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AFRICAN THREADS
Embroidered textiles from Women in South Africa
In July 06, I heard Stephen Lewis talk about his work with HIV/AIDS in Africa and I felt compelled to do a small part to help alleviate the devastating HIV/AIDS pandemic. Having grown up in South Africa, the issue touches me. I purchase these embroideries direct from organized sewing groups of South African women who make them. They are well paid for their fine work. In addition, I donate 15% of the profits to the Grandmother-to-Grandmother Campaign run by the Stephen Lewis Foundation and have donated $4,800 so far.
Your purchase of a textile is directly helping these needle-workers to make a desperately needed income for basic survival. A vital economic flow is created so the women can continue to produce their art. In addition, many pieces are made using African grown cotton, thus supporting the struggling cotton industry. African Threads has the following vision and mission:
- To provide economic empowerment to women artisans by marketing their work.
- To operate in the spirit of “Fair Trade” principles.
- To commit a 15% portion of the profits to the SLF Grandmother Campaign, so funds go back to projects in Africa.
Please keep visiting this page to see what new textiles are on offer. Better yet, send me an email and I’ll notify you when a new consignment arrives and please help spread the word about this project.
The stitched threads in these beautiful hangings symbolize the strength of the grandmothers who, in dire conditions, hold their fragile families and communities together by caring for the millions of orphans left behind by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For many of the women stitching embroidery is their only means of support. Recently a facilitator of one of the groups told me:
”The artists are delighted with the extra money. You cannot imagine what it does to their self esteem to hear that their work is appreciated. As you know these people are abjectly poor and mostly live in shacks built from cardboard and corrugated iron sheeting. They are thrilled at your response and it has spurted them on, and motivated them… the praise and the quick sales from an outside source has inspired them to tackle their work with added gusto!!"
I find these hangings so charming, optimistic, and poignant. It takes months for the pieces to be stitched and shipped to Canada, so please be patient with this reality. I’m working hard to get new pieces on line and bring you work from additional groups. Everything is one of a kind and never repeated. Thank you for your wonderful support for this project.
 Embroideries, hangings and t-shirts for sale on my Etsy site: africanthreads.etsy.com Scroll down this page for more embroideries and hangings.
You can see more textile wall hangings here - www.flickr.com
Sign up for my new blog: http://threadlink.typepad.com/africanthreads/
To purchase textiles please email me
. You can pay by cheque or Pay Pal (I'll send you a Pay Pal Invoice). $5 will be added to each order to cover shipping and handling in Canada and the U.S.
To find out more about HIV/AIDS in Africa, how to start a Grandmother-to Grandmother Group, and to donate directly to the Campaign, please visit the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
 Stephen Lewis Foundation
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Fabulous Grandmothers of Africa T-shirts! |
Style A by Selina - View Detail |
Style B by Evelyn - View Detail |
Hand silk-screened designs based on embroideries from the Intuthuko Sewing group in South Africa.
An artist fee is paid for use of the design. $25 + $5 shipping and handling for each t-shirt.
Please email me specifying Style A or B and size: Small to 3XL.
You can pay by cheque or Pay Pal. 15% of profits are donated to the Grandmother Campaign.
$25 (Plus $5 S&H)
Special offer for Grandmother Groups!
12 or more t-shirts for $20 each plus $20 S&H
Mix & match styles and sizes. |
Grandmother-to-Grandmother Group: The Bay Grannies, Tantallon, Nova Scotia. |
Embroideries from Isiphethu in Newcastle, Natal, South Africa
Please see my Etsy site for more items
All the women in this group have no other means to support themselves except through their creativity. The embroideries are original designs that tell stories of real events in their lives. Others are legends and historical incidents. Some hangings come with a written description. Some have unfinished edges.
Click on an image to see a larger view
SOLD
"Boastful Men" by sheial, KawZulu Natal. 11.5" x 14" $75 +S&H
"City boys meet the rural girls and offer them good times"
Hand embroidery and appliqué
View Detail |
"Animals" $70+ S&H
Hand appliqué, embroidery, beads, cotton. 12" x 20" |
School by Sheila Mabaso $70 + S&H
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton. 11" x 15.5"
"At school they are taught many subjects including about HIV.
Here is a boy who is washing himself slowly so he won't have to go to school." |
SOLD
"Young Zulu Warriors" by Doris Hlatswayo 12" x 16.5" $70+ S&H
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton. and beadwork.
"Young Zulu boys pretending to be warriors inspired by Grandmother's storytelling.
the grand-childrens are sitting around the fire listening to her stories" |
"Noah's Ark" by Sheila 11.5" x 14.5" $85
Hand embroidery and appliqué |
SOLD
"Life of Rural African Woman" by Margaret. 13" x 14" $80 + S&H
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton. and beadwork.
"She wakes at 4 am to fetch water. Then she collects firewood to make a fire for cooking(while carrying her baby on her back).
Then she grinds the corn with the grinding stone. Then she makes the fire to cook the corn porridge for the children for when they come back form school."
View Detail |
"Zulu boys herding cows" by Doris Hlatswayo 10" x 14" $40 + S&H
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton.
"Young boys are collecting the cows to prepare for a ceremony."
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"Building a Grain Storage Hut" by Dudu Malinga 12" x 17" $84 + S&H
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton.
"the community helps the man to build a hut to store his corn (meilies). A Zulu proverb says lend a helping hand.
The women are gathering grass to thatch the hut." |
SOLD
"Zulu Homestead" 18" x 34" $190 + S&H
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton and beadwork details.
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton. and beadwork.
View Detail 1
View Detail 2 |
"Zulu Wedding" by Sheila Mabaso 11" x 14.5" $65 + S&H
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton.
"The bride give gifts to the grooms family, women prepare a feast." |
"Travellers" by Joyce Gazuba 12" x 17"
Hand appliqué, embroidery, cotton. and beadwork.
"Father and son have travelled a long way on the mare with her foal. They are all hungry.
They ask for food from a mother and daughter." |
Embroideries from Intuthuko, Eastern Gauteng, South Africa
Please see my Etsy site for more items
The name of this stitchery group means "to make progress". It was started to help alleviate dire poverty in the Township of Etwatwa. Celia de Villiers (a quilt artist and visual arts professor) was one of 2 artists who helped get this group of 30+ women up and running. They use hand-dyed cotton threads and each cloth is a uniquely personal statement about the maker's life. They use fabric from African grown cotton. It's vital to support African cotton industry which struggles to survive due to trade subsidies in other countries.
The embroiderers of the Intuthuko Group standing in front of
their prize-winning group quilt. July 2008
"Embroidered Squares"
Keiskamma Art Project, Hamburg, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
http://www.keiskammafriends.com/gallery.html
Please see my Etsy site for more items
This works express the strong cultural connection to the importance of cattle. Please take a look at some of the liturgical stitchery this group has done. The Alter piece started its North American Tour beginning at the St James Cathedral in Toronto, Canada. The Keiskamma Altarpiece has made its way to UCLA to the Fowler Museum of Art in Los Angeles where it was exhibited for World AIDS day 1 December 2006.
http://www.keiskamma.org/index.php?m=Altarpiece
This group also stitched an extraordinary 120 yard Bayeux Tapesty-like history of their nation.
http://www.keiskamma.org/index.php?m=Tapestry
Cattle Samplers - Keiskamma Art Project
Four Blue Cows Cushion cover $40 +S&H
Hand Embroidery |
Lavender Bull Cushion cover $40 +S&H
Hand Embroidery |
SOLD
Red bull"Cushion cover $40 +S&H
Hand Embroidery |
Zulu Bead Dolls - KwaZulu Natal
Zulu bead doll makers at Lobolile Ximba's homestead in rural KwaZulu Natal.
These are some of the makers of the "Orphan Dolls". The women made them to tell the world about the millions of AIDS orphans that are left behind. They send these tiny dolls out to the world as an expression of compassion and hope.
Zulu AIDS "Orphans Dolls"
Each approximately 4" high. Beaded in the traditional Zulu manner - $15 + S&H
Specifiy: long hair, red hat, beaded head, or disk head-dress. |
