Club de Artesanas members posed with their weavings last month prior to the weavings being transported to the U.S. Doña Eulalia is the only weaver who occasionally weaves with llama fiber.
Doña Beatris has woven the cloth for ch’uspas since a girl as the many rituals and celebrations of her home community of Sanipaya demand it. The ch’uspa in the photo is the first she has sold to PAZA because the requisites are natural dyed handspun yarn and attachment of the strap using a rolled border from the fold of the cloth to give the bag some width.
The ubiquitous hand crafted ch’uspas (shoulder bags) are timeless and defy fashion trends. There is little repeat market for the handspun, natural dyed, tightly woven wool bags because they are so enduring. When their day is done, they will harmlessly disintegrate back into the earth. Owners develop an attachment, perhaps because the weaver imparts a bit of her story as she warps the colors to her liking than weaves at her leaning frame loom stopping with each pass of the weft to pick out the Andean motifs. Although cloth may be woven for multiple ch’uspas each bag is unique once complete with strap and rolled edge border.
Ready to gift are:
- Chuspas – $95
- Zippered Pouches – 5 x 8”, $19/$20 w/wrist strap
- Yoga Mat Straps – $22/$23
In the photo is Doña Arminda with the 1st ch’uspa she sold to PAZA and a large weaving. Her daughter, Jhoselin, holds a short faja, her 1st weaving on a leaning frame loom (and still in Independencia)
There is still time for anyone wishing to purchase woven cloth to make holiday gifts. The weavings may also be used as wall hangings and table runners.
- Large Weaving – 63 x 9.5” $79
- Medium Weaving – 51 x 7”, $50
- Faja – 70 x 5”, $43
- Strap – 78 x 1.5”, $22
In the photo 3 generations of weavers, Doña Maxima with a large weaving, Doña Vilma with a ch’uspa, and Lineth with her first weaving woven on a leaning frame loom.
This is the first time the U.S. inventory has been available for your holiday gift buying. The funds from your purchase will head back to Bolivia as a weaving order to ensure the weavers are able to buy uniforms and supplies when the school year begins in February.
Please direct orders and inquiries to dkdutcher@hotmail.com. In Independencia, Dorinda still carries the 1st ch’uspa she bought from Doña Alicia in 2007. In the U.S., she carries a birthday gift ch’uspa woven by Doña Maxima in 2013. Newer bags with more dramatic hues repose in storage because even she can´t abandon old friends to promote the newer more vividly dyed ch’uspas. Dorinda Dutcher, November 14, 2022
PAZA 