Me and my big mouth!

[janetandclint]

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.

[trade]

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?

[Ladyjeeper]

I have a bunch of yarn.............

[Seadweller]

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?

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]

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.

[trade]

Thanks! I will ask Blanca if there is a interest in knitting or crocheting. Bit warm for that now tho