A house such as this requires either oodles of cash or the DIY spirit.  Not even approaching the former, needs must that the spirit be cultivated.  The problem, of course, is that the variety of talents required is quite large, the original quality that needs to be matched is quite high, and I am hardly a talented individual.*  

Be that as it may, there are a few first principles inherent to any job.  One of those is good preparation of the workspace.  A workspace that is cleared of unnecessary items, organized, and contains all the known needed bits is a great advantage.  Taking five minutes to move a chair that is only ‘sort of’ in the way may save an hour of dancing around it, or many hours repairing its upholstery or finish when you bash it with a ladder. 

In the present instance, this means taking an oriental rug which I could work on in situ and setting up to repair it elsewhere.  I suspect I’ll get the job done much faster than the previous rugs, which I have always worked on without moving them.  Importantly, the workspace is dedicated, meaning I can leave the project without tidying it out of sight, maneuverability is increased, and rather than working on the floor I can work standing up.

 

*I can be defeated by a power drill.  Being something of a Luddite, a standard non-powered drill and screwdriver do not give me the same problems.