Friday, August 16, 2013

Thursday, August 15, Letsitele

This day was spent on a local citrus farm. Our destination was Kaross (www.kaross.co.za) a hand embroidery enterprise founded in 1989 with 5 Shangaan embroiders by artist Irma vanRooyen as a job creation and uplift meant initiate. Today they have over 1000 participants from the local Letsitele/Giyani communities.


These dancers came out to welcome us


Check out these tennies


The artist draws the patterns on the cloth. Then they go to the embroiderers. They come in Monday or Wednesday, bring in their completed work and take home a new project


This is an example of the completed project. They use heavy cotton fabric and embroider with polyester because it is stronger and more colorfast.


One of the ladies doing embroidery


This woman does the machine finishing of each piece. I bought 2 placemats, a briefly colored purse and a large pillow cover





We were served lunch by the workshop. Best wine I've had here so far (not that I have been doing much sampling). It was a Shiraz fro. South Africa


This picture shows the style of embroidery done here.


This piece is ready to be embroidered. I loved the saying. It is so true here as everywhere. Most of the people we meet are illiterate and not able to count money or run a business


After leaving the workshop, we went to the owners house. WOW


Flowers in her garden


Hugh table made from a slab of wood


Playground in the lawn. I especially liked the big empty metal drum suspended on each end by chains. You could ride on top of the barrel or ride inside.


After returning to our hotel and having a glass of wine we had a presentation by Elbe Coetzee who presented a program on the Mogalakwena embroidery and handwork. We did not go to her workshop because it was 200 miles out of our route so she came to us. I got 3 pieces of embroidery and a huge square basket made of palm


I loved Dierdre's skirt. The added triangular pieces were beaded on the seams


When we left our hotel, these staff members sang a couple numbers. Beautiful



Location:Limpopo

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