Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Click here to watch a powerful, moving video about the Half the Sky organization:
Women + Handmade + Global Markets =
Poverty Alleviation + Self-Reliance + Dignity = BEAUTY!
Dancing in the Village of Chandelao, Rajasthan - Basecamp Sunder Rang
”For women around the world who continue to face discrimination from those in power, who are victims of violence, and who are taught by society from the day they are born that they are inferior to others, International Women’s Day is a reminder that they matter.” Women for Women International’s President/COO Andree Simon’s article celebrating International Women’s Day!
Just got late word that the Park Slope Crafts Fair is cancelled tomorrow due to forecast of snow. We’re very disappointed, especially because the weather people are calling for only 1-3 inches! Come on people! But we are having an impromptu sale here, chez Rain Lily. Send an email and we’ll tell you when and where!
Paper & Glass Beaded Coil Bracelet - Kenya
Maasai Beaded Earrings
Park Slope Craft Fair, 7th Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets, Brooklyn, NY
Saturday, February 11th, 2012
9:30am – 5pm
Benefits the Park Slope Collegiate High School
So if you’re looking for a Valentine’s gift or a little wintertime treat for yourself, drop by on Saturday in Brooklyn, or look for new products in our web store. I’m very excited about a new collection of Maasai and Kenyan jewelry we’ll have. Beaded earrings and bracelets, coil bracelets with paper and glass beads and more. All easy to wear and affordable! Also new scarf styles from India — hand-dyed shibori scarves with tassels (love those tassels!), block printed animal print scarves and lots of other styles.
TO SHOP, CLICK HERE: Rain Lily Shop
To shop, click here: Rain Lily Shop
Examples of Bagh block printing.
Modern machinery has made it easy to replicate traditional crafts but the results are not the same. For example, the look of block printing can be achieved more cheaply and uniformly using textile printing machines but the fabric will not have the subtle tonality and three-dimensionality that hand blocked fabrics have. And use of machinery displaces traditional artistry and the livelihoods of the artisans. No longer are they able to earn a living in a sustainable way — in many cases artisans have to leave their villages and get work in cities, which disrupts the “fabric” of village life, and creates hardship.
In addition, many craft techniques are practiced by women, whose mobility and income earning opportunities are severely limited. When women in traditional cultures can work at home or in their villages using traditional crafting skills, they are able to take care of their children and they are able to contribute much-needed income to their families. In many cases, such earnings are used to educate their children, which is critical to making their lives better. It also raises the status and power of the women, which has been shown to have positive effects on their relationships with spouses and other family members.
Rain Lily is passionate about products made using these traditional techniques and using fresh, updated designs. Look for exciting news about our new design venture with a Central Indian block printing group! And visit our online shop:
Rain Lily Shop
Rain Lily will be doing a trunk show at Open Dorz, a boutique at 26 South Fullerton St. in downtown Montclair, NJ (The Crescent Shops) this coming Saturday from 12-6pm. Owner Doreen Peterson is hosting us and Marie St. Victor Koch, who sells her own handmade jewelry to raise funds for Haiti, at the store in honor of Fair Trade Month. Open Dorz is a great little store — Doreen has a wonderful eye for jewelry, accessories and clothing, including fair trade items! Please stop by and say hello and do a little shopping. And click below to go to our online shop and preview just a few of the items we’ll have!
Rain Lily Shop
Hi Everyone — Just wanted to update you on where we will be selling in the next couple of weeks so you can come see us in person. This coming Saturday, October 15th, we’ll be selling at the Park Slope Crafts Fair, which takes place on 7th Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets in Brooklyn. We’ll be there from 10am to 5pm, in front of the school, as this is a fundraiser for Collegiate High School. We’ll have our popular kurtas, including some new prints, our handwoven scarf collection from Central India, and new handmade Thai Buddha Amulet pendants. Please come by and say hi, do some shopping to support local small businesses, and support fair trade. Below is photo of one of the new scarves from Central India, and a link to our online shop!
Indigo Silk & Khadi Cotton Scarf
The Hester Street Fair at Henri Bendel’s on Fashion’s Night Out was a rousing success! Everything looked gorgeous, and the third floor was packed. The festivities went well into the evening and my footsies were a bit sore at the end, I have to admit. But what a small price to pay!
We’re now in the process of putting our new collection of handmade scarves from India in the Rain Lily online store. More added every day. We’ll also post some pix of the Bendel’s event shortly. Thanks for stopping by, and do take a peek at our shop (click on the link below).
