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Visiting Fiona Wright in Pushkar was amazing.
Years ago Fiona started purchasing silk from Beautiful Silks, we've always got along well together. So when Elephant and Marion went walkabout in India we made an effort to get to wonderful Rajasthan in December 09. We are so glad we did, what an amazing person she is!
Fiona reviewing local stitch work. Photo Marion Hera-Gorr 2009
Fiona regularly goes on textile adventures, recently she has been sharing her considerable skills with local women to offer employment and also delightlful textiles for home use. Fiona's website is www.creative-arts-safaris.com
She's off to explore silk and other deliciious textiles in Vietnam very soon, and if you want to go, she'll take you too! And she'll be visiting us at Beautiful Silks on January 17th, as well as offering a workshop in October 2010.
That's her in the photo, making string out of coconut fibre. She earns enough each hour to buy ONE GLASS of milk, about 10 cents (3.50 rupees for those who've travelled in India). Her 35 rupees a day is a low wage even by third world standards, about one Australian dollar for a 10 hour day, 6 days a week, and no health or pension plan.
Through the sales of coconut string in our How long is a piece of string? project, at one hour's pay a 7 metre length (the time it takles to produce coconut string)(students, retired folk and unemployed $10) we've raised over Rs. 5000 in JUST ONE WEEK, enough to double this woman's wage for 150 days. The money will go to build a building for women like this to work in, protected from the elements, and with resources to help their working day.

Anne Young started the ball rolling by buying whole length of string, she elected to buy 7 hours of string, for $120.00 AUD. That money was sent on October 3rd, the day happens to be the birth day celebrartion of Mahatma Ghandi. Like Beautiful Silks, Anne wants to get this building started - and we are on our way to India next October - 2008 - to visit Mandya again. There's a couple of spaces left and we are planning some textile sit downs and doings!
Click here to read more about our project.
Today 27th November myself, Chrissy Gill, Lyndall, will travel to Blackwood to celebrate Barbra Rosman's life and to spend time with her friends at the Blackwood Gallery. Farewell dearest friend and helper, we remember you. David Higgins is about to have some of his designs printed in Melbourne on silks. He's been painting on silk for a couple of years now. We are looking for a designer who wants exclusive use of his fabrics.
Posted 2.10.2007.
| The fit-out's finished ahead of schedule and under budget, come and see it at our grand opening on 8 November. |
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 India Flint visited and left beauty blooming after everywhere. Her's a demo of how to wear a merino wrap. Her garments and textiles are completely non allergenic, see some of her work at Beautiful Silks- Oh and BTW her book launch is here on 5th March at 6pm, email us for an invite.
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