Candy Hale serges the edge of a runner that a customer purchased by the foot at a home center store.
The pink, black and white sign and flamboyant lamp shades in the windows of Alexandra's shop in Kanawha City draw the eye. Inside the store, two walls filled with giant yarn bobbins in every hue give a hint that the bulk of the business conducted in the little shop involves area rugs.
Manager Candy Hale guides the edges of area rugs through a 1970s-era serging machine that is unique to the area. Once the property of Hopkins Rug Service in Belle, the machine was nearly retired when the 60-plus year business closed several years ago.
Candy's mother, Cindy Hale, a long-time employee of an area carpet store, was dismayed to learn of Hopkins' closure because her company and many other local carpet companies used Hopkins for binding and serging. Their machine produced especially tight, high-quality edgings.
"We sent everything there," she said. "There were never any gaps in the bindings. The stitches were always tight and full."
Cindy Hale purchased the serging machine for her daughter to operate in a new business venture. The previous owner taught Candy how to use the machine, which she set up in a warehouse in Cross Lanes. The warehouse lacked a storefront, so few customers found the shop. The Hales opened the shop in Kanawha City last July, brightened the entrance and named it for Candy's daughter Alexandra.
About half the bobbins contain vintage yarn purchased from Hopkins. Some are 20 or 30 years old, and are no longer produced.
"We bought all their stock, so when it's gone, it's gone," Candy said. "It's irreplaceable."
Candy removes and replaces damaged edges or fringe of existing area rugs or adds borders to rugs to create a customized design. She repairs tears and holes, when appropriate, and serges the ends of runners, which are often sold by the yard and cut roughly. Recently, a woman who belongs to a needlepoint club brought in a hand-hooked rug and asked if Candy could serge the edges.
"She said she'd try and it worked really well," Cindy said.
The pink, black and white sign and flamboyant lamp shades in the windows of Alexandra's shop in Kanawha City draw the eye. Inside the store, two walls filled with giant yarn bobbins in every hue give a hint that the bulk of the business conducted in the little shop involves area rugs.
Manager Candy Hale guides the edges of area rugs through a 1970s-era serging machine that is unique to the area. Once the property of Hopkins Rug Service in Belle, the machine was nearly retired when the 60-plus year business closed several years ago.
Candy's mother, Cindy Hale, a long-time employee of an area carpet store, was dismayed to learn of Hopkins' closure because her company and many other local carpet companies used Hopkins for binding and serging. Their machine produced especially tight, high-quality edgings.
"We sent everything there," she said. "There were never any gaps in the bindings. The stitches were always tight and full."
Cindy Hale purchased the serging machine for her daughter to operate in a new business venture. The previous owner taught Candy how to use the machine, which she set up in a warehouse in Cross Lanes. The warehouse lacked a storefront, so few customers found the shop. The Hales opened the shop in Kanawha City last July, brightened the entrance and named it for Candy's daughter Alexandra.
About half the bobbins contain vintage yarn purchased from Hopkins. Some are 20 or 30 years old, and are no longer produced.
"We bought all their stock, so when it's gone, it's gone," Candy said. "It's irreplaceable."
Candy removes and replaces damaged edges or fringe of existing area rugs or adds borders to rugs to create a customized design. She repairs tears and holes, when appropriate, and serges the ends of runners, which are often sold by the yard and cut roughly. Recently, a woman who belongs to a needlepoint club brought in a hand-hooked rug and asked if Candy could serge the edges.
"She said she'd try and it worked really well," Cindy said.
Serging costs $2.50 per linear foot for rugs measuring less than 12 feet by 9 feet. Larger rugs require Candy to pay an assistant to help her maneuver the rug into position. Binding costs $2 per linear foot. Candy will bring her binding machine on site for larger jobs.
The whimsically decorated lampshades are designed by Cindy, who purchases off-the-rack lampshades and re-covers them with new fabric, or embellishes them with fringe, feathers, beads and other trims. The lampshades provide a creative outlet for Cindy, who also creates custom designs to order.
"It's fun to give the shades some pizzazz," she said. "A lot of people bring in Grandma's lamp and want something unique and nice for a shade. I match the shade to the base."
She named the lampshade part of her business, "Shades of Alexandra," in honor of her granddaughter.
Cindy also created a line of candles she calls "Christi's Candles," in memory of her daughter, who was killed six years ago when she was 15. She uses unusual items, such as dog dishes, ceramics, mugs and bowls as containers and pours high quality wax produced by Southern Candle Company, a Kanawha City company, into them.
"They take forever to burn and they burn evenly, not just in the middle," Cindy said. "When they're empty, people can bring them back to be refilled or use them for their original purpose. I call it my contribution to being green."
Alexandra's, 3816 MacCorkle Ave. S.E., is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by appointment only on Saturday. Call 304-925-6969.
Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1230.
