Final collection from Della’s bench • In 7 active carts • 19 items left in stock
Della's Hand-Tufted Sheep Rug
Della's Hand-Tufted Sheep Rug
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Della's Hand-Tufted Sheep Rug
Hand-Tufted in the Shenandoah Valley
Della Hartwell, 71, hand-hooks sheep rugs in her Main Street workshop in Dayton, Virginia. A developer bought her block — this is the final collection.
“You can’t rush a sheep. Each one turns out with a little character all its own.”
— Della Hartwell, Dayton, Shenandoah Valley VA
What Arrives at Your Door
1 Sheep Rug
Cut-to-shape, ~20" × 31"
Non-Slip Backing
Grippy TPR dots underneath
Machine-Washable
Cold gentle cycle, air dry
Hand-Written Note
From Della, with every order
Six Things That Make a Hartwell Different
The Three-Day Tuft
Worked by hand, row by row, under a needle Della guides herself. About three days a rug — never stamped out of a mold or printed on a mat.
The Bouclé Fleece Pile
A deep, dense wool-blend pile built up in layers. Sink a bare foot in and you feel real fleece — not a thin, flat weave.
The Cut-to-Shape Silhouette
Not a rectangle with a picture on it. Every rug is cut to the true outline of a sheep, so it reads as an animal on the floor.
The Meadow Border
A soft green grass edge hooked in by hand to frame the sheep — a little pasture around each one, worked stitch by stitch.
The Cotton Canvas Backing
A firm cotton backing holds all that pile in place and keeps the rug lying flat — so it holds its shape year after year.
The Non-Slip Grip
TPR grip dots on the underside keep it steady on wood or tile — safe for little feet jumping out of bed in the morning.
Expert Endorsement
“Hand-hooked rugs like Della Hartwell’s are getting hard to find. The cut-to-shape silhouette, the layered pile, the hand-worked border — that is real Appalachian fiber craft, not a printed factory mat. When a workshop like hers closes, a piece of that tradition goes with it.”
Margaret Ellison
Textile Historian, Appalachian Folk Craft Guild
Perfect For
Why It Lasts
30-Day Risk-Free Return
Live on it for a month. If it isn’t everything you hoped, email info@marlowmarketco.com for a return label — full refund, no hard feelings.
A Note on Handmade Variation
Every rug is hooked and tufted by Della’s own hand — small variations between them (a slightly fuller fleece, a one-of-a-kind sheep face) are expected. No two are identical. That’s the point.
Product Details
| Material | Wool-blend bouclé-style pile, cotton canvas backing |
|---|---|
| Surface | Hand-tufted high pile — never printed |
| Set Contents | 1 Sheep Rug + Hand-Written Note |
| Dimensions | Standard ~20" × 31" (50 × 80 cm) · Large ~24" × 35" (60 × 90 cm) |
| Shape | Cut-to-shape sheep silhouette with green meadow border |
| Backing | Non-slip TPR grip dots |
| Care | Machine wash cold on gentle, air dry. No bleach, no iron. |
| Crafted | Dayton, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia — Della Hartwell’s workshop |
| Shipping | Free US shipping, 2–3 business day dispatch |
| Made To Date | Close to 400 rugs over the years — final collection, no reorders |
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The Final Collection
The Final Collection
A note from the workshop:
For 38 years Della Hartwell has hand-tufted her sheep rugs in the same little storefront on Main Street in Dayton, Virginia. A developer bought the whole block — the building is coming down and going back up as condominiums. Rather than box her life’s work away in a shuttered shop, she is letting the last of the rugs go. Only the 238 already on her cutting table remain. When they ship, the workshop goes quiet — there is no second batch.
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Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Dispatched within 2–3 business days
- Each rug is hand-packed and ships from the US
- Deep wool-blend pile on a firm cotton backing — carefully boxed to arrive soft and flat
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@marlowmarketco.com

200+ Verified Buyers
Excellent 4.8
Where Della’s sheep ended up
It is so much thicker than the photos. My daughter refuses to wear slippers now — she just wants to stand on the sheep. Nothing like the flat printed mat we returned last year.
Verified
Emily Carter, Asheville, NC
I ordered one the moment I read Della was closing. It arrived cut to a real sheep shape, with a hand-written note. I actually teared up. This will outlive me.
Verified
Karen Whitmore, Lancaster, PA
Put it in my kids’ room and they named it. It’s been through a hard winter of toddler traffic and still looks new. You can tell a real person made it.
Verified
Danielle Hutto, Bozeman, MT
The photos don’t do it justice. The pile is actually deep and fuzzy. It’s the softest corner of my whole house now.
Verified
Rebecca Lynn, Portland, ME
I’ve bought a lot of ‘handmade’ things online that turned out to be nothing of the sort. This one is the real thing. Heartbreaking she has to close.
Verified
Susan Delgado, Santa Fe, NM
Bought two before they sold out — one for each grandkid’s room. Quality you just don’t find anymore. Wish I’d found her shop years ago.
Verified
Tom Bradley, Columbus, OH
My son is obsessed. He falls asleep with a hand on the sheep every night. Softest thing he owns.
Verified
Jenna P., Wichita, KS
It is so much thicker than the photos. My daughter refuses to wear slippers now — she just wants to stand on the sheep. Nothing like the flat printed mat we returned last year.
Verified
Emily Carter, Asheville, NC
I ordered one the moment I read Della was closing. It arrived cut to a real sheep shape, with a hand-written note. I actually teared up. This will outlive me.
Verified
Karen Whitmore, Lancaster, PA
Put it in my kids’ room and they named it. It’s been through a hard winter of toddler traffic and still looks new. You can tell a real person made it.
Verified
Danielle Hutto, Bozeman, MT
The photos don’t do it justice. The pile is actually deep and fuzzy. It’s the softest corner of my whole house now.
Verified
Rebecca Lynn, Portland, ME
I’ve bought a lot of ‘handmade’ things online that turned out to be nothing of the sort. This one is the real thing. Heartbreaking she has to close.
Verified
Susan Delgado, Santa Fe, NM
Bought two before they sold out — one for each grandkid’s room. Quality you just don’t find anymore. Wish I’d found her shop years ago.
Verified
Tom Bradley, Columbus, OH
My son is obsessed. He falls asleep with a hand on the sheep every night. Softest thing he owns.
Verified
Jenna P., Wichita, KS
It is so much thicker than the photos. My daughter refuses to wear slippers now — she just wants to stand on the sheep. Nothing like the flat printed mat we returned last year.
Verified
Emily Carter, Asheville, NC
I ordered one the moment I read Della was closing. It arrived cut to a real sheep shape, with a hand-written note. I actually teared up. This will outlive me.
Verified
Karen Whitmore, Lancaster, PA
Put it in my kids’ room and they named it. It’s been through a hard winter of toddler traffic and still looks new. You can tell a real person made it.
Verified
Danielle Hutto, Bozeman, MT
The photos don’t do it justice. The pile is actually deep and fuzzy. It’s the softest corner of my whole house now.
Verified
Rebecca Lynn, Portland, ME
I’ve bought a lot of ‘handmade’ things online that turned out to be nothing of the sort. This one is the real thing. Heartbreaking she has to close.
Verified
Susan Delgado, Santa Fe, NM
Bought two before they sold out — one for each grandkid’s room. Quality you just don’t find anymore. Wish I’d found her shop years ago.
Verified
Tom Bradley, Columbus, OH
My son is obsessed. He falls asleep with a hand on the sheep every night. Softest thing he owns.
Verified
Jenna P., Wichita, KS
It is so much thicker than the photos. My daughter refuses to wear slippers now — she just wants to stand on the sheep. Nothing like the flat printed mat we returned last year.
Verified
Emily Carter, Asheville, NC
I ordered one the moment I read Della was closing. It arrived cut to a real sheep shape, with a hand-written note. I actually teared up. This will outlive me.
Verified
Karen Whitmore, Lancaster, PA
Put it in my kids’ room and they named it. It’s been through a hard winter of toddler traffic and still looks new. You can tell a real person made it.
Verified
Danielle Hutto, Bozeman, MT
The photos don’t do it justice. The pile is actually deep and fuzzy. It’s the softest corner of my whole house now.
Verified
Rebecca Lynn, Portland, ME
I’ve bought a lot of ‘handmade’ things online that turned out to be nothing of the sort. This one is the real thing. Heartbreaking she has to close.
Verified
Susan Delgado, Santa Fe, NM
Bought two before they sold out — one for each grandkid’s room. Quality you just don’t find anymore. Wish I’d found her shop years ago.
Verified
Tom Bradley, Columbus, OH
My son is obsessed. He falls asleep with a hand on the sheep every night. Softest thing he owns.
Verified
Jenna P., Wichita, KS
See Della’s Last Sheep Rugs
Frequently Asked Questions
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Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@marlowmarketco.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (ET). Whether it’s about your order, which room to put it in, or just to say hello — a real person writes back.
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Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. If it isn’t right for your space, email info@marlowmarketco.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions. US shipping is free.
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How is each rug made — and how do I care for it?
How is each rug made — and how do I care for it?
Each rug is hand-tufted by Della Hartwell in Dayton, Virginia: a deep wool-blend bouclé pile punched row by row into a firm cotton canvas backing over about three days, cut to the true outline of a sheep, and finished with a hand-hooked green meadow border. Non-slip TPR dots on the underside. Machine wash cold on gentle, air dry — no bleach, no iron. No two are identical.
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Hand-Made in Dayton, VA