Producing locally-crafted works of art gives an economic boost to this isolated “Up North” area.

Vibrantly-colored wool rugs cover the walls and floors inside the Cross Village Rug Works. The rug designs are an array of familiar northwoods flora and fauna: trout, squirrels, blueberries and bears, as well as local landmarks and Native American themes.

The Rug Works, a member of Great Lakes Energy Cooperative, is an exciting newcomer to the tiny community of Cross Village, nestled about 20 miles north of Harbor Springs, at the end of the scenic “Tunnel of Trees” drive on M-119. It’s housed in a unique log-and-stone building crafted by the builder of Legs Inn, a historic restaurant just across the street.

“It kind of takes your breath away when you first walk in the door,” says Rug Works gallery manager, Ellen VanderZee. “It’s amazing, really.”

The shop offers an array of woolen products, including rug wool and knitting yarns, warm shawls, felted wool goods, and woven and pictorial rugs. The vividly-dyed yarns, detailed original designs, and weighty heft of these artworks demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship.

“They’re really heirloom pieces,” explains Cheryl Reed, one of the Rug Works’ organizers. The pictorial rugs are created by area artisans using punch-needle tapestry with regionally harvested wool that is dyed and custom designed on-site.

Reed recites a list of yarn blends that includes the spun wool of rare sheep breeds, such as the blue-faced Leicester, Lincoln long-wool, and Cotswold (direct descendants of the flock brought over by Henry Ford to Greenfield Village in the 1920s). These heirloom sheep varieties are nurtured locally by some of the Rug Works’ members in order to propagate and preserve the unique qualities of their wool. “We want the yarn we use to have a very high degree of strength and sheen,” says Reed. “We want a luster, and jewel-toned colors.” They mix in a medium grade, shorter-fibered wool from the sixth generation Matchett family sheep farm near Charlevoix, to also give the rugs “a resiliency; a ‘spring’ under your foot,” Reed continues.

The Rug Works group is made up of committed people with a larger vision. In 2007, at Reed’s kitchen table, she and MaryAnn VanLokeren became excited by the possibilities of establishing a cottage industry that would bring an economic boost to Cross Village. They incorporated as a nonprofit organization and rely partially on donations to meet their operating costs. Their goal is to become self-sufficient within the next two to three years. Reed points to the erratic employment options of this rural area after tourism quiets down each autumn. “We wanted to find something—a skill set—that would be a real craft that they could work in their homes,” Reed says. To date, Rug Works has trained over 20 people in the rug-making craft.

Ties to the local community are a crucial component of “our bigger mission of education,” says Reed. They’ve forged an informal partnership with North Central Michigan College in Petoskey through art instructor Shanna Robinson, who developed classes in dyeing and weaving. Several Rug Works members have enrolled in Robinson’s fiber courses in order to take those skills back to the workshop.

“People don’t realize how much this place is affecting the people up here in the village,” adds VanderZee. As an area native, she sees the ripple effect of Rug Works’ activities. Besides the 25 people actively working, she points to several local farms, the people who process the wool, and the many satisfied customers among those who are benefiting. Using quality materials, new skills and integrity, these dedicated rural residents are helping themselves while producing truly regional works of art.

“When you see what an impact it [Rug Works] has on the people around you…it’s inspiring, really,” says VanderZee.