Ruth Lazerson, creative director of Ruthie L. Designs bespoke rugs, says her mission is to change the world with beautiful art and design crafted with integrity and humility.
Her boutique textiles design company specialises in custom-made handcrafted rugs and exquisite cashmere scarves.
Each rug is designed by Ruth in Australia in close collaboration with her clients, then handcrafted in the north of India or the Kathmandu Valley by skilled artisans using age-old methods. These weaving communities are strongly supported by Ruthie L. Designs, with a percentage of its profits going towards either Goodweave or Weaving Dreams to enrich and improve the lives of others.
The whole process is nothing short of incredible – this is a truly one-of-a-kind experience, allowing you to lose yourself in the creative process and explore and customise the rug-making process to your specific desires. The rugs use the finest quality materials, such s pure hand-spun wool, sumptuous silks, cashmere and nettle, and are all hand-dyes using natural ingredients where possible.
Creating a rug is a work of art and a true labour of love and a testimony to the artisans who craft them. Customising your rug with Ruthie L.Designs will leave you in awe of the exquisite beauty and craftsmanship, quality and skill involved in creating your particular masterpiece from its earliest stages right through to being finished.
Spreading kindness and hope
Ruth has always had a strong focus on social responsibility. She is a dedicated associate of GoodWeave, an organisation that aims to end child about and offer educational opportunities to children in carpet-weaving communities. Ruth is also passionate about Weaving Dreams in Nepal, a NFP supporting and investing in women, children and communities in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. By purchasing a Ruthie L. Designs rug or scarf you are making a contribution to improving the life of the women and children in these weaving communities.
More recently, Ruth started her Hearts of Hope initiative, hand-made beautiful little artworks for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, she has gifted more than 2,000 Hearts of Hope pendants to hospital departments, doctors, paramedics, nurses, teachers, aged care facilities (both residents and staff), supermarket workers, cleaners, janitors, people living on the streets and so many who are just struggling with life right now.
Hearts of Hope has grown exponentially, with many people asking to purchase them so they can also spread some love and kindness themselves. Ruth now sells the pendant for a nominal $5, which enables her to keep making and gifting them to those who are doing it tough.
‘Giving a Heart of Hope is such a small gesture of kindness, but it’s a gesture that seems to go such a long way to provide healing and hope to people in the community,’ says Ruth. ‘It’s been interesting how many people have said just having this beautiful tactile little artwork they can wear on their uniform or around their neck or keep in their pocket serves as a constant reminder that somebody has thought of them and cared enough to make a difference.
‘As things improve for our frontline workers, there are still so many people who are doing it tough and need some hope and love so I have decided to continue making them.
‘There is a lot of kindness in the world and it’s time to spread it.’
‘I’m thrilled that the love and hope is spreading and so many people are choosing to give Hearts of Hope away themselves. Charities are purchasing them to use as fundraisers. Nurses are purchasing them to give to their own departments. One lovely lady bought 50 and told me she planned to give them away at a shopping centre to people who looked like they needed it! Another asked for 40 pink and white hearts to be donated to the nurses in their ward in support of a colleague recently diagnosed with breast cancer.’
‘There is a lot of kindness in the world and it’s time to spread it. It’s a truly beautiful thing to know I’ve made a difference in some people’s lives. The more people buy them and give them away, the more I can do the same,’ Ruth concludes.
It’s a small gesture of hope and healing to remind people they are cared about. To purchase your Heart of Hope, please click here.
