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House Furnishing and Decorating: Axminster

Chenille Axminster is an imported carpet, consisting of worsted chenille woven in strips upon a jute backing.

It comes three fourths of a yard wide in rolls, and may also be obtained in whole rugs or carpets specially designed for any kind of room. These are imported, principally from Scotland.

Domestic Axminster and Moquette are much alike. They have a thick, high, tufted pile, which is very durable. The Axminster is usually of better material and construction than the Moquette. The groundwork of these carpets is jute or cotton. The pile consists of tufts of soft woolen yarn fastened upon the groundwork so as to make the design. As each color in the design of these carpets is furnished from a separate roll, acting ndependently, any number of colors may be employed. Hence the most elaborate patterns and shadings of color may be had in these carpets.

Wilton and Brussels are made upon a groundwork of linen with a face of worsted in raised loops. In Brussels carpet these loops remain uncut, whereas in Wilton they are cut and the pile is sheared smooth. These loops are formed of woolen threads of continuous colors which, to form the design, are thrust through the warp threads at intervals by means of wires.

As each color comes to the surface independently of the others, the designs are exceptionally clear and perfect, but the number of threads that can be employed conveniently is limited; hence there are fewer colors and much less shading in these carpets than in Axminster or Moquette.

Velvet and Tapestry Brussels are constructed on the same principle as Wilton and Brussels, except that the worsted threads which form the surface are not of continuous colors, but have the colors forming the design printed upon them before the fabric is woven; hence, without any additional expense, any number of colors may be employed. For this reason the designs of Velvet and Tapestry Brussels are much more elaborate in color and shading than the Wilton or Brussels carpets. Tapestry carpets are more commonly used than any other kind except Ingrains, and hence they give rise in this country to the most important branch of carpet manufacture.

Ingrain or Kidderminster carpet is the only kind of which both warp and woof is of wool. Hence it may be turned and worn on either side, although it shows a right and a wrong side in point of color. Its name of "Kidderminster" is derived from the city in which it was formerly manufactured on a large scale. The names "Ingrain" and "three-ply" arise from the fact that there are two grades, one of which consists of two layers interwoven or "ingrained" to cause the colors of the design to change or mingle, whereas the other has three layers similarly put together.

Venetian is made on a coarse ground of hemp filling with a woolen warp. It usually comes in stripes and is largely manufactured for stair coverings.