I recently rescued an old bear rug that I found in an Antique Mall.
I have no idea as to age. The edges of the hide have pulled away from the black wool backing (this was hand-sewn), and seem to be tearing. The rest of the hide seems pretty stable.
However, the fur is full of dust, dirt, and other floor-nasties. Also, there are areas on the hide that have been 'worn'...the long hairs have been rubbed down. But I am making a medicine wheel, etc. to sew onto the fur to hide these areas.
I would like to remove the old backing, clean the fur, and sew a new backing. I hope to hang it on a wall.
Can anyone tell me how I can safely clean this hide? I would like to reinforce it before placing on a new backing; perhaps with a fusible interfacing. How does this sound?
Any suggestions, links, etc. would be greatly appreciated!
Miigwech
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