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Materials
The main fibres used are linen and Sardinian sheep wool, and if the former now comes from outside the region, while once it was cultivated locally, the Sardinian sheep wool has remained an obligatory part of Samugheo carpets, that which lends the feeling of craftsmanship sought by all lovers of hand-made items. Over the years, the linen and wool have been joined by cotton, not only for the warp, but also as a weft in its own right, in particular for cushions, bedside rugs, and kitchen and bathroom carpets.
The loom
Historical sources speak of approximately 360 active looms in Samugheo, almost one per family, in the mid 19th century, while a recent report places the present number at 900. Excluding the archaic, traditional machines with their special features, which are still preserved by some families, three types of loom are used today in Samugheo: manual slay, mechanical slay and industrial standard. The first is operated entirely by hand, including the slay mechanism, i.e. the working phase effected by a complicated mechanism moved by the hands and feet which tightens the weft yarns one against the other once they have passed over the pirn. The mechanical slay machines are similar, except that the slay is operated electronically, so placing less strain on the weavers. Finally, the industrial standard 'a litsos' and jacquard looms are fully automatic and used for series production of furnishing fabrics.













Detail of the
'a pibiones'
half-full
weave

Detail of a loom

Samugheo,
a textile workshop, 1969
Techniques
The techniques used traditionally in Samugheo are those found all over Sardinia (un'indente, tauledda, lauru, pannu branu, litzos, etc.), but the success in the 1960's and 1970's has led to a specialisation in the so-called 'a pibiones' working, i.e. drawing the weft around a metal rod to form an embossed knot on the base of the fabric and so create the chosen decoration. This working, which is preferred because it is more resistant to wear and therefore particularly valuable in carpets, can be either 'full', covering the entire weave with the changes in colour creating the design, or 'half-full', giving a contrast between areas with full knots and the empty spaces on the fabric base.