Women in Textiles Around the World - It Takes a Village

We're beginning day 14 of our Alpacazonia Fiber Collection Project and learning how to iron out the crimps, as we sort stored fiber, network with other producers and track and document our progress regarding cost in time, effort and money for future project evaluation.

The following photo keeps me going!

Photo by Laurie Donnelly

My inspiration when sorting comes from this woman on the job at an alpaca mill in Peru.   The use of skirting table and sorting table at waist height, plus electric tumbler makes my job so much easier! I put on a support brace when back muscles  begin to ache from standing for lengthy periods of time and try not to complain too much. If I had to sort long hours off the floor, I’d have trouble ever getting up again…

                                                                                                                                                                 

Recent NBC Nightly News online report:  A family of 7 in Pakistan is showcased weaving together. All the women and girls in the family weave carpets as a group effort for 14 hours a day, every day, and earn $800 a month between them. The youngest child is in a program called “Bags for Bliss” where she can attend school, plus earn money for the family doing embroidery to be incorporated into hand bags as part of the school curriculum. I was inspired and moved to realize that 6-9 hours spent sorting for Alpacazonia Fiber Collection Project per day is no big deal in effort or accomplishment to the rest of the planet. We’ve been so spoiled in our country…it’s a blessing to have a reason to work hard - hand’s on! It’s nice to be able to work within our own village – our CA Fiber Friday groups!

Photo from Ruth Elvestad Fiber Workshop by Sandra Wallace

Photo by Josh Petray, Paso Robles Press.

Workshop participants delighting over alpaca blanket woven by Gretchen Nygaard.

                                                                                                                                                        

Women and Girls – Peruvian “Cottage” textile production

Photo by Altheo Cox

Group of women selling textile wares along side road in Peru                                      

Photo by Altheo Cox

Girl with naturally dyed yarns

Photo by Altheo Cox

Peruvian Woman Weaving on simple basic loom

Photo by Altheo Cox

...and spinning with simple drop spindle.

Photo by Altheo Cox