Oaxacan Rugs Arrive at Sweet William Cottage

Shelburne, VT, December 08, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Carol Wellings, Manager of Sweet William Cottage in Shelburne, Vermont reports that her sister and partner in the shop, Connie, traveled to Mexico over the Thanksgiving holiday and purchased some glorious Oaxacan rugs for Sweet William, just in time for Christmas. Created by the Zapotecs, indigenous people in the mountainous region of Oaxaca, the wool rugs are hand-carded, hand-woven, and dyed with natural dyes. “It’s a family affair”, Carol said. “The women tend the sheep, the men shear them. The women card the wool, gather the natural materials for the dyes, and dye the wool. Interestingly, it is generally the men that weave the rugs. We marvel at the beauty of the colors and the tightness of the weave. Many customers who buy the rugs in our store in Shelburne, use the smaller ones as wall hanging, saying they can’t bear to step on them or see them get dirty. But Connie used them on the floors of her Mexican home for many years and advises customers they are extremely durable and withstand dirt well. Even in muddy Vermont, she still cleans her Oaxacan rugs by just swishing them around in the bathtub!”

“It used to be that Oaxacan rugs were primarily designed for the tourist market with large fish or other animals, and large geometric patterns without much detail. But over the past five years of talking to the artisans as we have selected the smaller weaving patterns and showed them the colors that we find most appealing in their work, we have found their creativity in achieving the style we are seeking surpasses all of our expectations. In fact, they tell us the patterns we like are the traditional ones they were taught by their grandparents and that they are happy to revive. They also explain that these patterns take much more time to weave, which is why they fell into disuse for so many years as tourists did not seem willing to pay a fair price for that work. That amazes us because these amazing rugs are still a great bargain at the prices they offer, and we are then able to pass on to our customers a remarkable price for rugs of this quality and beauty.”

“Connie’s Thanksgiving acquisitions are currently en route to our Shelburne store and can be bought there soon, or on our website.

They are perfect for cottage-style decorating or as a gift that someone will treasure for many years to come.”

Sweet William Cottage is located at 11 Falls Road in the heart of Shelburne Village. It offers an array of new, antique and lovingly used furniture and home accessories which suit the cottage lifestyle. They also have an on-line presence at a website by their store name.

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