Doña Maxima and the weavers in the Club de Artesanas (CdA) have been managing quite well since Dorinda’s departure from Independencia in mid-April. There was a flurry of activity prior to Independencia’s Feria de la Chirimoya (Harvest Fair) in May to make a variety of bags using material on which they’d cross-stitched or embroidered designs. That provided the Club´s vendor booth with some lower priced items alongside the traditional weavings for the local sales opportunity. Many of the Huancarani weavers were in town to exhibit and sell their chirimoyas (apple custards), mandarins, and avocados for the judging. Although the fruit sold well, the bags and weavings did not.

The women continue to meet all day Tuesdays and Thursdays in their new workshop/store. It is a good location, so the Feria gave them some exposure as to the variety of goods offered for sale. PAZA continues to pay Doña Maxima a half day salary for 2 days a week, but their routine is set so they meet for the full day. Two young mothers who recently moved into the new nearby neighborhood joined the Club, learned to weave, and are waiting for their first order. Their first orders will be for yoga mat straps until Doña Maxima determines that they are ready to move onto the larger weavings. The Huancarani weavers are feeling a sense of abandonment, so PAZA will place an order at the end of July to reassure them and to keep up the momentum that took so many years to build.

Please HELP! You can help PAZA by purchasing a weaving(s) from the U.S. inventory. That inventory is tying up 62% of PAZA´s revolving fund for the purchase of the weavings. There are 67 yoga mat straps in stock, so if you attend yoga classes please consider purchasing one for yourself and a few to give as gifts or to sell to yoga practicing friends. Weaving a yoga mat strap is the entry level for new weavers to realize that they have learned a skill that will help them pay for the expenses of raising their children. The sewing of the yoga mat straps pays Vilma, a single mother of 4, a per piece wage. The yoga mat straps are available in 2 sizes. The regular size is for a 1/8” thick yoga mat ($22) and the large size for a ¼” thick exercise mat ($23).

Those of you who enjoy working with the hand spun natural dyed woven cloth to make your own creations will be pleased to know that there are 19 of the fajas ($38) (70” x 5” bands used in Laverne Waddington’s classes), 6 larger weavings ($68) which are 63” x 9.5”, and 12 straps ($18) which are 74” to 78” long and 1.5” wide available for purchase.

There are also pillow covers ($27-$35), guitar straps ($25), camera straps ($13), belts ($17), zippered pouches with ($17) and without wrist straps ($16), wallets ($16-$17), ch’uspitas ($17-$25) and 4 gorgeous ch’uspas (traditional shoulder bags at $65).

Please e-mail your order inquires to Dorinda at dkdutcher@hotmail.com for item specifics, as each weaving is unique and there are no 2 items alike. Your order will help determine what should be included in the weaving order that will be given to Doña Maxima to distribute between the weavers at the end of this month.

The last order to leave Independencia traveled to the U.S. with a former Peace Corps volunteer living with his family in Cochabamba. There was a surprise inside the box, and that was the first weaving order, a strap, woven by young Angelica. Angelica’s childhood is not a happy story, and a number of Huancarani weavers had tried to help her learn how to weave so she could earn money for herself and her younger siblings. PAZA gifted dyed skeins well over a year ago to that group effort. She is about 16 years old, with little education, and moved in with her partner’s family some months ago where she is blossoming. Twenty-one year old Maribel who has made enormous progress as a spinner and a weaver over the past 2 years brought Angelica to the PAZA store in early April and proudly explained the procedure for receiving weaving orders and completing them for payment. That strap in the box signifying a young woman from Huancarani living the farmer subsistence lifestyle had joined the community of weavers who are desperately trying to sustain their weaving tradition and care for their families in a cash economy sums up why PAZA was created in 2008 and why we have to keep this momentum going!

Thank you Lyn Lucas for your ongoing support in this time of transition as Doña Maxima takes over full responsibility for the Independencia activities and Dorinda supports the weavers from Bozeman, Montana. This should be the longest stretch between blog postings because PAZA´s long distance working relationship seems to be finding its stride.

A hug and thanks to Marian Leishman, Katie Simmons, and Kelsey Wiskirchen who have all helped manage the U.S. based weaving inventory through the years. Thank you Chris Behr for helping out with that last order, and hugs to you and your family. Dorinda Dutcher, July 15, 2018.