The Team of DWP Carpet Binding would like to wish everybody a safe and happy Thanksgiving. We will be traveling, therefore we will be
CLOSED:
Wednesday, November 27th, 2013
through
Friday, November 29th, 2013.
Regular business hours will resume on
Monday, December 2nd, 2013.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Here's a horribly blurry pictures of our family's Turkey-hand contest last year!
Monday, August 5, 2013
Well, I've certainly been slacking in the "blogging" department, now haven't I?
The pictures above show a large custom shaped carpet that Dan worked on. He bound it using our 1.25" polyester binding.
Business has been a little funny lately. Usually the Summer season is hectic, yet this time around it hasn't been. We've had days when there was nothing major happening. Then we've had days when we're completely slammed with work and have one customer after the other in for rush services. It makes the days a little more exciting when you don't know what will happen next; on the other hand, it makes for really long days when there is not much on-hand. I suppose it's all part of the business.
We are currently looking for some testimonials/reviews from people who have used our services. If you came in for any carpet binding service, please help us out and send us a review! You can e-mail them to:
dwpcarpetbinding@gmail.com .
As always,
Thank you to everybody who has been in to see us for carpet binding needs recently!
Last week it seems that all jobs DWP Carpet Binding received in were serging jobs. We popped out 17 area rugs for a school. They ranged in size from 8 ft. by 10 ft. up to 12 ft. by 12 ft. It only took us 1.5 days to complete the job; while working on other binding jobs as well, so we didn't fall behind. This is what a pile of serged carpets look like:
17 area rugs serged for a Montessori school.
We also received a serging job for pieces that were custom made. They chose to use a black serging yarn to accent the black carpet within the off-white field carpet. Here are two pictures of what it looked like:
Cotton serging yarn up-close.
Custom runner with black cotton serging yarn as an accent.
The serging jobs were great projects. We even had a walk-in come in to cut back a custom car mat and finish it with serging to top it all off!
A completely separate job came to us. It was a carpet remnant that was already bound that needed to be cut into three different pieces. The original binding was a gold tone, which was used on a dark taupe (almost purple) carpet. I wasn't fond of the color the factory chose for the carpet. It wasn't even in the ballpark of the color of the carpet. Ultimately, because we could not match the existing binding exactly, we were instructed to bind all four sides to get the same aesthetics on all sides. Unfortunately, my camera isn't great, but here are two pictures of the original binding, then another displaying our binding versus their binding:
Original binding: gold/tan color on taupe carpet.
The binding on the top (going left to right) is ours; the binding on the perpendicular side (up and down) is the original. You can see that our binding has a crisp, clean look when it stitches; where as the other binding has wrinkles and the color is mismatched to the carpet's color.
You can see that our binding matches the carpet better and it has a better finishing touch. If a person is attentive towards detail, they would notice a big difference. This aids in displaying the quality of our binding, as well as our ability to pick up better color tones to compliment the color of the carpet. We can't always get an exact match, but in this case, we think we hit a home-run!
This week, we already have three projects in for new fringe and a few custom binding jobs to finish up.
Over the past few weeks DWP Carpet Binding has had quite a handful of work. We had a lot of serging and binding jobs, but we also had a few custom binding jobs for carpets on boats! Below is one of the pieces that was a part of the custom binding job:
Hand-binding/ Custom binding.
Custom shaped piece for carpeting on a boat.
We also had a couple of runners that needed to be seamed in order to get the desired length. Here's what our seams look like:
Close-up of carpet seam on wool runner (unbound).
Carpet seam on wool runner, from a distance.
Close-up of carpet seam on patterned carpet.
Carpet seam on patterned carpet from a distance.
Those are just a couple of the projects that have kept us busy these past few weeks.
In other news:
Many customers have asked, "Where's my DWP shirt?", since Dan and myself have DWP Carpet Binding T-shirts we wear day-to-day. Well, after many requests, we have finally ordered some. They're not the same as the ones we wear every day, but I think they're pretty snazzy!
New DWP Carpet Binding T-shirts!
Hopefully the new shirts will look just as good in person! Time will tell.
Hey, we don't like to toot our own horns, but we don't mind if you do it for us!
This is just a quick post to show some of the recent pictures we received from customers who have bought carpet remnants we had in stock. With an inventory that is constantly revolving, you never know what we may have on hand, but we try to accommodate those seeking remnants as best we can.
Below are some pictures to show how small (or sometimes large) remnants can jazz up your living space.
2 ft. by 22 ft. floral runner
3 ft. by 5 ft. runner for door-way entrance
5 ft. by 8 ft. area rug
9 ft. by 12 ft. area rug (panoramic shot); note how it matches their dog!
8 ft. by 10 ft. area rug
5 ft. by 8 ft. area rug
And just for fun, here's a picture of my nephew doing something he loves ... vacuuming! (I know. I know. Pretty surprising for a 6 year-old!)
Beneath those couch cushions and vacuum there's a 4 ft circular rug DWP fabricated!
That's all folks. Just a quick set of pictures displaying some of the remnants we have sold in the past. (If you would like to help us show off our work, please fell free to e-mail us pictures of DWP stock pieces in use.)
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Thank You to all who have come and visit us these past couple of weeks!
Although we haven't hit record highs, the Spring season is back! Flowers are starting to bloom, birds of all types are singing their love songs and the weather is creeping higher and higher each day. This is a time when everybody has a little more pep in their step and their smiles are just a bit bigger than usual. Let's face it, even as New Englanders, the winters seem far too long at times. The team of DWP is happy that the weather is changing over for a few reasons:
The flea markets are starting up and Dan is making his go-around with our stock pieces.
Business in general will start picking up; which is always a good thing!
Warmer weather also brings in new faces to our shop and it's always a pleasure meeting new people.
With that being said, we have received a handful of phone calls from people all over the state of CT asking when Dan will be back at certain flea markets. The truth is, we don't know. Typically, his flea market visits are spur of the moment based on availability. He tries to circulate them so he makes at least one every six weeks, but sometimes that doesn't always happen. So, if you're one who is eagerly awaiting his arrival, thank you, but it's up in the air where he'll go and when he'll be there. I will try to update his next stops on here as much as I can, but sometimes he goes on a whim and I don't get the chance to fill everybody in.
So, let's talk about the various jobs we've had in house over the past few weeks:
We had one very enthusiastic couple in (Hi Chick & Judy!) to have a carpet, which was a wall-to-wall, re-sized to two different area rugs. They were redecorating a room in their home and wanted to expose their hardwood floors, but keep the carpet as an area rug under their furniture. We cut the carpet to approximately an 11 ft. by 14 ft. & a runner 2 ft. by 12 ft. It was a super thick carpet, so it also needed to be power beveled, then we finished it off with a nice polyester binding to match. Coincidentally, I just received a phone call from a young woman who is looking to do the same exact thing! We can do it and it's a great way to reduce the cost of buying a new carpet all together!
We had a woman (Hi Judy!) come in with a very nice piece to cut down because it had gotten water damage. It was a woven wool she picked up from Pottery Barn and wanted to salvage. We cut it back after latexing the perimeter and serged all four sides with our cotton serging yarn. It came out lovely and she was able to remove most of the noticeable stains while keeping her carpet useful!
Two other gentlemen came in at separate times (Hi Mike & Mark!) to have remnants cut and bound with polyester binding. Both small jobs that we were able to complete while they waited, to save time and money.
Last, but not least, we had a gentleman (Hi Alex!) come in with a very complex job. He manages a local sky-diving company and needed replacement carpet for a plane that was being worked on. He brought in the old carpet as a template and the new carpet for DWP Carpet Binding to work on. It was a complicated job because of the intricate cuts that the piece had. The custom shape was because the carpet had to go around certain bolts for the seats and have slits cut and stabilized for seat belt buckles to come up through.
What we ended with was this:
Custom shaped carpet for airplane: cut & bound with polyester binding.
This was about a 4.5 - 5 hour project for us. The majority of each small cut-out was hand-bound (by yours truly) yet, even at the perpendicular angles that our binding machine was able to pass through, there were inside corners to put back together. Quite an extensive project, but luckily he was very happy with the end results! On a side note: While I was finishing up the seat belt areas he and Dan were chatting. He kept inviting Dan to visit his place of business and check the whole operation out. Dan kept joking, "I don't know. I think I like it on the ground, personally." Haha.
In just a few weeks we've already met several friendly faces on top of our regular day-to-day customers. As always, DWP would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who uses us for their carpet binding needs! We look forward to the "busy season" and the intricate work tasks that will come our way next!
So, we would like to wish a Happy Easter to any and everybody who celebrates it.
(Happy Passover to those of you who celebrate that!)
Bobbie (the VP) and myself spent Sunday afternoon coloring eggs for Easter.
:)
We will be open today until about 2 pm.
(Regular business hours will resume on Monday morning.)
In other news:
This past week we received a set of custom car mats to be serged. One of the pieces was very intricate and required hand-serging in small cut-out areas. You can check out the pictures below:
Custom hand-serging.
Serged by hand. (Old school, needle and thread.)
Serged by hand. (Old school, needle and thread.)
Serged by hand. (Old school, needle and thread.)
The customer was pleased with the work, which was a huge relief for me, considering the amount of time that had to be put in. Each square took about 40 minutes a piece, then another 2 hours was spent to make sure that any voids were filled. It was quite an extensive project!
We had a huge undertaking for a serging job recently. It was a nice job, two custom shaped pieces we had to bevel and serge the perimeters of. Check out one of the pieces in the pictures below:
Custom hallway in for serging.
Custom piece; different angle.
It may not look like a hard task, but believe it or not this one piece took nearly 3 hours to complete! Custom pieces like this require a lot more time and effort to complete. The inside corners on this piece took about 45 minutes in itself to finish. Inside corners are the perpendicular angles that happen at the junctures of the cut-outs. We relief cut them in order to get our serging machine to by-pass the areas, then we have to glue them back together, almost as if they are seams. Due to the extra time involved, there is an extra charge applied to the cost. Dan and I double teamed this job, so as I was working on the inside corners of this piece, he started the serging on the second piece (you can catch a glimpse of it in the top corner of the second picture). The second piece was not as intricate, yet it still took a good 2.5 hours to complete. With two people working on the project, it didn't take as long as it could have. However, the time and extra labor cost more money. Simple as that.
In addition to custom shaped pieces, such as the ones above, we charge additional fees for handling used carpets. DWP Carpet Binding had a customer bring in two used area rugs for serging. They were surprised when they heard about the up-charge. The fact of the matter is, handling used carpet is a health risk. On the back of these particular carpets there were multiple stains, which could be from anything. We try not to guess what the potential causes of the stains are, imagination can lead you to very disturbing places sometime. As we were working on these pieces, we used our leaf blower to clean them of excess carpet fibers. Literally a cloud of sand came up upon doing so. That's horrible for our serging machine. Sand can get into every orifice of the machine, which if not properly cleaned, can and will ultimately break parts or ruin the calibrations of the needle and looper, which results in poor stitching quality. With that being said, the health risk of handling unsanitary used carpets and the sand factor, we charge more when working with used carpets. It's only fair.
In a completely unrelated side-note, check this out:
We just BARELY had enough serging yarn to complete the two area rugs!!! The total footage for both area rugs was 130 linear feet and I had guessed that we'd have enough. This is pivotal. There was maybe enough yarn for another 6 inches or possibly a foot. As we worked on the last side, Dan and I were cheering the machine and serging thread on, in high hopes we'd have enough yarn. We did! Then we danced in celebration.
In other news:
I was recently e-mailed a picture of a custom piece I recently made! I wrote a blog about a month ago in regards to this particular piece, as it was made from samples into a "patch-work quilt" area rug.
Below are pictures of the piece in our shop as well as it's final destination in the owner's home!
Custom "patch-work quilt" area rug, in our shop.
Custom piece in place in the customer's home!
I'd say the customer did a great job working a unique piece into the decor of their home! I noted (for future endeavors) that I could have followed the brick work pattern of the chimney to really pull the room together. The customer said he likes it the way it is and wasn't worried about matching patterns between chimney and carpet. Regardless, I couldn't have been more thrilled to see it in use! It certainly is a piece that I'm proud to have been a part in the making of. The customer also had a big 30th birthday celebration, with 30 - 40 guests; all of which raved about the carpet (this is what I'm told at least). Which is just another feather in my cap ... as I said before, compliments are always welcome! [smiley face.]
On that note, this has been your 101 on why we charge extra for certain job tasks.
Thank you to all who have come to see us in the recent past!!!
When DWP Carpet Binding started up in 2004, one of the products we offered was cotton binding. Though the volume was low, a handful of jobs requested the product. With several attempts ultimately being failures for multiple reasons, we decided that we wouldn't offer cotton binding anymore. The major component of this decision was that we would waste more material and time than the job was worth. The cotton binding frequently sewed on with wrinkles in the material, which ruined the aesthetics of both the carpet and the binding. Whether we ran a 12 ft. side once or five times, we were only going to get paid for it once. Having less than desirable results, we opted to eliminate cotton binding as an option.
Well, recently a woman came in with two Stark carpets. She had her mind set on cotton binding. Dan showed her a sample of our cotton serging as an option, but she wasn't a fan for serging. She said she "could have lived with it" if there was nice fringe on both ends. Dan explained to her that with past attempts the cotton binding rarely ever worked out. They also went over the option of the sisal/wide-border binding. She felt that it was too informal for her pieces. She associated the wide binding with outdoor sisal carpets and didn't want to ruin the overall style of her pieces with something which may be presented as informal. What she left with was 3 options:
Have us cut the carpets to size, then ship them to another binding shop that offers cotton binding.
Serge the carpets.
Use sisal/wide-border binding.
She said she would think about it over night and get back to us the following day. It was clear that she was disappointed in hearing that we didn't offer cotton binding. One of Dan's famous lines is, "You can be a part of the problem, or you can be a part of the solution. I prefer to be a part of the solution." So, he started thinking about how to be a part of the solution. He went through some of the extra miscellaneous spare parts we have for our table model binding machines. In doing so, he found a couple of random folders (this is the part where the binding is fed through, prior to being stitched). These folders looked different than ours, which set a light bulb off in his head. Maybe these folders are meant for cotton binding versus polyester binding?
Dan put them to the test. He set up one of our table models with one of the folders and began running cotton binding onto scrap carpet. After finagling for a chunk of time, he was finally able to get the right setting so that the cotton binding stitched flawlessly! (Eureka!)
He called the customer and let her know that he was going to attempt to bind her rugs with the cotton binding she chose. There wasn't one problem in the process. The end result? Check out the picture below:
Cotton Binding application
(Of course I remember to take a picture AFTER the carpet is wrapped. Tsk. Tsk.)
The customer was in today and she was beyond thrilled about the results. She absolutely loved it saying, "How rare that the producer and the buyer of something both end up happy with the result."
Not only are we happy with the result, but we're ecstatic to offer another product for people's binding needs. We no longer have to worry about wasting material and time, nor worry about whether or not we can get the desired result. Dan often says, "You have to have the right tool for the job." Finding the cotton binding folder for our machine allowed for us to have the right tool for the job ... now and for future cotton binding jobs!
DWP Carpet Binding is ending its work week on a delightful level. We made a customer happy and solved an ongoing obstacle in the process.
Side story: In the past a customer referred to Dan as "Pad-a-Genius", since his last name is Padegimas. He'll use that nickname from time to time when making phone calls. Well, in this case it's a well deserved nickname. His genius came through to help solve a problem and finish a task at hand.
For some reason, people are always asking about Berbers. I often wondered if it's because they know the name of the style. Berbers can go a long way in some cases, in other cases they would be a bad choice of carpeting. I do not care for them personally, for a multitude of reasons. One of the main reasons is they don't bind very well; especially not thick ones. What happens with Berber carpet is that the binding tends to form to the shape of the carpet loop. This makes for an illusion that the binding is not sewn straight. Today, we worked on a thick Berber carpet. The binding looked very erratic to me. It didn't seem as if the machine stitched a straight line, even though it did. I don't like when our binding doesn't look good, it gives a bad impression on the consumer. Alas, I will write about it in attempt to dissuade people from thinking it's the binding versus the real culprit- the texture of the carpet.
Below are a few pictures of a Berber carpet without any binding:
Image 1: Berber carpet without binding.
Image 2: Berber carpet without binding.
Image 3: Berber carpet without binding.
In the first image, you can clearly see the variances of carpet loop. The edge has a tiny/discrete loop that turns into a very bulbous prominent loop and so on and so forth. When you bind an edge like that, the binding forms to the carpet (as previously stated) creating an unsightly visual.
In the second image, you may have noticed all the loose fibers protruding out (no, it isn't a bad hair day). This is what happens when you cut Berber carpet to width. They rarely, if ever, cut well to width. When they are manufactured, Berbers are looped in rows, to the length of the carpet. You can pull just one little loop out and continue pulling that same strand until the whole length of the roll is reached. At which point, you will see the carpet backing. This is how many people ruin their Berber carpets; a small snag turns into a big loop that's no longer fastened to the back, so they keep pulling at the yarn until there is nothing left to pull (nor any carpet loops left). Which would look like this:
Berber carpet not bound; carpet back shows when loops are pulled completely to length.
The third image is merely a different angle of the same carpet, again the loops cut to width just fray out. Which is where binding is necessary! When binding these Berber carpets, we use a pair of 12 inch scissor-shears and trim all of those fiber prior to running any binding machines. When the edge is cleaned up from all the snaggly yarns, we can then bind them. However, just as it is to length, the binding will form to the shape of the carpet.
So, what am I getting at here?
When purchasing a carpet, it is important to be aware of the texture and what it may or may not do when it is bound. Really thick Berber carpets that are bound rarely have the same crisp look that a cut-pile carpet will have. This only matters if you're a picky consumer. Texture, loop size, pile-height and thickness are all factors that make or break a binding job. That's why you can use the same binding on two different types of carpet and end with two very different outcomes aesthetically.
I won't end this with so much negative connotations against Berber carpet. There is some benefit to them. Multi-colored Berbers hide stains well; they are frequently used in apartment complexes for that reason. If they are cared for properly, they can last a long time (don't even think about wearing stiletto spikes and walking on it though). Lastly, they are cost effective, depending on the quality. If you're looking for a quick replacement on a low budget, one of the super stores (Lowe's, Wal-Mart, etc.) will most likely have Berber carpet in stock, already bound and ready to go home with you. Just remember, the texture of the carpet will impact the final aesthetics of the binding!
[I will preface this by saying this is not your typical blog entry about business. It is about business creating friendships that will impact your life.]
Sad news came to us over this past weekend. One of our customers, better yet, one of Dan's friends passed away. Although there was a bit of forewarning, one can never really know how they will feel until it happens.
It's 2004 in November. DWP Carpet Binding has just opened up for business, hosting a "Grand Opening" party. Many people are strolling in to see our facility during the evening hours. I was in charge of greeting everyone, introducing myself as I was new to the business and leading them to the hors d'oeuvres. I observe my mother, Bobbie, using her charm to make each one laugh upon their arrival, while Dan is yucking it up with people he has already done business with for years. I take note of the people who look like they legitimately like Dan and vice versa.
As I'm crossing off a name on the RSVP list, it's then that I meet him. I look up to see an older, yet handsome man with a smile so big, it decreases my need to be shy. I smile back.
"Hello, I'm Nick Damato. Am I on the list?" he jokes.
I introduce myself and reply "yes".
He informs me, "There will be more of my clan."
There was. Many of his sales staff came in for the celebration as well. I cross his name off and watch as he makes his way over to Dan. Dan's face lights up. "Come here you no good SOB!" Dan shouted. They shake hands and I hear Dan joke, "Give me a hug, give me a kiss too, brother." (One of Dan's classic lines.) Their mannerisms continue on like that of old college roommates which tells me these two guys really like each other.
Throughout the years, Nick's business was one of our biggest accounts. Regardless of any obstacles that occurred, he was always one of the biggest proponents in Dan's corner. Countless phone calls back and forth for business purposes, yet there were also quite a few involving personal matters. Nick would call us and if I answered he'd say "Hi. Is Rambo there?" At which point I hand the phone to Dan who answers, "Rambo here." The conversations always ended with Dan saying, " [...] That's why I'm Rambo, I go at them until I run out of ammunition, then I affix the bayonet."
Last Thursday "Rambo" had to make a delivery to Damato's showroom. In an effort to save on gas, he put all of the carpet to be delivered in his Durango as opposed to hooking up his trailer. Along the way, something occurred that has never happened during a delivery. One of the bigger area rugs ended up slipping out on a diagonal with one end dragging on the ground. Dan pulled over to get the carpet back into his SUV. He noticed that the binding would need to be done over again. When he arrives the salesman informs him that they really needed that carpet right away. So, on the following day we repair the binding and Dan fulfills his promise of delivering the piece in time. He also brings with him an Edible Arrangement for Nick, who was not in the showroom, but did have a conversation with Dan over the telephone.
Later Dan says to me, "You know, it has never happened to me before, but that carpet fell out of my car for a reason. It gave me a chance to do the right thing and I was given the chance to put a little closure on my friend dying. I'm glad that it happened."
Nick passed away the following Sunday surrounded by his family.
Dan and Nick have known each other for 25 years. They did business together and in doing so, a friendship was formed. One that was clearly visible to any outsider. When each of Dan's parents passed, Nick sent flower arrangements. When Nick got remarried, Dan was in attendance of the wedding. With that being said, it is difficult not becoming emotional over the loss of a friend. I myself am finding it surreal. One day you're talking carpets and binding, the next you're trying to figure out how to come to terms with sad news.
So, in honor of Mr. Damato, a loyal customer and valuable friend of Dan, I post the following video via youtube.com (it is one of Dan's favorite songs and performances).
With heavy hearts, the team of DWP Carpet Binding offers their condolences to the family and friends.
Yesterday, I was working on a couple of oriental runners. The job task was to remove the existing serging and re-serge four sides of each piece. Removing an existing serging is a lengthy process, because you literally have to undo the stitching, by hand. When I started the process, I was pretty appalled at the serging thread that was used to stitch the yarn into place. It was a clear thread, with not too much to it. I could literally just tug at it and it would break. The only attribute that had any value to the thread was that it was clear. Which isn't really a big deal, when you can easily match the thread to the yarn. Comparatively speaking, the gauge of the thread was smaller than any dental floss on the market. Check out the pictures below:
Serging thread: "theirs" vs. DWP's
Serging thread: "theirs" vs. DWP's
It may not be a noticeable difference in the first picture, however, I think it's clear to see the difference against the carpet. Our serging thread is at least three times the gauge of the thread used in this job. You would cut your hand trying to rip it apart with our serging thread. The second picture depicts both threads against the carpet, notice the clear one is barely visible against the carpet unless it's all balled up.
Quality counts. If you're going to pay for a product, it should be something that is durable and will last a while. When I was pulling the serging off, stitched with the clear thread it just kept breaking, making the project longer than necessary. When the thread is durable enough, you can keep it all in one piece while de-stitching. In this case, I had a difficult time with both the thread and the serging yarn, both of which just kept breaking. Again, all this did was make the task at hand a lengthier project.
This is nothing that is Earth shattering, mind you. However, I think it's a key factor in what makes DWP Carpet Binding different than the rest. We sought out many products upon opening up for business. We're also proud to say that we stand behind our supplier's products because the quality far exceeds many other options. Like any other smart shopper, we gladly pay higher prices for better quality. As a consumer, you should do the same. If you're going to pay for something, make sure the quality is worth your hard-earned money!
Thank you to those who came to see us for their binding needs this week!
Prior to Thanksgiving we had a gentlemen come in looking to have a custom carpet made for his living room. He had previously sent pictures of styles he liked by e-mail. His intentions were to get a carpet that had a patchwork finish, like a quilt. I told him to come in and we can look at some potential pieces to use. Ultimately he picked out pieces from a pile of samples we had on hand. We spent a good chunk of time placing each piece in an order that he liked.
Although it would be a lengthy project in time, I thought it would be a simple task. Never underestimate the work at hand. Each sample piece had serging around the perimeter, which needed to be cut off in order to seam all the pieces together. This later caused a slight issue, because there were seven inches of carpet lost in total. Initially, I figured we could have the customer choose additional pieces of carpet in order to fill in the gaps, however, it was easier to stick with the initial design with the end result being shorter in length by a few inches. With the original lay-out the area rug would have been a 5 ft. by 7 ft. By the end of the project it ended up being 5 ft. by 6 ft. 6 in.
While the piece was being worked on, there was a lot of talk about it by anybody who happened to be in at the time. One woman thought it was neat and was surprised that we could put so many pieces together to create such an eccentric design. There were a handful of installers who did not like the look of the carpet, but acknowledged the amount of work that would need to be put into it. On the other hand, many installers thought it was different and appreciated it for that alone.
After many e-mails back and forth and many hours of labor, the piece was finally finished!
"Patch-work Quilt" Custom Carpet; finished off with brown serging yarn.
The main reason the customer chose to use these pieces was to match the color-blocking paint job of the room. He said the walls were multi-colored and that all of these pieces would help to draw everything together.
This is a good example of making practical use of sample pieces or even scrap pieces. This particular customer knew what he was looking for, chose the pieces he wanted to use and created the lay-out. DWP Carpet Binding's task was to put it together in a way that made it look its best.
It is certainly a unique piece you won't find anywhere else. The patterns, textures & different pile height add dimension and character. This is one fine creation, made simply with 18 carpet samples. This is something you should keep in mind, if you're ever in the market for something different than what retail stores will offer.
DWP Carpet Binding would like to say
THANK YOU to everybody who has been in to see us for their binding and custom carpet needs!
Are you laughing like a school-grade aged child at the potential reference from the title? Good. Then my New Year's resolution of making one person smile or laugh per day is completed! However, this is serious business. I just finished working on a carpet base project of 1300 linear feet. Upon starting the project there were a couple of skips in the stitching. So, I started the regular procedure when this occurs:
Check the threading path of the monofilament and nylon thread. Both were correctly threaded.
Check the needle. Is it dull? Does it need to be changed? I replaced the needle.
Although it was a brand new needle, there were still skips in the stitching. At this point I'm beginning to get frustrated as well as perplexed. What's the deal here? I thought. Then a light-bulb went on in my head. The machine needs oil!
Lubricating oil is essential for the binding machines. In this case, the machine was well-oiled with the exception of this tiny triangular-shaped felt padding that is a key component to the threading path of the monofilament. Typically, before any project is started we put a few drops of oil onto the felt pad; which I had done upon starting this carpet base. Although, I was in a for a surprise because the felt pad was pretty dry, despite having put a few drops of oil in. I ended up putting in quite a bit of oil/lubricant onto the pad throughout the binding process. I was surprised at how much oil that little felt pad could hold!
In finishing up the project, I learned a valuable lesson- always check to make sure all parts and pieces are properly lubricated before, during and after a binding job. I could have wasted about 10 binding needles, assuming it was the needles (which is a typical issue), not the machine needing lubrication.
As they say, "You learn something new everyday."
In other news: Making the right call:
Let's talk about patterned carpet for a minute. We recently had a patterned carpet in here that needed to be cut and serged. It is always important to measure everything out first with patterned carpets, so that you can properly balance the pattern when cutting it. In this instance, Dan had drawn a line on the back of the carpet, which followed the straight-edge. Although it was a straight line, it was very obvious that the pattern of the carpet had been skewed upon the weaving process. At that point, we took pictures to send to our customer to ask how they wanted to proceed. The options were:
Send the carpet back to the mill as defective.
Cut the carpet to be square, regardless of the pattern.
Cut the carpet to the pattern, ending with bowed sides.
Power-stretch the carpet, in hopes to straighten out the pattern.
At first the customer told Dan, "Use your best judgement." Which just isn't sufficient. Dan's judgement is different than the buyer's judgement as well as their expectations. Dan was adamant that the buyer be informed of the issue and that our customer would instruct us accordingly.
Below you can see two pictures displaying a clear visual of how skewed the pattern of the carpet really was.
Visual showing the pattern skew versus the straight line.
Visual showing the pattern skew versus the straight line.
As you can see from the pictures, the pattern of the carpet runs off. I believe it went from 1/4 inch - 1 inch total. Typically the mills' instructions will have a 2 inch leeway before calling a carpet defective. Therefore, the first option of returning the product was no longer an option. Ultimately, the customer took the carpet back. Had an installer power-stretch it, stay-nail it into place and let it sit for 1 - 3 days. They also cut the carpet. This was a resolution that worked for this particular carpet. Power-stretching the carpet allowed for the carpet to be pattern balanced AND square. Although this is a good technique, it will not work with every carpet; depending on the backing of the carpet as well as the pattern/design.
This is one thing to keep in mind when purchasing patterned carpet. You may have to make the decision on whether to cut the piece square or cut it to the pattern. In some cases, you may have to wait an extra month or two, order a new piece and ship the existing piece back as defective. These are common issues that your sales rep. will help you with, if it should ever arise as an issue.
There is your carpet binding lessons for the day!
A big THANK YOU to everyone who has come into DWP Carpet Binding since the start of the New Year!
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