Monday, March 29, 2010

Hand-painted with Trim

I wanted to share a photograph of my hand-painted alpaca fabric in a recent installation in Los Angeles. I love how it looks with the trim!

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Mirasol Project

I want to spotlight a wonderful organization that has been effectively fighting poverty and improving the lives of disadvantaged children in Peru since 2006. The Mirasol Project is named after a little girl (photo at left) named Mirasol who helps tend a herd of 3,000 alpaca high in the sierras of the Andes. Through the sales of the Mirasol Yarn Collection, the Project guarantees that Andean alpaca shepherds get a better trade for their yarn and, most importantly, the children are protected. Most recently a Mirasol boarding house was built that provides support for the children's physical, social and educational needs. I am very proud to be a supporter of this dynamic and dedicated Project!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Cosmic Ketchup

I am often struck by how things happen in groups and in cycles. I'm sure there is some mathematical reason for it and we all talk about it in different ways. In England, for instance, where wet weather is a fact of life, we refer to this by saying "it never rains but it pours" or as a friend calls it "the ketchup factor" (remember how ketchup used to stick in a bottle and then come out in a big unexpected gulp?).



A typical product cycle can take a year to really take hold, but what strikes me is when products that I have had out for several years, which sold a lot for awhile but then slipped off radar, suddenly and for no apparent reason, come back in favor. I may not sell one design for a year and then in one week I received a number of orders for the same thing from entirely different areas of the country. I always remember, several years ago, the day that I decided to stop doing hand-embroidered pillows, I received an order for over 50 for a hotel project and they have been selling well ever since!

As I write this, my hand-knotted alpaca rugs - so organic, luxurious and fluffy, are spurting out of the cosmic ketchup bottle!

 Detail from my Ripple alpaca rug


Friday, March 5, 2010

GoodWeave Teamwork

The 2010 GoodWeave Rug Sourcebook is completed and ready to debut at the Architectural Digest show in a few weeks. As you know, we have been a proud member of GoodWeave (RugMark) for some time. Rosemary Hallgarten Inc is included in the Sourcebook, along with a wonderful group of rug designers. 

I know that our clients are increasingly committed to buying rugs that are child labor free and where a percentage of profit helps to ensure that children in Nepal are educated. The Sourcebook is a wonderful reminder of how a team of dedicated people can make needed changes and raise awareness for important issues.

If you are interested in receiving a printed copy of the Sourcebook, please contact us at info@rosemaryhallgarten.com.