I'm assuming it doesn't matter what size bags....?? I work at a school and the kids bring chips from home, of course, and we use them in our cafeteria's also. I'll see what I can do about rounding up one or two, LOL!!! (One or two hundred is more like it!!) I've seen them made out of drink pouches, like Capri Sun's come in but never chip bags (or license plates).........very interesting. I'll definitely pay him a visit next month!!
Me and my big mouth!
- Thread starter Ladyjeeper
- Start date
janetandclint
Guest
You are my kind of person! Yes, now right now our web site is really in bad shape and we are not selling on it. But we are working now to get it updated and selling. Let me list some of the things that the ladies make, rag baskets (big hit and really beautiful), rag rugs, purses of all kinds, sewn cotton, crochet, knit, quilted, some chip bag, not enough (they are an exhorbitant amount of work), lots of jewelry, now woven purses and i will explain more about that. Some clothing, bought in Mexico only, emboideried, etc. crochet shoes (concept from Peru), head adornments, Mexican paper mache serving trays, (really unique), embroidered table covers of all kinds, quilted hot pads, quilted place mats. Gosh, I need to look at my lists. Now at this moment the women are learning to weave, warp based, from a Tarahumara woman who lives on the border with her extended family. She is the greatest lady. She teaches our ladies to weave every Friday. I already have gotten some woven purses, but just in acrylic yarns, which doesn't command a good price. So we have to figure out how to get natural fibers to them for weaving. I hope to have them buy uncolored yarns of natural fibers and then they learn to dye them with natural plants. Do you know anyone who will come and teach us how to do that. Just PM me.
janetandclint
Guest
Oh Darn, I forgot to mention that we also work with women weavers on the U.S. side. We were able to set up a weaving studeo for the Columbus side. More money available on this side of the border.
Sounds like beautiful stuff. When I visited Oaxaca a few years ago I went absolutely insane buying stuff. I got the most gorgeous bedspread EVER. When the lady said $700 pesos I felt like I was stealing from her! I had seen the same one on the internet for $450 USD!!!
I don't know anyone personally who knows anything about dying natural fibers, but I've always been really interested in the whole concept of "cochineal" bugs used as a red dye.
janetandclint
Guest
We have a weaver here in Silver City who dyes with cochineal. We all want to learn how to use natural dyes. Do you know if anyone in PP has sheep, and sheep for wool? Does anyone know who is weaving there?
janetandclint
Guest
Yes, all production of useful and attractive items out of recyclables is very salable. The cooperative women make crochet grocery bag purses, and rag rugs out of donated clothes and pieces of material. I have heard also of the rugs made from the strips made from the grocery bags. There is so much that can be done with recyclables. Is there a craft workshop that is free for people in Puerto Penasco?
Janet,
Check with Mark (Seadweller) I am bringing yarn for either the Senior center or the Community center for people to learn how to crochet. I assume they are going to sell what they make.
Check with Mark (Seadweller) I am bringing yarn for either the Senior center or the Community center for people to learn how to crochet. I assume they are going to sell what they make.
janetandclint
Guest
Great idea. You would not believe how much unused quilting materials, unused materials, yarns, etc. people have in their houses that they will never use and could get someone producing something that they might be able to sell. Can you tell me a little about the Senior Center and the Community Center?
janetandclint
Guest
Also people are storing old sewing machines that people can use. Has anyone started a drive to bring used and old sewing machines to Puerto Penasco? The old Singers can almost always be fixed. I had one that I did not take south of the border, I almost threw it in the dump, it looked so bad off to me. Then one trip down, I decided to take it anyway and left it with a good friend who is an artisan. The next trip down, she had fixed it up and told me it was industrial level machine. She showed me how good it sewed a straight stitch through more levels of material and a better stitch than all the newer ones I had taken down.
Also when used clothing is donated, if they are jeans or cottons, they can be used for rag rugs, or rag purses or hats. The cottons can be used for cutting up and making new dresses or shirts.
Also when used clothing is donated, if they are jeans or cottons, they can be used for rag rugs, or rag purses or hats. The cottons can be used for cutting up and making new dresses or shirts.
We have sewing classes at our Community Center where they learn to make quilts and other items to sell. We have a couple of American teachers that donate their time and materials for the classes. We would gladly except any sewing machines and materials. Our goal it to help the local people become self sufficient. I think Mark (Seadweller) may have a link to some photos of a recent class we had. Mark?
I have a bunch of yarn.............
Seadweller
chum
Harold... I was there with Chucks (azbeachboy) mother Jean and her friend Gene, while they were doing the quilting class... the photos I have are what I was given by Gene who printed out the photos he took of the ladies sewing their quilts...
Roberto
Guest
I have been enamored of the idea to find a way to encourage fair trade sales of hand produced items, as I think I have heard it called. Sales from the artisian directly or at least closer, to the buyer, somehow. It's real, meaningfull and can have a dramatic impact on the poorest rural residents. I watched a woman on an Ejido near Sahuaripa weaving a hat out of palm and was mightly impressed. Incredible workwomanship She only weaves for the family, it's the only hat they will wear. Said she might get $20 if she sold it in town. Worth $100 if a penny. Only a few of the Vieja's left doing it or know how to do it. If there was a market the younger folk might take more of an interest. It appeared to me that that process could be applied to weaving many, many items of palm, purses, etc. Sigh, well that's a lifetime venture to think about. Anything done to increase appreciation of handcrafts is a good thing, we are so used to mass produced stuff coming off a machine that can spit out 10,000 items in an hour. (The Commie, Pinko Ratfink can insert his comments about wages here too )
I just recalled that I know a man who started this process on the Navajo res. for selling weavings years ago. I'm gonna talk to him. I know one of the problems with poor craftspeople is that they tend to need the money immediately and cannot wait till their work sells in a store. The end up selling for 20 or 30% of final retail.
BTW, there is, or was, a fair trade store in Albuquerque, on Central past the University.
I just recalled that I know a man who started this process on the Navajo res. for selling weavings years ago. I'm gonna talk to him. I know one of the problems with poor craftspeople is that they tend to need the money immediately and cannot wait till their work sells in a store. The end up selling for 20 or 30% of final retail.
BTW, there is, or was, a fair trade store in Albuquerque, on Central past the University.
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