Weavings

Weaving is an integral part of everyday life in the Karen community. Many women learn the skill from their mothers and grandmothers, weaving bags, shirts, and dresses as gifts for family and friends, or as a daily pastime.

Eight female students from Thoo Mweh Khee Migrant Learning Center volunteered to showcase their weaving for this project. I provided the yarn, and they freely chose their colors, designed their patterns, and wove one piece each, while explaining the ideas behind their designs.

I also spent a week learning to weave and made a small piece myself, which is the last one shown below, and certainly the most clumsy one in the collection!