Saturday, December 22, 2012

WEAVE OF HOPE



Madison Women's Health and The Sewing Project at Mayan Families have been working hardly this year creating this initiative to support women in Guatemala.
 
This Income Generating Activity is called Weave of Hope. One of the many goals of the project is to promote the economic security of the participants seen here, her family, and her community.
A second goal of this program is to provide newly pregnant patients at Madison Women’s Health clinic with a traditional backstrap-hand woven diaper bag made by Mayan women on the traditional backstrap loom. This free gift from the doctors to their patients represents one of the values they hold dear; to have a positive impact on local communities as well as empowering the women in the highlands of Guatemala that surround the Lake Atitilan region.



Every bag starts as a piece of fabric that has been exquisitely embroidered and woven by hand using the age-old technique of back-strap weaving. The craft of back strap weaving is passed down from generation to generation.

Every piece of fabric, depending on the skill of the artisan or the intricacy of the design can take from two to six weeks to complete. After the fabric is made, it is cut and turned into a colorful diaper bag that is then gifted to new mothers at Madison Women’s Health.

We also have some samples in the shop at Mayan Families so you can see their work or buy to take back home with you.

No comments:

Post a Comment