In May we were delighted when the rug pictured above (Stripes in the Olive colourway) won Best Flatweave Design at the Carpet Design Awards, an international badge of distinction, given in recognition of quality and design excellence in handmade carpets and rugs.

Stripes – Olive was the first design in the Creative Matters Stacked Collection and while it is indeed a flatweave, it is also so much more. Like all our Stacked rug designs, it’s composed of handwoven wool dhurries layered and stitched together. The dhurries – the Indian term for a flatwoven rug – are produced in India using traditional techniques. Not so traditional is the layering of the pieces and then quilt stitching them together.

*The Creative Matters design for Stripes - Olive showing the four dhurries stitched together with mercerized cotton stitching.*

“The resulting rug adds an exciting dimension to otherwise flat surfaces, and allows for an investigation into more complex shape, pattern and colour combination while keeping production simple,” said Anna Panosyan who heads up the design team responsible for the Stacked Collection designs. “Another benefit of layering is the added durability – the rugs are much sturdier than a typical dhurrie, allowing for higher foot traffic.”

*A close-up of Stripes - Olive showing orange overstitching that holds two dhurries together and a yellow running stitch that attaches the fringe to the striped dhurrie.*

The design concept for Stripes - Olive was inspired by two distinct but overlapping Japanese aesthetic traditions: wabi-sabi, a world view centered on the appreciation of transience and imperfection; and boro, a class of textiles that have been mended or patched together. “This interdisciplinary project required the use of non-standard techniques as it required the considerations of how to layer separately produced flatwoven pieces, as well as how the quilt stitching would operate both as a decoration and structural support,” said Anna. “The use of quilt stitching - similar to that seen in Japanese boro textiles - in rug making is one of Stripes’ most evident design innovations.”

*Room settings featuring Peaks - Clay and Peaks - Lemon from the Stacked Collection.*

As well as the four dhurries, the design comprises linen details that have been layered and stitched together with the use of mercerized cotton stitching, cotton warp and fringe.

There are currently eleven rug designs in our Stacked Collection. All use a combination of materials, textures, colours and shapes where each piece is handwoven separately and then stitched together by hand. These are suggested compilations and the option always exists to select your own.

*Close-ups of: Beat - Forest, Angles - Raspberry, and Peaks - Lemon.*

As is the case with all our collection rugs, the pieces in our Stacked Collection are sustainability winners. They are made of wool with linen and cotton - all renewable and biodegradable fibres that are considered part of a circular economy. The mill in India that we have chosen for the production of the handmade carpets has been working with us and Label STEP (our fair trade partner) for many years.

*The Creative Matters Angles - Blue design from the Stacked Collection.*

“We created our first Stacked design at the end of 2018,” said Anna. “It started out as an experiment and now two and a half years later, it has received a Carpet Design Award. It has been so gratifying to work within a team and an industry that supports innovation.”