A Guide to the Best of Southern California : AT HOME : Dream Reweaver

When voracious dogs or moths gnaw on wool runners, when tapestries unravel, rug restorer Emily Sanford can undo the damage. The Hermosa Beach artisan learned her craft 15 years ago through trial and error while working in a now-defunct San Francisco rug shop. Now, equipped with her own needles, pliers and yarns imported from around the world, she operates on Bolivian, Navajo, Turkish, Persian and Chinese rugs as well as embroidery, needlepoint and quilts. “I get a great deal of personal satisfaction from my work because I feel I am preserving a part of culture for future generations,” says Sanford, whose special passion is reweaving the rich reds, browns and indigos of Turkoman weavings.

The rug doctor charges from $20 to $120 per square inch, depending on the fineness of the weave, for work done in her home studio, and offers free estimates by appointment. House calls are extra.

Sanford Restoration Works, 451 Gould Ave., Hermosa Beach; (310) 374-7412.