It’s January, and freezing
cold here in Nova Scotia. So when this tapestry arrived from South Africa the
other day, it felt like a gift of sunshiny heat.
This hand embroidered tapestry was commissioned from the Intuthuko Sewing Group. It will be the central panel framed between two smaller pieces by Intuthuko. It’s a joyful village scene with images of traditional life noted in the painted building and the women’s traditional Ndebele dress. The piece is about 20" x 25". Read all about this group here.
The Intuthuko Group is based out of Etwatwa Township outside of Johannesburg. A sprawling, desperately poor area, that has little to offer in the way of employment. This sewing group keeps 30 women stitching, which in turn keeps their families going.
Here is a video taken when I visited Intuthuko 4 years ago. The women are singing a song of greeting and thanks to me for coming to visit them, for bringing embroidery threads, and for buying their goods. I was very touched when they presented me with a hand embroidered tapestry of their group gathering to stitch.
You can find more of Intuthuko's smaller embroideries here on the African Threads web site. They'll bring a burst of sunshine into your life.
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