Rugs: machine made

George Washington, when he was refurnishing Mount Vernon in 1797, wrote an order to England for "New carpeting as will cover the floor of my blue parlor. *Wilton,' if it is not much dearer than Scotch carpeting—a suitable border, if it is to be had, should accompany the carpeting."

The importation of Jute into the British Isles was a great help to the industry. It provided a cheap strong fiber for carpet backs and stuffer. This made a tougher and more substantial fabric at a much lower cost.

In 1800, the Frenchman, Joseph Marie Jacquard, produced the Jacquard loom, one of the world's great inventions.

This is a complicated machine that revolutionized the manufacture of every fabric—whether sheer curtain or heavy carpet—that has a woven pattern.