by Charlotte Bell

Agustin Gonzales is a small village outside of town, a very short way up the hill from the Presa Allende. There in these central Mexican highlands, 18 women spend what little free time they have hooking rugs. You will see them sitting under a tree on the hillside tending the cows and working on their rugs. Or you may find them working late at night by kitchen tables after their children are asleep.

Their subject matter for these rugs is the life around them: mountains, cactus, cows, horses, burros, flowers, a small house, a church, ducks, rabbits, chickens, roosters, fish. Making and designing all their own rugs, each art piece is entirely unique, as is their skill of rug hooking in Mexico, as they are the country's only rug hookers.

In the summer of 2000 I and Susan White began bringing these rugs to the United States to sell at shows and stores. To this day they continue to do so, but the majority of rugs are sold by the women in Mexico.

The women were featured in the international Rug Hooking Magazine in their Jan-Feb 2004 issue. They sell their work in San Miguel at various art and craft shows and at TOSMA Saturday Maket at Mercado Sano.

These inspiring women also offer a very popular tour of their village, that occurs every Thursday and includes lunch. See more and make a reservation, which is required.

Charlotte's Story

In 1994 my husband and I purchased property and built a house in San Miguel where we live four months of the year.

I became aware of the rug hooking group in 1999 through a fundraising luncheon for Mujeres en Cambio, whose members originally taught them rug hooking. I ventured to the village to take photos of the rug hookers for Mujeres. I brought the rugs to SMA to show a friend with a Folk Art Store in Texas. She purchased all the rugs. We also contacted a local Mexican restaurant that did monthly art displays. For five years they showed and sold the rugs at the restaurant. In Mexico I got the women involved with art shows. We named the group Las Rancheritas.

In 2004 I was contacted by a writer for Rug Hooking Magazine. She wrote an article about the group and we started receiving wool donations and invitations to conferences in the USA. Sales of rugs increased and we even hosted a rug hooking conference in SMA.

In 2012 the women were taught to become a functioning cooperative.

In 2015 we created a tour of their village with homemade luncheon, a visit to their store, demonstrations in rug hooking, stone carving and introduction to the ancient language Otomi.

The women continue to sell their rugs at their village and at local art shows. I continue to bring a collection of rugs to the US to sell at various craft shows and stores. This is a service project and I receive no commission.

Rich Roots, the book I published about Las Rancheritas, can be ordered through Amazon or by contacting me personally at charwolf100@gmail.com

www.rughookproject.com

Charlotte Bell

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