Kelim Cushion Elnara 50x50cm

The traditional and timeless patterns of Anatolia make our vintage pillows very special. They are the mystical symbols of a millennia-old nomadic tradition, intended to bless the home and its inhabitants with love, blessing, and protection. High-quality materials such as hand-spun sheep's wool, goat hair, or cotton connect us with the energy of Mother Earth. This pillow cover was lovingly sewn in the Wild Heart Free Soul atelier in Istanbul from a fragment of a hand-woven mid-century vintage kilim. The back is made of recycled cotton and has a high-quality zipper. The kilim was professionally cleaned before further processing; age-related wear and natural irregularities are inevitable with unique, handmade vintage carpets.

REGION OF ORIGIN

Central Anatolia 

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

All our vintage kilims and carpets are entirely handmade. The sheep wool yarn was hand-spun and dyed. Due to the high lanolin content, the high-quality sheep wool has a particularly beautiful sheen. A luster that cannot be achieved with industrially produced yarn. After the elaborate production of the yarn, the kilim was hand-woven on a traditional wooden loom. This process usually took several months, sometimes even over a year.

CLEANING AND RESTORATION

Our cleaning process takes place cyclically, in harmony with nature.
Our carpets are cleaned only once a year at the beginning of summer. For this, we use only water and pure olive soap. Afterwards, we utilize the power of the sun to intensify the cleaning process. The strong sun in Antalya between June and September bleaches out stubborn stains and discolorations, removes odors, is antibacterial, and keeps moths and insects away. Through the power of nature, we can completely avoid environmentally harmful chemicals.
Subsequently, our kilims are mechanically dusted and sent to Istanbul. In our atelier in Sultanahmet, each carpet is individually stretched into shape, the ends are re-knotted using the Iranian knot technique so that the weave cannot unravel. In addition, holes and discolored areas are faithfully restored. The entire cleaning and restoration process takes between six months to two years, depending on the kilim.

MATERIAL

Sheep's wool is a natural and very high-quality material. All our rugs are woven from hand-spun sheep's wool yarn, which consists of long fibers and has a very high lanolin (wool fat) content. This makes the wool particularly dirt-resistant, water-repellent, and antibacterial.

Sheep's wool is also a living material that, with use and exposure to sun, air, and water, becomes softer and more lustrous over the years. It is a material that ages beautifully, is absolutely environmentally friendly and free of harmful substances, and cleans and regenerates itself.

CARE

With loving care and regular maintenance, a Wild Heart Free Soul kilim will look as good as new even after many years of use. Genuine kilims can thus last for several generations.

Our kilims don't require much care, but they do require the right kind of care. A kilim should be regularly and gently vacuumed or beaten. Stains can almost always be removed with a slightly damp cloth. Dried food residues can easily be scraped off or brushed out.

A kilim should not remain wet for a long time, as this can cause it to warp. Therefore, we do not recommend washing it yourself. If you feel the need to have your kilim washed, please contact a professional, trustworthy rug cleaner or us. We offer all Wild Heart Free Soul customers discounted rates for rug cleaning and restoration.