Through my love of textile arts, I have had the privilege of connecting with weavers on three continents, sharing knowledge and a love of weaving and dyeing. All of my work in the developing world has been facilitated through the connections I have made through Weave A Real Peace (WARP), a networking organization to encourage connecting with textile artisans throughout the world who rely on their textile skills to support their families and communities (www.weavearealpeace.org). Go to WARP’s website, for a variety of resources, including the Artisan Textile Resource Guide, for a wealth of information about how our members engage with weavers worldwide.
Northern Ghana is remote from the heart of the country and world-famous for its basketry, centered in Bolgotonga. There, I worked with young women in a weaving apprenticeship center and researched basket-making cooperatives for SERRV International, a fair trade organization.
I am currently partnering with Mayan Hands, a fair trade organization supporting rural women textile artisans in Guatemala. We are working with one of their artisan producer groups to make painted warp scarves to market in North America.
WomenWeave, in Maheshwar, India, has helped preserve the venerated local tradition of handwoven gossamer-weight silk saris. I had the opportunity to work with young professional weavers at their Handloom School and visit the weaving studio providing work and income to at-risk women.