Tinkuy

Tinkuy 2017 Report

Readying for the Tinkuy Inauguration Parade

Congratulations to Nilda Callañaupa, the Tinkuy International Weaving Conference Organizing Committee, the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco (CTTC) weavers, and all the Tinkuy volunteers for creating an incredible 4 day textile extravaganza. All 5 senses reeled under the color, movement, texture, and sounds of Tinkuy 2017. Wow! It is still impossible to summarize coherently but references to the Tinkuy will be ongoing because there was so much information relevant to PAZA´s activities and idea possibilities for the future.

Doña Maxima in the Spinning Competition

Doña Maxima and Doña Justina loved their hands on experiences that included the spinning competition, giving their weaving/knitting demonstration, and taking the workshops. For life-long weavers, both found the advanced backstrap weaving class and the chinchilla border class challenging. The 17 minute presentation they were to give was the last presentation before the closing ceremony, so the burden of that upcoming event was carried throughout the conference. Doña Máxima and Doña Justina marched up to the stage, faced the large crowd, and stoically gave their presentation, “Stories of the Traditional Weavings of Independencia, Bolivia”. The English translation was a disappointment,

Doña Maxima Weaving and Doña Justina Knitting at Their Technique Demo

but there are probably only a handful in all of Cusco who could translate Quechua to English. The 5 months of research to put together the presentation led to some intriguing questions that will be fun to investigate and report on in future blogs. The women spoke in Quechua which was understood by the majority of the audience who were the hosting Quechua speaking CTTC weavers. It was a thoughtful way to end the 4 days of presentations.

There were numerous anticipated meetings between the Bolivian weavers and long-time PAZA supporters. The weavers met Lyn Lucas and David Anderson who were PAZA´s first supporters in 2010. Doña Máxima who has been the Spinzilla Cloth Roads Warmis Phuskadoras team captain for 4 years and Doña Justina who coordinates Spinzilla activities in Huancarani finally met sponsor Marilyn Murphy. Dorothy Thursby who has been an ongoing supporter of PAZA renewed her acquaintance with Doña Máxima from the 2013 Tinkuy. Katie Simmons who has been to Independencia 4 times and helped in the 2013 Tinkuy trip to Cusco was a welcome familiar face. Teena Jennings, WARP member and longtime supporter, met the weavers and introduced her husband and daughter who had

On Stage
(Photo Credit: David Anderson)

accompanied her. Prior to this trip Doña Justina who turned 60 this year had never been anywhere that wasn´t to visit family and on those trips she was always accompanied by family. The weavers met Karen Sprenger who lives near Dorinda´s parents in Kansas and has promoted the weavings in the local fiber community. As Doña Máxima chatted with Deborah Chandler in Spanish she was unaware that Deborah is the go-to person for advice when PAZA hits a snag in the road.

There have been many comments about Doña Máxima´s unsmiling countenance. It is cultural. For years she has been able to look through the PAZA photos to select those of herself and her family for developing. She never selects photos where she is smiling, she says they are ugly.

Karen Sprenger with the Weavers. All Weavings are in Kansas and are Available to Buy.

Dorinda has gifted many “happy face” photos to Doña Máxima who graciously accepts them, but who knows what she does with them when she gets home. The expression that should have been captured on film was Doña Maxima´s beatific smile when she walked off of the airplane in Cochabamba into the arms of her daughter, son, and 2 granddaughters. The smiles and tears of joy and relief on the faces of Doña Máxima´s family and Doña Justina´s 2 daughters and grandson would have made you cry. They were so happy and relieved to have their mothers safely home.

The inventory of weavings in the U.S. is building up, and that slows down PAZA´s rotating fund for placing and purchasing orders with the weavers. ‘Tis the season… Weaving a yoga mat strap is where a beginning weaver starts weaving to earn income, although all the weavers weave them. If there is a yogi on your holiday shopping list the yoga mat straps for a 1/8” thick sticky mat are $21 and for the ¼” thick exercise mat the price is $22.

Yoga Mat Straps on Models Shannon Dutcher & David Whetzel

Is there a weaver on your gift giving list who would delight in hand spun, natural dyed cloth with Andean motifs to use for her own projects? The fajas are bands of cloth 67” x 4.5” and cost $35, larger weavings PAZA uses for making the zippered pouches are 63” x 9.5” and are $64. The 75” x 1.5” straps are $19. The lined zippered pouches are $15 and $16 with a wrist strap. There are dress/tunic sashes measuring 60” x 2.5” for $35. Also available are chuspas in a variety of sizes and priced accordingly.

All the weavings have a story, and that´s what makes them such special gifts. Orders will be accepted until December 14^th, with the last shipping date on December 15^th. Contact Dorinda at dkdutcher@hotmail.com.

Thank you Lyn Lucas and David Anderson, I hope it´s not another 7 years before our paths cross again! Thank you lifelong friend Geoff Folker for your support last month. Another thank you is in order for the P.J. Broderick Memorial Foundation whose support made it possible to attend the Tinkuy. Thank you everyone who has supported the Bolivian weavers, teens, and kids this year. Wishing you the warmth of joy and laughter with family and friends this holiday season. Peace on Earth. Dorinda Dutcher, December 3, 2017

October Fun, Fun, Fun

Vilma Juggling Her Spinning Week Results on Measuring Day in Sanipaya

October was a super month. The Cloth Roads team Warmis Phuskadoras placed 27^th out of the 70 Spinzilla teams. The Bolivian spinners spun 70,390 yards, all with drop spindles. The annual celebratory feast and prize awarding ceremony will be held in Huancarani in early January. Shawls are the prize for all of the Huancarani spinners. Doña Máxima will be purchasing the shawl material in Cochabamba and the Club de Artesanas (CdA) members will be crocheting the borders thus personalizing each shawl. Vilma, a skilled crocheter, was tasked with crocheting a sample to determine the labor cost and the amount of yarn needed per shawl. Her timid response was a wage of 25 Bs.($3.60) per shawl. After much discussion about the time and skill required PAZA upped the wage to 60 Bs. ($8.65).

Rebecca & the Chicas

Australia has come to Independencia. The year started out with Laverne Waddington’s visit to teach weaving workshops. She is from Australia but has made eastern Bolivia her home. The next visitor was Australian Cheryl Cartwright who was a great help in measuring the 70,390 yards of Spinning Week yarn. After Spinzilla, the women and teens spent a week working on cross stitch projects taught by Rebecca Rich. She lugged the workshop supplies and wonderful chocolate treats from Melbourne to Argentina, Peru, and finally Bolivia. The chicas adored their new friend. They showed up during the CdA weekday afternoons as well as Saturdays to work on their projects and hang out with Rebecca. She brought out a world map at least 3 times and all grew to feel a familiarity with that world so far away. You can read Rebecca’s visit report on the volunteer page of this blog.

Huddled in the Entry on an Inclement Day

An observation that Rebecca made early on was that Doña Antonia would probably make fewer mistakes if she had glasses. Rumor has it that the women will not wear glasses because glasses are associated with being educated, which most of the rural women are not. PAZA handed out about 2 dozen reading glasses a few years ago, but there wasn’t any encouragement to continue. Shockingly, Doña Antonia agreed that she needed glasses and actually wore them thus dramatically improving the quality of the butterfly she was cross stitching on a bib for her granddaughter. PAZA will invest in more reading glasses.

Doña Justina´s Chuspa Will Debut at the Tinkuy Parade

Preparation for the Tinkuy reached a feverish pitch by the end of the month, although the planning began in June. Doña Justina dropped by most Sundays to practice her part of the presentation. One Sunday she brought the ch’uspa she had just completed to wear in the Inauguration Parade. Doña Máxima practiced the presentation 3 times a week with the PowerPoint photos and without them at home. She spent her spare time during the day at her loom and worked on her beaded tulmas (braid adornments) at night. The local carpenter took forever to finish the simple leaning frame loom so that Vilma could get started on sewing a carrying case for the loom, flag pole, and the banner pole. Her results created a panic because the length was unmanageable. The preparation provided many a challenge, but, whew, the work is done, and all that is left is to enter the magical colorful whirlwind that is Tinkuy.

Readying Orders and Weavings Going to the Tinkuy Sales Table

The CdA will close for 3 weeks, allowing Doña Maxima a breather following the Tinkuy. She plans to spend a few days in Cochabamba to make the purchases for the Spinzilla prizes and enjoy her daughter Zoraida´s 4 month old baby girl. Yes, 8 year old Zuni finally has a sibling! Many have met Zuni who as a toddler spent long days playing in the PAZA sales tent at Cochabamba craft fairs. Dorinda is headed to the U.S. after the Tinkuy and will return to Independencia in late December. She will be accompanied by volunteer Surya de Wit who has been considering a visit to

Bibs & Bags

Independencia since 2013 when she was an artist-in-residence for Sustainable Bolivia. Surya draws, paints, and uses textiles in her art. The teens are excited about an opportunity to progress with their drawing skills. The women are curious about learning new dye techniques.

Thank you Rebecca for your kindness and generosity. Thank you Lyn Lucas and Dorothy Thursby, we look forward to seeing you at in Cusco where you will finally get to see for yourselves the results of your years of continued support! We are so excited about seeing everyone at the Tinkuy! Dorinda Dutcher, October 30, 2017

Spinzilla Prep & a Magical Dye Pot

Loading Up the Molle Leaves & Passengers

September was a month of preparation for Spinzilla Spinning Week and for November’s Tinkuy International Weaving conference in Cusco, Peru. Doña Máxima made a trip to Cochabamba to order the banner for the Centro de Artesanía, Huancarani (CAH) that will debut at the Tinkuy’s Inauguration parade. She and her daughter Zoraida also shopped for 2 shawl samples so that the Spinzilla participants will have some choice in this year´s “All Win 1^st Prize”. They learned that the shawl vendors will have little or no inventory until next June when winter rolls around again. Spinzilla always offers a number of problem solving opportunities for the team, and one solution is to buy material and have the Club de Artesanas (CdA) members crochet the borders and add the fringe for a per shawl wage.

Dye Day #1 Results

In the midst of all the preparations for future activities the Club members started an amazing dye pot that just kept on giving. It began with a quick excursion to a lower altitude to collect the leaves of molle trees. Doña Máxima´s husband drives a student transport truck and because it sits idle between the early morning pickup of kids from a rural community and their midafternoon drop-off back home he was agreeable to driving the Club members for 50 Bs. ($7.20). There had been a few days of brief but intense rains that had washed the landscape free of the gritty tan dust that swirls and coats everything during the dry season. Time for bright yellow skeins was running out because the leaves do not yield dye during the rainy season will begin soon. It was a cloudless day so rather than begin the dye pot that afternoon the leaves were put to soak so the afternoon could be spent at the river washing and drying fleece in preparation for Spinzilla Spinning Week

2 Techniques for Washing Sheep Skins

Two days later the Club women fired up the dye pot and the molle leaves simmered scenting the air with a heavenly fragrance. The yellow resulting from the 1^st dye bath met expectations but the possibility of a 2^nd dye bath looked grim. Doña Antonia saved the day by offering to return from lunch with some dried turmeric root. A relative living in a tropical area of Bolivia had gifted fresh roots to her and she had dried them after the Club used them for numerous dye pots in 2013. The simmering turmeric added its exotic spicy scent to the air and the resulting color was a burnished golden yellow. For a 3^rd bath a bit of cochineal was added and the results were a burnt orange. Dyeing continued over 3 more days due to the need to spin more yarn to dye. Glorious vivid reds and red oranges emerged from dye baths 4 through 8 with the addition of a few more grams of cochineal, cream of tartar, alum and citric acid. In 10 years of dyeing such a magical dye pot has never before been experienced, appreciated, and so enjoyed.

Child Labor? Mom and Grandmum Observing Emily’s Washing Technique

The rains that washed the molle leaves also flushed the river which had almost slowed to a stagnation. Fleece and sheepskins were scoured at home in hot water. After lunch following the molle excursion the Club members headed to the river. Doña Maxima and Vilma took turns pushing their wheelbarrow that held 2 sheepskins, a black fleece, and a gray fleece. Doña Antonia was carrying white fleece in a bag of woven plastic in her aguayo on her back. Doña Rufina had a mixed black and white sheepskin and some laundry in her wheelbarrow. With some effort the wheelbarrows were rolled to a pool above the ford where teen boys were lovingly washing their motor scooters.

Navigating Heavy Load of Wet Wool Up to Road

Doña Antonia wet the fleece she´d brought and then laid it over a large boulder and pounded it with a stick. Doña Máxima, Vilma, and her 8 year old daughter Emily submerged their sheep skins and fleece one at a time to work through them with their hands to remove debris. The rinsed fleece and sheepskins were draped to dry over sun warmed boulders. Wheelbarrows were washed out, loaded up, and with a sense of accomplishment the group headed merrily homeward.

Mission Accomplished, Leisurely Walk Home

The following week, and last week prior to Spinzilla Spinning Week, the Club members began preparing coils of roving. Doña Antonia watched Doña Máxima shearing fleece off a sheepskin and decided she was unhappy with the fleece that she had washed. It had dried hard instead of drying soft like the fleece Doña Máxima was cutting away from the sheepskin. Doña Antonia decided that she needed to start over using a sheepskin instead of beginning the washing process with sheared fleece. Doña Beatris, who is in charge of the 6 Spinzilla spinners from her community of Sanipaya, happened to be in town. She was spending the Club day doing her son´s “home economics” project of making a table cloth by pulling threads in a length of cloth and weaving in a bright green ribbon. She said she had 2 sheepskins and offered to sell one to Doña Antonia after washing them the following day. Unfortunately, a neighborhood dog snatched one of the washed sheepskins from where they were drying outdoors, so Doña Antonia was once again in search a sheepskin.

Doña Máxima Shears While Doña Antonia Looks On

The preparation for Spinzilla Spinning Week is a lot of work for the spinners, but it is work they’d be doing anyway. As an event, it recognizes their life long honed skills as spinners and weavers. It has created many learning opportunities for the 25 women, most of who attended few if any years of schooling. These 4 years of empowering experiences would have been impossible without your support.

Thank you Rob Nash for reconnecting in such a supportive way from our carefree youth! The generous support of a former Bolivian Peace Corps volunteer must be acknowledged with gratitude and a hug. The well wishes as well as financial support from other Spinzilla participants goes a long ways in communicating a bigger world’s recognition of the rural womens’ ancient fiber arts techniques and skills. Thank you Sarah Linder and Elizabeth White for once again supporting the Bolivian team. Thank you Taevia Miller. Dorinda Dutcher, September 28, 2017, dkdutcher@hotmail.com

Independencia Update

Club Day – Warping, Crocheting, & Sewing

August was windy, dry and dusty, although the peach blossoms were glorious. Many of the Club de Artesanas (CdA) days were enjoyed out of doors crocheting and warping weavings as winter´s chill still clung to the cement floored rooms. Doña Rufina, the newest Club member worked stoically at weaving a yoga mat strap. She struggled to memorize the pattern often distracted by her active almost-toddler. Her days are divided between town and the family farm near an old growth forest which is a lovely walk up the mountainside unencumbered, but packing a baby and bags of groceries it takes a stout heart and strong legs.

David Opening His Prezzies

The Club members held a potluck lunch and surprise birthday party for David the day he turned 8 years old. He and his older sister bounce back and forth between relatives in town and their rural community below Huancarani since losing their mother 2 years ago. His sister is an honorary CdA member, but spends weekends and vacations on the farm so her participation is rare. It is the first time the Club members have taken the initiative to organize a charitable – or any event on their own. PAZA provided the birthday cake, prizes for the games, and school supplies in a chuspa as birthday gifts for David.

Veronica Spent 1-1/2 Days Making Lanterns for the Lantern Parade

The chicas are progressing in the baking course and complete 3 recipes each Saturday. When not in the kitchen they worked on art projects including making lanterns for the Independence Eve parade in early August, jewelry making using wire techniques, drawing and coloring, and painting scenery for the much talked about “Little Red Riding Hood” puppet show.

Preparation for Doña Maxima´s Tinkuy presentation, “Tales of the Traditional Textiles of Independencia, Bolivia” took place 3 times a week. On Tuesday and Thursday Club days she and Dorinda slowly built a PowerPoint choosing from the thousands of photos taken since 2007. Unfortunately, there are no historical photos due to the rarity of cameras until cell phones with cameras appeared. The presentation outline was sketched out after the July meeting in Huancarani when the weavers talked about what they would like to convey to a bigger world of weavers. The discussion has continued on Sundays when they could visit the PAZA workshop. Each has a different story about how they learned to weave, and rarely did they learn from their mothers. In fact, their words brought to mind the image of a parent in the U.S. trying to patiently teach their teen to drive a car.

Doña Alicia and Doña Máxima, Spinzilla 2015

It was Doña Alicia Solis, now 62, who as a teen was the “go-to” person to learn a variety of weaving motifs. More than 1 weaver mentioned herding the family flock with the goal of tracking down the young Alicia and her flock. Doña Casimira said that her mother died young and her father traded wheat and corn to a neighbor for weaving lessons.

One topic that did not come up when the weavers chatted about their weaving past was natural dyes from the local plants. Natural dyes were not often used as they were growing up except by one extremely poor family. Their interest in rescuing natural dye techniques was piqued by workshops provided by the municipal government and by learning that foreigners were interested in buying natural dyed weavings.

President Evo´s Visit to Independencia

The Spinzilla participants have sheared, purchased, or traded for the wool to spin for Spinning Week. They are looking forward to their special week, but it has been difficult to gather news because special events have interfered with their Sunday visits to Independencia. The 3 days of Independence Day festivities fell over a weekend and the rural spinners feted in their communities. Many of the Huancarani spinners are Evangelists and attended a weekend conference in Cochabamba. President Evo Morales visited Independencia on a Friday and attendance was mandatory (or a $15 fine) so nobody was up for another jarring ride in the back of a cargo truck for Sunday’s market.

Doña Eulogia & Doña Justina, Spinzilla 2016

We are almost halfway to our goal of $930 in expenses for this year’s Spinzilla Spinning competition. The expenses include the annual prize that recognizes all of participants. This year the prize is a shawl, nobody so far has chosen the option of yarn to crochet their own. Other expenses are transportation to the rural communities, the wage for Doña Máxima for those travel days, photo development so each spinner has a “recuerdo”, and the beef for the celebratory feast and awarding of the prizes.

Thank you Jenny Heard, Lyn Lucas, and Dorothy Thursby for continuing to support the spinners and weavers. Thank you to the Spinzilla participants of other teams who have sent support to the Cloth Roads Team Warmis Phuskadoras! A map will be needed to show the Bolivian team from where they are receiving good wishes. Thank you to Marion Gibson the Canadian Koigu Team Captain. Thanks are sent across the Pacific to Jane Cooper and Janet Ellison of the Team Hand Spinning News U.K. and to Katie and Anja Britton of the U.K. Team Hilltop Cloud. Patty Tompkins of Team Louet North America thank you for supporting the team since their first competition in 2015. Dorinda Dutcher, September 12, 2017

Reminiscing in Huancarani

Emily and Wendy, “De Pollera”

A few days ago Doña Máxima, her daughter Vilma, Vilma´s 4 children, and Dorinda packed into a contracted pickup truck for the trip to meet with the weavers of the Centro de Artesanía, Huancarani (CAH). For the first time in 2 years Vilma´s 2 daughters were dressed as their mother and grandmother in polleras and blusas of their own. It was discovered a week before the trip that they´d long outgrown their rural wear so a sewing frenzy followed so they could be outfitted in new polleras and resized blusas for the planned photo taking session in Huancarani.

Doña Justina at Her Loom Consulting with Doña Máxima

Prior to the meeting with the weavers the women and girls hopped out of the truck for the short walk to Doña Justina´s farmstead. The boys and truck headed down to the soccer field where the meeting would be held. There was an immediate sense of serenity as the dusty road was left behind and the group followed a winding footpath across the green hillside and skipped across the stepping stones in 2 small creeks. A spectacular view opened up of the wide gravel riverbed and small trickle of the Ayopaya River cutting through the steep mountains forming a natural border between the States of Cochabamba and La Paz.

Rolling Up Her Weaving in Progress for Storage

Doña Justina greeted her visitors with bowls of hot boiled corn, a rural staple, and fresh cheese. She had a finished weaving for an order that Doña Máxima measured and collected. Although Doña Justina´s leaning frame loom appeared empty, she had a work in progress rolled up and secured at the top of the loom. She unrolled it to consult Doña Máxima about the specifications. While they talked about the weaving, Vilma had her daughters wet their heads under a water spigot so their hair could be braided and adorned with “tullmas”, beaded loops that add about 8” of length.

Doña Justina and Her Youngest, Miriam

Doña Justina´s youngest daughter, Miriam, was coerced into donning a pollera and blusa for the day. While she changed there was a short meeting about the upcoming Tinkuy International Weaving Conference. It will be Doña Máxima´s 3^rd Tinkuy and the 1^st for Doña Justina. She has been the President of the CAH for 3 years and was invited by PAZA to participate in the Tinkuy because she has proven her interest and commitment to leadership through the organization of CAH and Spinzilla activities in Huancarani.

Armloads of Medicinal Plants to Take Back to Town

On the walk back to the road Doña Máxima and Vilma collected 4 varieties of medicinal plants. Vilma used her sweater as a makeshift aguayo which enabled her to carry the plants on her back. A few weavers were chatting and spinning in the shade of the church which sits alongside the soccer field, and more drifted in until there was more than a quorum of the 28 members to have an official CAH meeting.

Dusting Off Old Memories

The topics of the day were Spinzilla Spinning Week in October and Doña Máxima´s presentation at the Tinkuy in November. Many of the weavers have expressed interest in attending the Tinkuy, but most would have found the logistics of leaving their farm and livestock for a week impossible. Doña Máxima and Doña Justina will be representing all of them and so PAZA has tasked them all with sharing their weaving history so that Doña Máxima´s presentation is representative of everyone. The meeting was the starting point for what the weavers want to share with a bigger weaving world about their weaving tradition.

Wendy Weaves and Emily Watches the Herd

Photos are needed in a PowerPoint to accompany the presentation. That is a challenge because there are no historical photos of the weavers as girls or teens. Cameras were rare until the recent arrival of cheap cell phones with cameras. The meeting in Huancarani was scheduled for the school vacation so that kids would be available for the photo session.

Doña Maxima´s granddaughters had their first weaving classes the week prior during the Club de Artesanas (CdA) meetings. Nine year old Wendy sat through the meeting working on weaving a strap with figures she´d learned. Her mother Vilma kept an eye on her progress and after the meeting her great-aunt Narciza worked with her.

Wendy Getting Help from Her Great Aunt Doña Narciza

Doña Narciza is Doña Maxima´s older sister by 7 years, and during the meeting she told the group how she learned to weave. As a girl she was intrigued by the woven figures and learned on her own from others. While she pastured the family´s flock she would seek out friends who knew how to weave various motifs. She also befriended an “abuelita” (elderly woman) who taught her. It was Doña Narciza who taught their mother how to weave the figures. Years later Doña Máxima learned how to weave from her mother, not wanting instruction from her impatient older sister. It was at this meeting that Doña Máxima learned that their grandmother did not know how to weave figures and that their mother learned as an adult from her teenage daughter Narciza.

Maribel, the Youngest CAH Weaver, with son Daniel

The “learning to weave” stories seem to have been deeply buried, so more tales will be collected when the weavers drop by the PAZA workshop on Sundays. Although the girls were dressed up for the day their actions didn´t need to be staged. Seven year old Emily and the boys took it upon themselves to keep Doña Toribia´s flock in line, which involved a lot of running up and down the hillside in sheer exuberance of being outside in the country on a sunny day. It´s definitely not the shepherding technique of the weavers who walk and spin, but it would be the shepherding method of children heralding back eons. It was a fun and memorable day, and may the stories that were shared be remembered by the young ones in attendance.

It is with heartfelt gratitude to Dorinda´s college friend Douglas and his family´s P.J. Broderick Memorial Foundation that the Tinkuy expenses for the 3 PAZA participants have been covered. Thank you so much!

Dorinda Dutcher, July 12, 2017

Dye Season is Here

Road Side Suyku Above the Town of Independencia

The rains have fallen daily since early February so hopefully water won’t need to be rationed during the dry season. The school year started at the beginning of February, so Independencia went from a ghost town to action packed overnight. Carnaval week fell at the end of the month which gave water balloonists all month to practice.

Mordants, Assistants, and Suyku

The Club de Artesanas (CdA) spent a day collecting and preparing plant dyes and 2 days dyeing. The first dye day was devoted to cochineal due to the skeins the Huancarani weavers had dropped off with requests for reds and pinks. The dye pots for the 2^nd dye day were loaded with leaves of local plants. The women of the CdA didn’t have to walk far to gather suyku, which was just starting to flower. Hitchhiking in vain the following day Dorinda trudged an hour up the mountain to a higher altitude where chilka grows prolifically along the road side. The rains had washed the road dust off the leaves so they were ready for the dye pot. A bit of suyku was gathered on the descent through its preferred altitude for growth. The local government has invested in heavy

Grinding Cochineal

equipment the past 5 years and uses it to widen the roads by pushing dirt, gravel, and roadside vegetation down the mountainside. Former plant collecting areas are inaccessible because of the drop off between the road and where the plants are now growing. The suyku seems to like disturbed soil and continues to proliferate along the roadside, except where it can’t get a foothold due to the ever growing erosion from the road maintenance practices.

The chilka leaves dyed the skeins a grey green when mordanted with millu, a mineral from the La Paz area that darkens dye baths. The dye was not as strong as it is during the dry season, so suyku was added to the 2^nd dye bath with a few grams of copper sulfate and the result was a deep forest green. The dye in the suyku pot was strong enough for 4 dye baths resulting in a variety of yellow-greens and bronzes. Doña Máxima, Vilma, and Doña Antonia used a hand cranked cereal mill to grind the last of the 5 kilos of cochineal that PAZA purchased in 2012 at $36 a kilo. Inquiries have been made concerning the purchase of another 5 kilos, but a source has not been nailed down yet.

CdA Weavers Happy with Their Suyku and Chilka Dyed Skeins

A number of the Huancarani weavers visited Sunday mornings after selling their peaches at the weekly market in Independencia. They are working on weavings to fill orders from students of Laverne Waddington’s upcoming workshops in Florida and Arizona. Maribel showed up one Sunday with a huge smile and her first completed weaving. Weaving finally clicked with her thanks to Laverne’s help using diagrams to learn the motifs in Huancarani in January. Maribel’s weaving fit the specifications for a yoga mat strap, so of course it was purchased by PAZA as motivation for her to continue. Doña Máxima explained the importance of introducing more colors in the weavings. Maribel had used the yarn her mother-in-law had provided her. PAZA gifted her 4 natural dyed skeins to begin her own stash. She will have to ply them. She can add to her collection by purchasing more CdA dyed skeins at cost or by buying spun skeins and paying the CdA to dye them for 28 cents a skein or she can dye her own. She is the 118^th weaver to sell through PAZA since 2008. Alas, many of the other 117 weavers have migrated, retired from weaving, or passed away. Last year there were only 30 active weavers.

“Sold!” – Maribel’s 1st Weaving with Figure Learned from Laverne

The CdA women were asked what projects they would like to work on this year. They asked for yarn to crochet shawls. A rural woman can never have enough shawls, especially if she has children. Kids always appear underdressed when it comes to bundling up in sweaters and coats. Moms usually carry at least one extra shawl to wrap up a shivering or slumbering child. Club members have to learn something new with each project so the women are looking at shawls of family and friends to find a granny square they wish to copy.

They asked about sewing projects, but without volunteer help in using the patterns a lot of material is wasted and clothing usually doesn’t fit properly. Unfortunately, there are no volunteers on the horizon, which is the CdA’s main resource for learning new fiber skills. It has been a couple of years since the CdA women have sewn the style of blouses they wear. Since they need to practice with the sewing machines blouses will be a 2017 project for the women. The blouse material can be purchased in Cochabamba whereas the flannel, quilt squares, and much of the material used for child and teen clothing is donated and carried down from the U.S.

Chicas Making Jewelry on a Rainy Saturday

Abigail and Jhesica, the 2 oldest teens in the Club are doing great taking turns as the CdA chicas trainer. They planned out 2 months of activities for Saturday mornings. Abigail was the trainer for the 1^st Saturday of the session and coerced Dorinda into teaching a yoga class then Dorinda coerced them into helping with a birthday sign to send to her niece. The next rainy Saturday 6 chicas crowded into the library to make wire and bead jewelry, listen to an Enrique Iglesias DVD, chat, and giggle. The 2 younger siblings who were along played with blocks and puzzles. Last Saturday only 2 teens showed up and they stayed an extra 2 hours utterly engrossed in crocheting bracelets adorned with beads.

Doñas Justina and Máxima, Tinkuy Bound

There will be only 3 PAZA participants at the Tinkuy in Cusco this November. Doña Máxima´s daughter Zoraida will not be able to make the trip because she is expecting her 2^nd child later this year. Her 8 year old is wild with anticipation to finally have her long time wish for a sibling fulfilled.

Thanks to the orders from Laverne´s upcoming workshops, the weavers have been able to make it through the annual school supply and uniform buying frenzy without panicking about how to pay for it all. Thank you to Lyn Lucas, Irene Schmoller, Dorothy Thursby, and Susan Long for your ongoing support that allows PAZA to launch another year of Club de Artesanas (CdA) activities and to continue to help the Huancarani weavers towards their goal of preserving their weaving tradition and caring for their families thanks to their earnings from the sales of their weavings. Dorinda Dutcher, March 6, 2017

2016 Annual Weavers´ Meeting, Huancarani

Tarp For Shade Already Engaged

Overcast skies did not give way to rain during the annual meeting for the Centro de Artesanía, Huancarani (CAH) members on December 26^th. The weavers had chosen to meet at the site of Doña Toribia´s old house. A fire was roaring in the beehive shaped wood burning oven when the truck load of participants from Independencia arrived at 10:30am. The oven was the only structure at the site with a roof so rain or sun would have made for an uncomfortable day. The tarp used for shelter in 2015 was in use for drying sprouting corn that will be made into chicha, the sacred beverage of the Incas, for Carnaval.

Prepping Beef for the Oven on a Foggy Morning

The day´s scheduled events included the Spinzilla celebratory feast and prize awarding along with the annual CAH meeting. The first order of business was preparing the meat and potatoes for the oven. Doña Máxima had made arrangements with a butcher in Independencia to pick up 18 kilos (about 40 lbs. at $2.45/lb.) of beef. Beef is a treat, since cattle are usually trucked to Independencia to be sold and butchered because there is no refrigeration in the rural communities.

All Contributed Potatoes

A new water spigot had been installed since last year´s meeting, unfortunately, due to the drought there were long pauses between spurts of water. Doña Máxima and Doña Antonia went to work washing and salting the meat. Doña Toribia took tomatoes, garlic, oil, and dried chilies to her home next door to pound them into a paste for a meat rub. All the weavers brought potatoes which were washed, rubbed with oil, and laid out in long wide tin pans. The oven was filled with the trays of meat and potatoes and the round door cut from a 55 gallon drum was secured to the oven with mud.

Collecting the Annual CAH Dues

Everyone settled comfortably on the ground for the annual CAH meeting. Twenty-one of the 28 members were present when Doña Maxima, the secretary, took roll. Doña Toribia, Treasurer, counted the cash in the tin can of dues. All wanted to be up to date with their 72 cent annual dues so time was taken for the collection. The two main topics were the setting of the weaving prices for the year and Spinzilla. The weavers love Spinzilla Spinning Week and voted unanimously to continue. Cloth Roads has once again generously offered to be the team´s TNNA sponsor.

Doña Justina Receiving Her Prize & Certificate from Dorinda & Doña Máxima

The weavers cheered when they heard that the $5,017 in payments for their weavings was the highest year of sales since they began working with PAZA in 2007. What was wonderful about 2016 was that many of the purchases were by foreign weavers who appreciate the skill and culture heritage behind each piece. After years of trying to sell at Bolivian craft fairs and attempting to design and transform the weavings into saleable products for a trendy foreign market it seems possible that the door has finally opened to a niche market that appreciates the evanescent weavings.

Happy Spinzilla Spinners with New Petticoats and Certificates

The last meeting topic was the announcement that PAZA has invited 3 weavers to participate in the 2017 Center of Traditional Textiles Tinkuy International Weaving Conference to be held November 8/11 in Cusco Peru. The 3 were chosen based on their contributions to the joint objectives of the weavers and PAZA. Doña Máxima wears the hats of PAZA Coordinator, CdA trainer, and Captain of the Spinzilla Cloth Roads Team Warmis Phuskadoras. This will be her 3^rd Tinkuy, and she will make a short presentation as a panelist, which is an honor for all the Independencia weavers! Her daughter, Zoraida, was invited because she is a member of the PAZA sales team. Doña Justina Vargas, the President of the CdA since 2014, has done an excellent job in organizing CAH events in Huancarani was the 3^rd invitee.

A Fun Social Day for the Rural Weavers

After a leisurely meal many hands made quick work of the clean-up. The final event for the day was the awarding of the Spinzilla prizes. All Spinzilla participants win first prize and they had chosen a new petticoat as the 2016 prize. Constance Hall, Spinzilla Team Captain Organizer, had printed participation certificates and sent Spinzilla buttons providing tangible evidence that the competition is truly bigger than just their team. The petticoats were sewn by Doña Maxima´s daughter, Zoraida, who requested the work to earn the money to be able to purchase medicine for herself so she would not be dependent on her husband for it.

2017 is looking to be an exciting year for the weavers, although a bit frightening for PAZA due to the additional responsibility of raising the estimated $4,200 in funds for the Tinkuy expenses. Dorinda Dutcher, December 28, 2016

Happy Holidays to All!

A Day with CdA – Crocheting, Warping a Weaving, Playing

Doña Maxima is keeping the Club de Artesanas (CdA) activities going twice a week and is opening the PAZA workshop on Sundays to meet with the Huancarani weavers. PAZA activities will kick into high gear when Dorinda returns to Independencia next week laden with activity supplies.

Veronica In Tank Top She Crocheted and Necklace She Made

The Club members will discover the world of micro-organisms using the new PAZA microscope. Have you ever checked out the difference between llama, alpaca, and sheep fiber at a microscopic level? New books and puzzles will enchant the kids who will attend the CdA with their moms now that summer vacation has begun. The teens will be excited about the new jewelry making supplies. Although piñatas are not a Bolivian tradition, the CdA members will be making piñatas to take home for family fun along with the cookies they bake for holiday cheer. A batch of basic soap is waiting to be milled into fragrant fine soap.

Palca River, 2007, Access for Washing Everything is Just Above the Bridge

Hallelujah! Doña Máxima reported that the rains have arrived! The Bolivian President, Evo Morales, declared a State of Emergency late last month due to the continued drought and water shortage caused by disappearing glaciers and 2 years of low precipitation. Water is life. It can also be full of life. What will be observed in water samples taken from the Palca River above and below where laundry and vehicles are washed and from the water sources folks use for drinking water? The microscope may provide that missing piece that will make the PAZA basic sanitation classes more effective.

Annual CAH Weavers’ Meeting, Huancarani, 2015

Doña Máxima and Doña Justina have scheduled the annual Centro de Artesanía, Huancarani (CAH) meeting for December 22^nd. The topics to be discussed are Spinzilla, weaving pricing for 2017, and the upcoming Tinkuy International Weaving Conference. The weavers will enjoy the annual feast and Spinzilla Award´s Ceremony after the meeting. Many thanks to Constance Hall, Spinzilla Team Captain Coordinator, for her help in drawing attention to the support needs of the Cloth Roads Warmis Phuskadoras team and for providing each spinner with a Certificate of Participation.

Thanks to Karen Sprenger, a backstrap loom weaver living in Kansas, the time Dorinda will be spending in Kansas will be a boon for PAZA. In 2013, Karen met Doña Máxima and Dorinda at the 2^nd Tinkuy International Weaving Conference in Cusco. Last July, she and Dorinda crossed paths at the annual WARP Conference. She asked what she could do to help, and what fun wonderful help she´s providing!

In November, she made arrangements for Dorinda to talk about PAZA at the KC Fiber Guild meeting. Karen had brought 3 Independencia weavings that she had received at the weaving workshops she´s taken from Laverne Waddington. What a wonderful surprise to see the weavings again and to note how Laverne uses them in her workshops. The visual impact of the more recent weavings was striking due to how the weavers have evolved in their use of color. Karen is making arrangements for a joint presentation with Dorinda in April 2017 and participation in a 1 day craft fair.

These Yoga Mat Straps Found Appreciative Owners in WA. Photo Credit: Jenny Heard

A few sales were made at the KC Guild meeting and then Karen took the remaining PAZA weavings to sell alongside her work at the Craft Fair in Burlington, Kansas. This is exactly the help the weavers desperately need. Thanks to Laverne Waddington 2016 has been the year of highest sales.

There is quite a bit of weaving inventory in the U.S., so if you are looking for a handcrafted gift for the holidays or anytime please send inquiries via an e-mail to dkdutcher@hotmail.com. The 2 sizes of yoga mat straps fit a ¼” thick exercise mat ($22) or a 1/8” thick sticky mat ($21). Other items include wallets ($15), zippered pouches ($16), and there are 2 chuspitas ($25) woven by Doña Maxima. Also available are the pillow covers ($27), belts ($16), and guitar straps ($20).

The CdA Cookie Baking Will Bring Holiday Cheer to Many Families

Thanks and a holiday hug go out to PAZA´s longtime supporters Lyn Lucas, Dorothy Thursby, and Nancy Meffe. Thank you Krieger Family and Shannon Dutcher for your support. Joyce Dutcher, PAZA´s earliest and strongest supporter, has again donated to the Dutcher Family Fund which is the revolving fund allowing immediate payment to the weavers for their work. Thanks mom!

¡Wishing all of you a Merry Holiday Season and all the Best in 2017! Dorinda Dutcher, December 7, 2016

October in Independencia

Post Spinzilla Meeting, PAZA Store/Workshop

Ten members of the Cloth Roads team Warmis Phuskadoras held an impromptu meeting in the PAZA store/workshop on October 16^th.All were curious about their standing in the results. Doña Casimira was unhappy she´d dropped from last year´s champion to 4^th place this year. That led to a discussion of outside influences affecting their spinning during the week. There had been 2 community meetings and an inauguration of a potable water project that piped water to a spigot in the yard (not into the home) of every home in Huancarani. One family member had to attend each of the events, and in many cases it was a spinner. That led to a broader discussion about lifestyles of spinners on other teams. They were surprised to learn that the majority drive themselves to a job outside of the home, and only spin in the home.

Spinzilla Spinning Week, CdA, Independencia

It was pointed out that the team had spun roughly the same amount all 3 years. The total this year of 68,056 was down 455 yards from last year. That led to what will be an ongoing discussion of what the team can do to spin more. Their Spinzilla team was compared to a soccer team and one could see in their expressions that the concept of “team” finally resonated with them. They were asked to bring ideas for team building to vote on at the annual Centro de Artesanía, Huancarani (CAH) meeting in December.

The women in the Club de Artesanas spent the first 2 weeks of October immersed in the spinning and measuring for Spinzilla. All have sewing, knitting or crochet projects to work on during Club days until

Doña Justina, right, 2016 Spinzilla Champion for the Bolivian team

the end of the year. Due to the lack of success CdA has had with teaching weaving skills, no promises can be made, but Doña Maxima is planning on teaching her daughters Vilma and Zoraida the embedded double weave technique as a CdA activity during the next few months. CdA member Adviana learned the technique from her grandmother. Hopefully she will take advantage of the training opportunity to increase her proficiency.

The Spinzilla results were not yet available when Doña Máxima and Dorinda turned their attention to next year´s Tinkuy International Weaving Conference in Cusco. It will be the 3^rd Tinkuy for Doña Máxima and the first for her daughter, Zoraida, and for Doña Justina, the President of the CAH. Zoraida is the best of the PAZA sales team trio which includes her mother and Dorinda.

Doña Maxima, Granddaughter Zuni, and Zoraida, Cochabamba 2011

Doña Máxima had planned to weave a 3^rd aguayo last year while her husband was mayor of Huancarani, because the one she´d hurriedly woven for herself did not include the motifs possible when using the embedded double weave technique. The yearlong mayoral obligation ended and weaving the aguayo was no longer a priority. The Tinkuy offers a reason to weave that aguayo. Seven dollars of PAZA funds were used to buy the yarn she needed to supplement what she had on hand to create a masterpiece that will debut at the Tinkuy in November 2017.

CdA Chicas, a Jewelry Making Saturday Morning

The CdA chicas picked up a new member following Amanda´s September jewelry making classes. First grade teacher and Independencia local, Profesora Prisma, delighted in Amanda´s classes and joined the chicas the first 3 Saturdays in October for a morning of jewelry making. Gabriela, the CdA trainer, laid out the supplies and books Amanda had donated and all were soon engrossed in their projects. The complexity of their work increased after 2 of the chicas had to disassemble bracelets they´d made repeating a basic technique.

Delighting in their Jewelry Making Efforts

Dorinda traveled to the U.S. to spend time with family following Spinzilla, and will return to Independencia in mid-December. Doña Máxima will be holding CdA activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the PAZA workshop. She will have the workshop open on Sunday mornings to meet with the Huancarani weavers. The CdA chicas ended for the year. Gaby, the trainer, graduates in early December and 200 Bs. ($29) in PAZA funds were given to her as a graduation gift. She had hoped to attend the university, but the 5 years investment wasn´t practical. Instead she will enroll in a 2 year sewing and design program at a vocational institute.

Headed to 2013 Tinkuy, Doña Maxima Wearing a Factory Made Aguayo!

Spinzilla Spinning Week was a blast and the repercussions will ripple out into next year. Thanks again to all of you who sent good wishes and who supported the Cloth Roads team Warmis Phuskadoras. Thank you Lyn Lucas and Dorothy Thursby for your ongoing support which made it possible to prepay for the next 2 months of PAZA activities so that Doña Maxima can keep the momentum going in Independencia. Thank you to Karen and Jan Krieger and Shannon Dutcher for your generous support. Dorinda Dutcher, October 28, 2016

2016 WARP Conference

Everyone Benefits During Informal Gatherings

Nobody remains a stranger for long at a WARP Conference where new friendships take off like wildfire. All the laughter and joy was rejuvenating, although the to-do list from all the brainstorming sessions remains daunting.

Following a three and a half month absence from Independencia, it was wonderful to be able to reminisce with Kelsey Wiskirchen, Katie Simmons, and Susan Weltman who have all made the Andean trek to meet the weavers and to check out the PAZA activities first hand. Life wouldn’t be complete without checking in annually with the hardcore WARP members who attend each conference. A lot of work gets done,

It´s Always Worthwhile to Pay Close Attention to Philis´s Tales

but why can’t work always be as much fun as it is when Teena Jennings-Rentenaar Judy Newland, Jackie Abrams, Linda Temple, Deborah Brandon, Linda Ligon, Carol Pierce, Sara Lamb, Cathie Joslyn, and Adrienne Sloane are involved? The Conference closed with everybody on the edge of their chairs wondering what witty remarks, Cindy Lair, WARP President would come up with as she auctioned off folk art pieces at the fundraising Conference finale. One must always find an opportunity for sitting and chatting with Philis Alvic, who subtly weaves pearls of wisdom into very entertaining stories. Deborah Chandler couldn’t attend this year and was missed. Her mentoring since 2010 has been invaluable in PAZA’s progress. What would one have to pay a life coach for the suggestions and wisdom she so generously and graciously dispenses?

Doña Nilda Callañuapa and a CTTC weaver

The annual WARP Conference tends to move around the country, although it’s moving out of country to Oaxaca Mexico next year. Thanks to the scheduling coinciding with IFAM this year the attendance was larger than usual. It had been a few years, so what fun to catch up with Edwina Bringle, Sam Brown, Tara Miller, Dale Fairbanks, Carol Ireland, Judy Krol, Karen Sprenger, and Susie Strauss. Personal thank yous on behalf of the Cloth Roads Team Warmis Phuskadoras were passed on to one of the original Spinzilla organizers, Liz Gipson, who helped with arrangements for the team the past 2 years. A quick verbal exchange with Marilyn Murphy, Cloth Roads cofounder and the team’s TNNA sponsor, set the ball rolling for the team’s participation this year.

Marilyn, Kelsey, and Jon at the Book Signing

A highlight at the Conference was witnessing the arrival of Marilyn Anderson´s new hardback book hot off the press from Guatemala. The book is a text compilation of fading handicrafts drawing on her decades of travel and research in Guatemala and illustrated with her woodcut prints. The books arrived just in time for the Sunday afternoon book signing. Marilyn´s husband, Jon, had joined her this year and hopefully he will attend future conferences.

Marilyn Tries on a Stylish Poncho at the CTTC Booth at IFAM

WARP connections tend to have a ripple effect. It was through WARP that PAZA heard about and received support to attend the first Tinkuy International Weaving Conference in Cusco, Peru in 2010. The Tinkuy is hosted by the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco (CTTC) and their Director and WARP member, Doña Nilda Calluñuapa. In 2010, Dorinda and Doña Maxima roomed with WARP member Laverne Waddington. Laverne has placed annual weaving orders ever since and her exacting specifications have been fundamental in the improvement of weaving quality over the years. This year a number of weavers who host Laverne´s U.S. weaving workshops placed orders as well, including Marilyn Romatka, founder of Taproot Folk Arts. The WARP Conference provided the opportunity for several brainstorming sessions between Marilyn and Dorinda that went beyond what email correspondence would have provided.

Thank you Kelsey, Jackie, and Katie For Your Years on the Board!

Nancy Meffe has been a WARP member and a PAZA supporter for years, and attended this year’s WARP Conference. She sells her own weavings through craft fairs and donates the proceeds doing business as “Weaving for Women of the World”. When I’m asked about what one can do to be involved with weavers in marginalized communities because moving to a remote mountain village isn’t practical I cite Nancy’s work as an excellent example of weavers helping weavers.

Thanks to the WARP Board and to Rita Chapman the WARP Administrator the Conference was incredibly fun and productive! Wouldn´t you benefit from a few days a year spent with kindred spirits who stand together in defiance of the gaping maw of global cultural homogenization? What are you waiting for? Join WARP! Dorinda Dutcher, July 20, 2016

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