Native American Collection: Southwest Prints, Turquoise & Trade-Blanket Patterns

Native American Collection: geometric prints, turquoise tones, and southwestern textiles

The Native American Collection groups home and wardrobe pieces built around motifs that trace back to specific weaving and jewelry traditions of the American Southwest — the stepped diamond of Two Grey Hills Navajo rugs, the thunderbird outline used across Plains beadwork, the arrow-and-feather pairing common to Southwest textile design since the late 1800s. These are Native American-inspired patterns manufactured for everyday retail, not tribal-made originals, and we say that plainly rather than implying otherwise.

Where the patterns and colors actually come from

Pendleton Woolen Mills, founded in Pendleton, Oregon in 1863, industrialized the jacquard-loom reproduction of Navajo and Nez Perce blanket patterns starting in 1909 — most of the “trade blanket” geometry sold today, ours included, descends from that catalog rather than from a single reservation workshop. The rust and ochre tones associated with the style come from historical dye sources: cochineal insect for red, juniper ash and native plants for grey-brown, undyed churro wool for the cream and black bands seen in Two Grey Hills-style weaving, which by convention uses no dye at all. Turquoise-toned accessories reference stones like those once mined at Sleeping Beauty Mine in Globe, Arizona — a mine that closed in 2012, which is why most turquoise-blue pieces sold now use howlite or resin dyed to match rather than genuine stone.

What to check before buying

• Pattern structure — a stepped diamond repeated with consistent spacing indicates a mapped jacquard pattern; a diamond that drifts or distorts across the seam usually means a low-resolution print stretched over the fabric.
• Color count — authentic Southwest palettes rarely exceed four to five colors per piece (black, grey, cream, rust, one accent); anything brighter or more saturated is a decorative reinterpretation, not a traditional palette.
• Material — wool-blend blankets hold pattern definition through repeated washing; a 100% polyester print will pill and blur the geometric edges within a season of regular use.
• Stitch or print — on apparel, check whether the motif is woven into the fabric (jacquard) or printed on top; woven patterns cost more but don’t crack or fade at fold lines the way heat-transfer prints do.

Mistakes shoppers make with this style

The most common error is buying on color alone. A turquoise-and-rust palette photographs well, but if the geometric repeat is off-center or the diamond shapes are asymmetric, the piece will look wrong the moment it’s placed next to anything with a true grid pattern — a rug next to a jacquard blanket, for instance. Check the product photos at an angle, not just straight-on, since pattern misalignment is easiest to spot where a seam or fold breaks the repeat.

Styling a southwestern-inspired room or wardrobe

These pieces work because the palette is limited and warm: cream walls, raw wood, and leather absorb the geometric print without competing with it. A Two Grey Hills-style throw over a plain oak bench reads as intentional; the same throw against a patterned wallpaper competes for attention and cancels itself out. For apparel, one strong-pattern piece per outfit is the working rule among people who wear this style regularly — a printed jacket with plain denim, not a printed jacket with a printed scarf.

Care specific to this collection

Wool-blend blankets and throws should be hand-washed or washed on a wool cycle at 30°C — machine agitation at higher temperatures felts the fibers and blurs the pattern edges permanently. Printed cotton apparel holds color longest when washed inside-out in cold water; the rust and ochre tones in particular are prone to fading under repeated hot-water washing within twenty to thirty cycles.

Frequently asked questions

Are these pieces made by Native American artisans?

No — these are Native American-inspired designs manufactured for retail, similar to the Pendleton trade-blanket model that has existed commercially since 1909. If tribal-made originals matter to you, look for pieces sold directly through tribal enterprises or certified under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

Why do the turquoise-colored pieces look different from natural stone?

Most turquoise-toned accessories use howlite or dyed resin because major natural sources like Sleeping Beauty Mine in Arizona closed in 2012, reducing supply of the mineral itself.

How can I tell a woven pattern from a printed one?

Check the reverse side of the fabric — a woven jacquard pattern shows the same geometry (in reversed color) on the back, while a printed pattern shows only a flat, unpatterned reverse.

What’s the safest way to wash a wool-blend blanket from this collection?

Hand wash or use a wool cycle at 30°C; hot water and machine agitation felt the fibers and blur the stepped-diamond pattern within a few washes.

How do I combine pieces from this collection without it looking cluttered?

Limit strong geometric prints to one dominant piece per room or outfit, and pair it with plain wood, leather, or denim rather than a second patterned item.