One of these steps is fairly obvious as you can see binding or serging being applied. Note that on many machine made rugs this is a cloth or nylon strip that is sewn on but on a hand made rug, it is sewn one stitch at a time.
And now the fringe (or tassles). First, this is actually a part of the construction. It is the warp that runs from top to bottom. A few years ago it was common to see the fringe left 4 or 5 inches long but these day it is more common to see just an inch or two.
These warp threads are "gathered" into small bundles and tied together, often 3 or 4 at a time. The remaining length is then trimmed.
Now, thru nearly all of this manufacturing, it was men who were working. It was almost rare to find a woman involved in the process. (There were some in back in the pencilling area.) So to almost suddenly find a room with only women working on the rugs was a little bit of a surprise. And then to realize that they were not only finishing the fringe, they were also still clipping small spots over the rug. Incredible attention to the smallest details.
I observed to my host and guide, "I see that here in India it is the same as in the U.S." After his eyes got big I said, "The women clean up after the men."
The lady didn't reply but she sure grinned.
The lady didn't reply but she sure grinned.
