Artisans

Nepal

In Nepal, the hemp fabric that we use is from the remote Western Region of Nepal. It grows wild in the lower Himalayan Mountain regions. It is not cultivated or farmed as in all other countries. The villagers in this remote area cut the hemp down by hand and soften the hemp in water. Other larger processing countries use chemicals and softeners to get a consistent, smooth, refined finish. Nepali hemp is a bit rougher and uneven and has some color variations. The stalk of the hemp plant is then brushed into a wool like material and then spun by hand into a strand of twine. The twine is then woven by hand on a pit loom into a piece of fabric that is 1 meter by 3 meters long. The fabric is carted down the mountains on foot and to the nearest road where it is brought into Kathmandu. In Kathmandu, the craftswomen buy the fabric and make the unique and beautiful creations that we offer.

Thailand

Columbia

India

Kashmir

The intricate needlepoint work that appears on the bags made in Kashmir is called Crewl. It is a nearly 600-year-old art form that is learned from family members, friends and neighbors. It takes one to two days to finish the krewl work on just one bag.

Both women (70%) and men (30%) participate in the making of these bags, which are constructed in their homes. Sheep wool is bought both locally and imported from Australia. The base cotton "dusoot" is also woven in Kashmir.

Artisans earn 80 Rupee ($2.04) per bag. They are free to spend their earnings on whatever they wish. Many women save the money for their wedding or for schooling for their children.