HAND WOVEN RAG RUGS

• Our HANDWOVEN rag rugs are carefully made by a skilled craftsman on a large Cranbrook floor loom located in the clean environment of our Gallerystore. Everything is handmade without any electronic mechanical assistance to speed up production!  There is a distinction between "Handwoven" and "Handloomed". "Handloomed" is a term used for items that are created on a loom that is set up by hand but the actual weaving is mechanized. If all the power went off, we could still weave rugs!  Yay!...self reliance! and pride in hand craftmanship! Weaving our rugs is a slow process and we hope embodies all the elements of joy that come from making things of beauty that are also useful which sustain a cottage industry so important for the survival of rural populations such as those in Washington County, Maine.  
• Most of our rugs are made of cotton, always prewashed to control shrinkage. We weave rugs using cotton, cotton/polyester blends as well as polyesters, wool, linen (flax), silk, nylon, and rayon. Synthetic materials can be incorporated for aesthetic effects. Normally, the labels created for each rug will describe the materials used in each rug along with its size. If a fringe is at the ends of the rugs, we will indicate the additional length of the fringe. Our rugs are well made and durable.  
• Due to the covid virus pandemic, our Gallerystore in Lubec, Maine has been closed to the public since the beginning of 2020. Available rugs may be purchased via our website. We are a seasonal Gallerystore, usually open June-September. Watch this site to see when our bricks and mortar store we may re-open, hopefully, in 2021.
• We select warps (the long "strings" that run the length of the rug) for beauty & strength, choosing 100% cotton or 50% polyester/50% cotton or 100% polyester. Our heavy cotton warp is selected for strength but the poly/cotton blend is usually a little more durable and stronger; it combines the natural characteristics of cotton’s softness and moisture absorption with the crispness and strength of polyester. 100% poly is the strongest of all and as a warp can be used with all wefts. (Wefts are fabrics and yarns that go across the rug, left and right, back and forth, and they determine the width of the rug as well as the thickness.) We tear our strips or cut them to the exact width we want for certain effects. We may use other materials to weave with such as poly/cottons, polyesters, wools, linen (flax), silks, rayon, nylon, and synthetics. Our stash of materials includes new fabrics as well as found yardage from estate sales.  We treasure and save woolen blankets which are washed before we cut them into strips for weaving our most expensive rugs. Come see our rugs. They make wonderful gifts. 
• Prices range from $15-$45 a square foot, depending on materials and complexity of design. 
• Our ITTYBITTY soft cotton flannel rugs are made especially with kids, kitties, and puppies in mind. Because of its absorbency, cotton flannel fabric weaves into good bath mats...so easy to clean in your washing machine!
• We have always had a no-returns policy for all fiber products in our Gallerystore, including rugs, felted wool/silk wall hangings, and both nuno and shibori scarves. None of our works have been exposed to smoke filled environments or dirty hands or pets wandering all around. Thus, out of a spirit of assuring cleanliness, we restrict the sale to no-returns in order to sustain the cleanliness of our products.
• Shipping costs within the continental United States depend on location and customer preference.. Returns, exchanges, or cancellations are not accepted. But please contact our Gallerystore if you have problems with your order. We make most of our sales via the Gallerystore, of course, when it is open. Former customers know our work and are comfortable with this policy. 
• For further information on any of the products shown on our site, please contact us and we'll be happy to answer most  questions you may have. 

Handwoven rugs...beautiful & useful!

Rugs can only be purchased from the ARTWORKSOFMAINE Gallery when it may reopen following closure (2020-2021) due to the Covid pandemic.