Craftsmanship

All our rugs are made in India by highly-skilled artisans; we work closely and directly with communities of dyers, weavers, tufters and knotters, in longstanding partnerships. We are proud to engage these traditional industries and unite Margo Selby’s unique designs with their craftsmanship.

Rug making techniques

We work in 4 distinct ways for rugs; each handmade using traditional artisan techniques; each suited to customer requirements and project applications:

Hand Knotted

Our hand knotted rugs, in 100% wool, or wool and silk together for lustre,  are constructed on a warp using a traditional asymmetrical knotting technique; this creates a premium quality long lasting rug, with intricate design detail. The motifs can be hand-carved to create a 3-dimensional profile. Hand knotted rugs are of the finest quality and tend to be weighty and floppy in structure. Two knot densities are possible, as determined by the design.

View Hand Knotted Rugs

Hand Tufted

Luxurious pile, tightly packed yarn – these rugs are handmade on upright frames using a very precise technique of inserting and looping yarn tufts through a canvas backing, with handheld tools. Features of this method are the density of pile and crispness of line, with optional varied pile heights hand-carved to create a 3-dimensional effect.

View Hand Tufted Rugs

Hand Loom

Specific to orthogonal designs,warp-faced hand loomrugs are traditionally woven on a horizontal loom. During the making process – a technique similar to that of velvet – makers insert rods into the warp, determining the depth of the pile height. Hand loom rugs may feature loop pile, cut pile or a mix of both;  the resultant rug is dense and sumptuous.

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Flatweave

Kelim flat-woven rugs –  without a pile – are handwoven on a horizontal ground loom in either 100% wool or 100% Polyethylene Terephthalate yarn made from recycled bottles (rPET) suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Bobbins are passed back and forth to create inlaid motifs. This is a traditional rug-making technique that results in a lighter-weight, practical and beautiful floor covering.

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Materials

The materials that go into weaving a Margo Selby rug are as important as the design and workmanship. Colour, texture, tactile feel, and function are all factors we consider for each individual rug.

 

 

 

 

Margo Selby studio tends to work primarily in Indian Chokla wool for rugs, local to production, but this can often be interchanged with recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate if a vegan alternative is preferred. Similarly the lustre provided by silk, that we combine with the wool, can be replaced with Tencel for a similar effect.

Our materials and blends:

Wool
Natural, durable, versatile

Wool and silk
Luxurious textural quality, lustre

Wool and Tencel
Softness, depth of colour

100% recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate
Vegan, hard wearing, wool-like textural quality

Sustainablilty

We strive for the highest standards of sustainable manufacture and distribution. We work primarily in sustainable materials for rugs: wool and Polyethylene Terephthalate made from recycled water bottles (rPET). 

Indian Chokla wool, hand-dyed, and highly sustainable, is fire retardant, colour fast and biodegradable; handspun wool gives an extra fine texture. Natural, renewable and hardwearing, wool is the most recyclable fibre in the world. Wool uses significantly less energy and water than other textiles in its production.

Ethics in Practice

PEOPLE | Our rugs are crafted in India through long-term partnerships with suppliers who have successfully undergone and passed a SMETA audit (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit). Furthermore, our suppliers are committed to adhering to our own charter, which ensures fair wages and safe working conditions for our rug makers.

EDUCATION | Through the Women's Empowerment Project, the Margo Selby Studio has committed to sponsoring eight students in the Advanced Fashion Design Course (A.F.D.B.C.) at the Vanita Institute of Fashion & Design (Vatuta Polytechnic). This initial group of students is now preparing to graduate, and we look forward to the presentation of their graduating portfolios.

COMMUNITY | We are proud to be members of Care & Fair, an organisation that has provided free education and primary medical healthcare to rug knotting workers and their families for over 25 years.

ETHOS | To produce high-quality rugs, it is essential to invest in the people who create them.

Sedex

Care & Fair

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