ABC MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

This month's topics are:   

Persian Isfahan Oriental Rugs

Alzheimer's

Red Wine StainRemover

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PERSIAN ISFAHAN ORIENTAL RUGS

HISTORY & LOCATION

The history of Isfahan oriental rugs goes all the way back to early 16th century Persia during the rule of the Safavid dynasty (1502-1722). These were the 'heydays' of Persian weaving.

The Shah Abbas was particularly remembered as a great patron of the arts in the 16th century. Isfahan (also Esfahan), a city in west central Iran, was of great importance since the Shah moved the capital of Persia from Qazvin to Isfahan during his reign.

The reign of Shah Abbas is considered the 'Golden Age of Persian Weaving.' Antique Isfahan oriental rugs used sophisticated motifs in their designs and exhibited great technical skill in their weaving. 

Today, Isfahan is the 2nd largest city in Iran and an important industrial center.

Unfortunately, during the period of Afghan domination of Persia from the early 1700s through to around the 1920s, Isfahan rugs were rarely woven. Up until World War I, Isfahan had instead become the center of weaving for the fashion industry of Iran.

After World War I, a change in fashion trends in the world caused Isfahan to lose its place in the fabric industry. Fortunately, the weavers were encouraged to utilize the wool used for fabrics to reestablish the rug industry. Thus, the revival of weaving in Isfahan began. At the time, the new rugs were sold mainly to Europe, since the United States favored heavier styles of rugs which were able to be subjected to antique washes, bleaching, and for some, painting.

During the Great Depression, it became harder to sell rugs and the import of Merino wool became too expensive. The weavers began to switch to native Persian wool, a harder and more bristly wool than the Merino. It was not until after World War II that Isfahan oriental rugs began to be of a higher quality than those woven at the beginning of the revival because of the better materials used.

RUG CONSTRUCTION

The foundation of Isfahan rugs consists of cotton (most often found in older Isfahans), wool or silk depressed warps (up and down cords) and 2 shoots of blue cotton sinuous wefts (side to side cords). (Depressed warps occur when the wefts are pulled tightly from either side, displacing the warps into 2 levels).

Wool yarn is tied to form the pile. The pile is close cut when finished which produces a clear design and a thin yet strong rug construction. Some fine quality Isfahan oriental rugs can be found to have silk as well as metallic thread accents throughout the pile. The knot is asymmetrical (Persian) with 200 to 625 knots (and some higher) per square inch.

It is interesting to note that during the garment period, weavers of Isfahan used hand spun cotton, thus the foundation of the antique Isfahan oriental rugs naturally contained hand spun cotton wefts (left to right cords). Hand spun cotton has irregular areas where the thread is thicker in some spots and thinner in others. This irregularity can actually tend to make the rug more attractive, rather than be considered a negative characteristic.

The end is finished with a kilim (a flat area of varying size woven at the end of the rug before the fringe is finished) with alternating red and blue threads, followed by a knotted fringe. (These threads measure the 'kheft,' another way to measure knots per square inch.)

The sides have a single cord overcast in wool.

It is most common to find Isfahan oriental rugs in sizes 5x7 or smaller, though larger rugs can also be found.

DESIGNS

The designs of Isfahan oriental rugs of the 16th century were influenced by other art forms of the time including calligraphy, bookbinding, and mosaic work, as well as by the poets of Persia. The city of Isfahan itself was, and still is, an inspiration for the weavers with its rich architectural history, including splendid mosques, palaces, and bridges as well as textiles, handicrafts, and fine arts.

The designs of the rugs are exquisitely intricate and curvilinear with delicate floral motifs. Classical designs are also featured such as the vase, hunting motifs, arabesque, scroll, as well as interlaced, spiraling vines known as islimis. These spiraling 'islimis' can incorporate other design elements and often finish at the center point of another motif, such as a palmette. Nains, Isfahans, and Ardebils are examples of rugs also using this motif.

The most common design of Isfahan rugs features a center medallion on a floral-filled field, though hunting scenes and pictorials can also be featured.

COLORS

For further information on Isfahan oriental rugs with photos, please continue reading here.

ALZHEIMER'S

In August and September, ABC launched a campaign to help raise funds for the Alzheimers Association, leading ultimately to joining in the Walk to End Alzheimer's on September 17th.

We offered many incentives for our customers to donate, culminating in drawings at the Walk for a number of $200 gift certificates to those who made a donation. A percentage of our sales in August and September will be donated as well.

For the entire month of October, we are continuing to collect donations, as well as offering a few gifts in return for donations at our office. These include key chains and Purple Alzheimer's Association awareness bracelets.

WHY ALZHEIMER'S?

You may wonder why we chose finding a cure for Alzheimer's to be such a worthwhile cause. There are many reasons (which we will tell you about) but the most important to us is the fact that it is almost impossible to find a single person who has not been negatively impacted in some way by this disease. My favorite cousin, her grandfather, his mother, and the list goes on and on.

The Alzheimer's Association is the only organization in Central New York committed to supporting individuals with a form of dementia and their caregivers, and finding a cure.

In this article, with the help of information from the Alzheimer's Association, we would like to set forth pertinent facts about this disease. Some of these may even surprise you.

HERE ARE THE FACTS...

PREVALENCE & MORTALITY

• Every 66 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer's. 
• Because of the increasing number of people age 65 and older in the U.S., particularly the oldest-old, the number of new cases of Alzheimer's and other dementias is projected to soar. 
• By mid-century, someone in the U.S. will develop the disease every 33 seconds!
• Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.
  
• It is the 5th leading cause of death among those age 65 and older and a leading cause of disability and poor health.
  
• Alzheimer's is the only top 10 cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed! (Though we are working on it).
  
•  Deaths from other major causes have decreased significantly, but those from Alzheimer's disease have increased significantly.
  
•  Among people age 70, 61 per cent of those with Alzheimer's are expected to die before the age of 80 compared with 30 percent of people without Alzheimer's. This is a rate twice as high! 
• Between 2000 and 2014, deaths from Alzheimer's disease as recorded on death certificates increased 89 percent while heart disease decreased 14 per cent.
• Of the estimated 5.5 million Americans living with alzheimer's dementia in 2017, an estimate 5.3 million are age 65 and older and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65 and have younger-onset Alzheimer's. 
• One in 10 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's dementia.
• Almost 2/3 of Americans with Alzheimer's are women.
• African-Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer's or other dementias as older whites.
• Hispanics are about 1 and 1/2 times as likely to have Alzheimer's or other dementias as older whites.
• 1 in 3 seniors die with either Alzheimer's or another dementia.
• It kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

TOLL ON CAREGIVERS

• In 2016, 15.9 million family and friends provided 18.2 billion hours of unpaid assistance to those with Alzheimer's and other dementias, a contribution to the nation valued at $230.1 billion.
  
• Approximately 2/3 of caregivers are women, and 34 percent are age 65 or older.
  
• 41 percent of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.
  
• Approximately 1/4 of dementia caregivers are 'sandwich generation' caregivers meaning they care not only for an aging parent, but also for children under age. 
  
• Alzheimer's takes a devastating toll on caregivers. Compared with caregivers of people without dementia, twice as many caregivers of those with dementia indicate substantial emotional, financial, and physical difficulties.

HEALTH COSTS

Please continue reading here to learn about the health costs of Alzheimer's for individuals and for the nation and find out what is new in Alzheimer's Research, etc. Also make sure to check out the 10 signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's.

RED WINE STAIN REMOVER

CAUTION: Please remember that some stains are simply not able to be removed. Always test on a small or inconspicuous area first.   Please download our ABC Carpet & Rug Spot Cleaning Guide for more information, since it may be more prudent to try a different method for a particular stain first.

RED WINE ON YOUR WHITE CARPET?

Red wine on your white carpet? We believe no home should be without a red wine stain remover!  And we offer you the perfect one...

It will remove red wine stains and may also be effective with the following stains (unless a stain has been set with other methods of removal):

• other red fruit juice stains, such as beet, red smoothies
• blood
• tomato sauce
• ketchup
• blueberry
• cherry
• strawberry
• grease
• coffee
• chocolate and other food stains
• pen ink
• red medicine stains
• vomit
• pet stains
• fresh stains and old stains

It may remove:

• stains you have first tried salt, white wine, vinegar or other cleaners on and the stain is still there. (Just cross your fingers first!)

It may be used on:

• carpet
• area rugs as well as orientals and sheepskin
• upholstery
• clothing
• items you have already washed
• most fabric types such as cotton and rayon

It is almost odorless (citrus scent) and only a small amount is needed for each use.

On heavy stains, better performance is achieved with a few applications, rather than a single one.

It makes great Christmas gifts!

HERE IT IS...

WINE AWAY

RED WINE STAIN REMOVER

WHAT IS IT MADE OF?

Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover is made from fruit and vegetable extracts and has a fresh citrus scent.

• Wine Away is safe to use around children and pets. It is nonflammable, biodegradable, and contains no phosphates or bleach.
• Shake the container lightly and test in an inconspicuous area before using because an item could possibly be incompatible.
• Wine Away is manufactured by Evergreen Labs, 4 West Rees Ave., Walla Walla, WA 99362.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

• On most items, you can simply spray the Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover directly on the stain. The stain may turn a greenish/purple around the edges or slightly gray. Do not panic! If this is an item that can be washed in the washing machine, do so right after the application of Wine Away. The best results with Wine Away happen with items that can be washed in a washing machine.
• If possible, sop up as much of the spill as soon as you can before applying the Wine Away.
• If a single application does not provide results, use a few applications of Wine Away.
• If a grayish stain remains, it is possible that, with time, it may fade completely away. If this is on a piece of upholstery or a carpet or rug, an over the counter rug/upholstery cleaner, used judiciously after the Wine Away, may be able to remove it.
• Use cold water, especially with blood stains.
• Keep a bottle in the laundry area for stain removal. Just spray and let it sit, the longer the better, before washing. If an additional treatment is needed after the wash, make sure to take the item out of the washer and do not put it into the dryer until it has been treated and washed again.

For more information on Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover including Specific Directions for Use on New Stains, Old Stains, and Stains where other cleaners were used first as well as how to remove Stains on a Garment you did not notice before drying it, please continue reading here.

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