash, and extremely economical to use. These benefits of linen suits allow it to be different using one other fabric offered in Men s selection of suits.

Justinen.com – A trusted name and online store for

Men s Linen Suits

and

Linen Shirts

. Log on to website to surf and buy a huge variety of

Linen Pants

and Shirts at affordable rates.

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ArticleRich.com

By Barbara Wangelid

Since I grew up in the 1950’s it is fun for me to reflect on some of the nifty things during that era.

Drive In Theatres Known then as the “passion pit”, Drive In Theatres bring back many happy memories! My birthday being in July was the prime season for Drive In movies. I would invite all my friends over to celebrate my birthday complete with my mother’s homemade barbeque sandwiches which was my favorite.She would make it from sliced rump roast and then lay the meat in an electric skillet smothered in barbeque sauce. Just before dark we would all pile into a car and head for the drive In. I still remember the intermission jingle “Let’s all go to the lobby” with the hot dog, soda drink and popcorn dancing across the screen. The Drive In was the favorite place to go on a date and the after the show we would go to the Steak n Shake for a hamburger and fries. At that time you stayed in your car and your food was brought to you. A tray holder was placed on the drivers side window to hold the food. It was just brought to my attention from my teenage grandchildren that “going steady” is no longer used. I asked them what do you call it now? They replied just “going out”. Makes no sense to me, but that is how times change. Back in the 50’s and 60’s when you were “going steady”, the girl would be given her boyfriends ring to wear. Because they were always too big to fit, we would wrap the back with white bandage tape and then cover that with fuzzy angora yarn in different colors.. way too cool! The only place you could buy the angora in my town was a department store downtown and I can still remember that they did not have cash registers at the counters, but instead the clerk would send your money through a vacuum tube that led upstairs to the cashiers office. It was much like the drive in banking tube that is used today.

Rock n Roll The summer of 1955 with Bill Haley’s song “Rock Around the Clock” changed the music we listened to forever. I was hooked. Then came Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and the rest is history. Every Saturday I would walk downtown to Lindstrom’s Record store and listen to the latest hits and always come home with at least one new 45. In my bedroom next to my bed was my radio that I would listen to every night just to hear the newest songs. Radio at that time was AM only and at night with less interference in the airwaves I could pick up a station from Little Rock which was about 600 miles from where I lived. The commercial that I will never forget was for White Rose Petroleum Jelly. I was so excited the night I heard the song “Sea Cruise” that I ran down to Lindstrom’s to buy it only to find out that it wasn’t available yet. My parents did not like Rock n Roll and would say it sounds like noise. They did however “put up” with it and allowed me to play my record player as loud as it would go which was not very loud when compared to today’s stereos. Now we have a stereo in the living room, a portable stereo in the garage complete with subwoofer, subwoofers on our computers and a subwoofer in the car. My love for music has stayed with me and the music and the equipment to play it with just keeps getting better.

Clothes Cuffed bobbie socks worn with suede “buckskin” shoes or saddle shoes that came in all color combinations and styles from light weight to the original heavier oxford in black and white. The sleeves were always cuffed and rolled on the girls short sleeve shirts, and finished off with a scarf around the neck. Wool skirts with the length at the middle of the calf with a slit in the back. The favorite hair styles were pony tails, and shoulder length hair that was rolled at the ends with bangs and usually a side part. Barrettes were often used as decoration and to hold the hair away from the face. The boys typical clothes were blue jeans with cuffed legs, a t-shirt with rolled sleeves, or a shirt with the back of the collar turned up. They wore various short hair styles ranging from the butch to slightly longer Elvis style that was combed back and held in place with VO5 Hair Dressing into a duck tail or DA as it was called. Going to church on Easter Sunday was a sight to behold! All the women and young girls (me included) wore a hat adorned with artificial flowers along with white gloves.

Toys and Hobbies I wasn’t much into dolls as a child because I preferred to be outside exploring or making something with my hands. The one doll that I did enjoy for a short time was the Ginny Doll that is tucked away in a closet complete with all the clothes, accessories and furniture along with a Toni Doll still in the original box almost untouched. The Toni Doll was a Christmas gift and I was evidently at the age that it just didn’t interest me much. Easy Bake Oven has been around for 50 plus years as I was given one for Christmas when I was 8 years old and made and ate all the cakes the first night. Needless to say, I got very sick later that night! One of my weekly downtown stops was the local Hobby Shop that sold Paint by Number products. I would sit at a desk in the sunroom and paint for hours. I painted a black tole waste basket and Kleenex box holder that was given to my Mother as a gift. They also sold magic tricks that fascinated me and I would give magic shows at home on the piano bench covered with a black antique crazy quilt. Two other toys I have fond memories of was the Hula Hoop and the Slinky.

Burma Shave The old motels are now a thing of the past having been replaced with travel hotels. More rooms in a smaller space, but not as convenient as the motels where you would park right in front of your room. When our family would take car trips we would see the Burma Shave signs along the road and read them out load as we passed them. DON’T TRY PASSING, ON A SLOPE, UNLESS YOU HAVE, A PERISCOPE, BURMA-SHAVE.

If computers had come along 45 years sooner, I think my life would have been very different. Oh well, better late than never.

About the Author: Barbara Wangelid along with her husband Tobbe are the owners of

JackandFriends.com

where you can purchase vintage and retro reproduction signs, enamelware, antique labels, 1950’s retro, and classic pedal cars.

Source:

isnare.com

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By Emily Goldthorpe

Bart Koene, a Uden native, studied at HTS clothing and first began making his own beach shorts on a whim during a work placement in France. He wanted to make the most of his French visit so he began traveling along the coast to Saint-Tropez. Once there he started selling his homemade shorts and within six weeks his entire stock had sold out. This was the tiny beginning to what is now an international accessory brand.

Bart traveled to Bali next, buying up the beautiful fabrics in order to make more beach shorts. He returned to Saint-Tropez and continued to sell them, living in a caravan by the beach and enjoying a freeing, simple life. It wasn’t long before his shorts became so popular, Elton John bought himself a pair.

Upon returning to Amsterdam, Bart turned his focus to cold-weather accessories. He wanted each piece to be hand made, carefully designed and constructed from the highest quality materials. Besides Barts hats, the collection also includes scarves, gloves, socks and a children’s line.

A one man operation only 15 years ago, Barts has become the most popular brands for winter accessories across Europe and Canada. Their philosophy is rooted in entrepreneurship and doing things right the first time around. They value freedom and enjoyment just as much as success.

Barts also take an interest in environmental endeavours. The company started a ‘Respect the Mountains’ campaign that creates awareness and educates the public on preserving the Alps. By reducing the negative impact that tourism can have on nature, Barts hopes to conserve the beautiful mountains and promote green ski resorts. Creating conscious visitors will help preserve the natural beauty for future generations to enjoy.

The new 2012 collection has just come out and continues the tradition of producing amazingly crafted Barts beanie hats. the Barts Kamikaze Trapper hat is an extremely popular design that has been selling out online retailers everywhere. It comes in loads of colors so there is something for everyone. Both men’s and women’s designs are nylon shell with a beautiful, soft faux fur lining. The ear flaps can be worn up or down and fastened with either buttons or a cord fastener. The Barts trapper hat is a must have for any winter wardrobe.

Barts also has great designs for beanies. An easy-to-wear style is the Oscar Peaked Visor Beanie. Sporting the Barts logo near the brim, this cable knit looks carefully woven and comes with a fleece lining for added warmth. The soft gray color matches perfectly with practically anything. If that doesn’t seem to be your style check out the wide selection of Barts hats including fedoras, caps and more. Pick up a pair of gloves or a scarf for a pulled together look.

An online retailer and purveyor of fine merchandise UrbanExcess bring the latest trends, exciting products and artist collaborations including clothing garms, accessories, headwear and lifestyle gifts. They present major and independent cutting edge brands from around the globe including mens designer fashion brands Carhartt, Penfield, Obey Clothing, Edwin Jeans, Cheap Monday, Dr Denim, Suit Denmark, Velour, Farah Vintage, Garbstore, Original Penguin, b Store, The Hundreds Streetwear with footwear from Vans Authentic, Converse, Vans Trainers, Pointer footwear, Swear shoes, Superga and their own brand of U.E. by UrbanExcess bringing exclusive clothing accessories. Leading a way for Women’s designer fashions are Cheap Monday and Vans clothing.

Crossing gender boundaries, UrbanExcess offers contemporary unisex ranges such as Libertine-Libertine along with unisex accessories from Fjallraven, Herschel Supply co., Seil Marschall, Bailey Hats, Goorin, Kangol Hats, Barts, Coal, Ignite Beanies, Bhode & Company, Stetson, Christies, Sandqvist, Brady Bags, Seil Marschall, Eastpak, Ray ban Sunglasses, Retrosupefuture (Super Sunglasses), Sunpocket, Urbanears Headphones.

Follow the UrbanExcess twitter page @UrbanExcess and sign up to their weekly newsletter to take advantage of their exclusive discounts and products releases.

About the Author: Barts Hats Fall/Winter 2011 by Emily Goldthorpe UrbanExcess PR http://www.urbanexcess.com Mens & Women’s Clothing Hats and Lifestyle Accessories

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=1083509&ca=Business

Hobbies: Arts and Crafts Idea – Foam Sheet Glasses Case

by

Nicholas Tan

Are you a camp director, teacher, or homeschool mom looking for a new arts and crafts idea for your kids? Or maybe you are a recreation director at a senior center or nursing home and could use a new project. Either way, this arts and crafts idea will be interesting and fun for all. This glass case can be used, given as a gift, or converted into a necklace purse.

To make the glasses case, you will need the following simple materials: a square of craft foam, plastic or large blunt needles, lanyard lace or thick yarn. Cut two rectangles from the foam, each 3-1/2 inches (9 cm.) by 6 inches (15 cm.). With a hole punch, make holes on three sides of each rectangle, leaving one short side unpunched. Make the holes 1/2 inch apart and allow at least 1/4 inch between the hole and the edge of the craft foam. The holes need to line up so that the two pieces can be laced together. If you are preparing the craft for small children, you should make the holes yourself. Otherwise, the crafters can do this step if you have enough pairs of hole punches.

At this point the crafters can cut decorative shapes from other colors of craft foam, or you can buy sets of ready-cut foam shapes. If you are doing the craft at a special event, like vacation Bible school, choose shapes that echo the theme of the event. For instance, if the Bible school or camp has a cowboy theme, find shapes that fit well, such as boots, cowboy hats, and stars. Let the kids choose the shapes they like and glue on as desired. You might also like to provide beads or sequins to glue on as well, especially if the crafters are a little older.

The next step in this arts and crafts idea is to thread the plastic needle with the yarn or lanyard lace. Yarn might be a little easier to handle, but lanyard lace is shiny and attractive. In a pinch, some teachers of small children use a bobby pin as a needle. It is certainly a safe alternative. Simply loop the yarn through the opening and use the open end of the bobby pin as if it were the point of the needle. The children can now begin to lace the front and back of the glasses case together.

To turn this arts and crafts idea into a necklace purse, simply attach a piece of lanyard lace to each corner making a long handle. Kids will enjoy using this case as a place to store secret notes and small objects. If they’d rather, they can give the glasses case to a parent, grandparent, or friend who wears glasses. Either way, this arts and crafts idea will be interesting for all.

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Hobbies: Arts and Crafts Idea – Foam Sheet Glasses Case

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