As you read this we'd like to let you in on a little secret. The people who do this blog are away from their computers and cameras right now - they don't even have a decent internet connection. They are probably on a sandy Gulf Island beach right now. But just so you don't think that they've gone away and forgotten you they have done this post ahead of time ...

Enjoy your summer ... we'll be back next week.

Every week we get new arrivals from India of fabulous cotton and linen clothes.

These are slow clothes and we've been working for years to bring them to you at the height of summer. Come into the shop and we'll tell you that behind us are the block cutters and block printers, the natural dyers, the weavers, the tailors, pattern drafters, sewers, and finishers. The man who presses our garments, the wonderful man with the shy smile who specializes in pintucking. Our indigo dyer who is a master at his craft and lives to make all shades of blue, our button makers, working in the shade as they gossip and sew. When the garments arrive we recall the days spend in front of swatches of fabric, the network of connections necessary to get the best organic cotton on the market, the fine adjustments of a seam or hem that makes the garment perfect. When the garments arrive you cannot imagine our pride and happiness.

We've just put up the second part of the Artisan's Alliance of Jawaja's presentation as a series of video files. We've included the first one here, but all six may be found on our podcast page.

In this presentation the Artisan's Alliance of Jawaja answer questions from the audience and ask a few of their own. The Vancouver audience asks about the process of leatherworking but also about the position of artisans in the community and the challenges that must be overcome for success. This presentation is posted as a series of video files. Comments are welcome.

Recorded at the 2009 Maiwa Textile Symposium on October 27, 2009
Posted July 2010

Here is a link to the leather products made by the Artisan's Alliance of Jawaja.

In our previous post "Collaborating with UBC Engineers" we outlined three problems that would benefit from the type of specialized knowledge that engineering and applied science students were developing. The first involved improvements to a bellmaker's kiln, while the second and third involved small scale textile processes which presently produce a disconcerting level of toxic waste.

We joined the students for their poster presentation and were deeply encouraged by their optimism. This was the second time we had met them. During our first meeting we outlined the problems with video and photographs and answered their questions. In neither meeting did we get the feeling that these problems were unsolvable. From the student's perspective it seemed that at least one and possibly many solutions existed, it was just a matter of finding them.

Often the students were thrown a curve ball by the projects they were working on. A student specializing in structural or electrical engineering suddenly had to know all about chemical processes right down to the street price of a certain substance in Bengal, India. That's a steep learning path. The students had only four weeks between our presentation of the problems and their presentation of some solutions.

Another aspect of the solutions was the modesty of the working budget and the requirement that solutions needed to be maintained without specialist knowledge, parts, or skills. Materials that were close at hand were preferable. These restrictions were offset by some of India's natural resources. Solar power is abundant making distillation schemes attractive methods of treating some of the toxic effluents. Human labour is also plentiful and so construction costs are reasonable. Moreover, the general attitude embraces recycling and people would rather treat the effluent to recover a substance that could be sold than allow it to run away.

All of the poster presentations were impressive. We had two main reactions as we toured the room and the students explained their approach to us. 1) How did you think of that? 2) Let's take this to India right away and try it out!

Here are some of the students standing before their poster presentation.


L to R: Youliang Mitchell Cheong, Maryam Kashi, Shasha Wang worked on the problem of toxic waste from chemical dyes used in Sanganer, India. They proposed an ingenious distillation set-up.




L to R: Julie Laws, J. Van, and Gleb Ganeline presented a solution to the problem of bleachworks on the banks of rivers in Bengal, India.




L to R: Jaskaranjit Singh, (Charllotte Kwon or the Maiwa Foundation) Harshul Srivastava, and Tony Lei presented kiln improvements and heating options using biogas for the bellmakers. This group made a long distance call and talked to KMVS director Punkaj Shah to get additional, on the ground information about the bellmakers and their community.

In one of our next posts we will introduce you to the people behind the course and give some background on how it got started and where it is going.

Comments are welcome.

[Update: News of the Baba Tree's closing has spread and demand has gone up for the remaining stock. We do sell these baskets but we don't sell them online. If you are interested please visit our store soon. If you live far away you can contact the Baba Tree directly through the contact info on their website: www.babatree.com]




We have carried baskets from Gregory MacCarthy's Company The Baba Tree for a number of years now. Last week we had a visit with him as he delivered his last load of baskets.

It is no small challenge to be an individual working in a different country, across the ocean, on a separate continent. This challenge is compounded when you are also trying to work on the ground and are hopeful that you can elevate the level and quality of craft. You have to work with the individual craftsperson, you have to work with their family, you have to work with the village, you have to work with local officials, custom's officers, government officials - in two countries. Those who have followed our Jawaja posts know how difficult this can be. Gregory has done all this with the Baba Tree, as anyone who has seen his baskets knows. These are tightly woven in a masterful way and have evolved over the years to feature innovations and an evolution of style.

And yet, as Gregory explained to us, a combination of health issues (from tropical diseases), changes in the attitudes of local officials, and the continued stress of trying to be both in North America to promote the baskests, and in Ghana to oversee production has led him to make the hard decision to close down. He wrote to us, saying

"I'm a romantic when it comes to offering quality and good service. To offer the best product that is available on the market requires one to micro manage the production process. You have to be in Bolgatanga. Also, one has to be there to make sure that the weavers are being compensated fairly and are being taken care of in terms of hospital expenses paid, that Ghana's national health insurance scheme doesn't cover, or to help with some cash for advanced education."

Gregory's African troubles were compounded by a change in policy of his North American shipping company:

"I have been informed by Greyhound employees at the depot that Greyhound is going to start "cubing" or charging by volume -just like Canada Post- and I sense that it will send shipping rates sky high. As you know, the sacks of baskets weigh about as much as a thimbleful of saffron and are about the size of a '63 Volkswagen. From Greyhound's perspective, the Baba Tree is ripe for the picking."

So it is sad for us as sellers of the baskets. We love to sell them to the public and to buy them for ourselves. It is sad for Gregory who has poured his heart and heath into a business venture that can make a positive change for craftspeople. Again in his words:

"The weavers will continue to weave. They will get poorly paid contracts from other folks or sell their baskets at the market.

"I am sad that The Baba Tree Basket Company never made the impact on the lives of the weaver's that it had set out to do. It was all in the realm of the attainable. I am saddened by it. I'm saddened by the prospect of saying goodbye to the weavers and to my incredibly committed staff like the "leather boys" (basket handles) who have become the finest at their craft in Bolga or my 4 "small boys" who have been with me for years - we have grown up together.

"It is in the realm of the possible that, through the exquisitely beautiful / functional baskets the weavers of Bolgatanga create, economic stability and sustainable development can be attained. It just requires compassionate but saavy business people to recognize the basket's worth in the age of the plastic bag and the toil that it took to bring the creative impulse to fruition.

"In most markets, particularly in the US and Europe, the work is undervalued which is reflected in the cheap price for Bolga baskets in those markets. If the weaver's story was properly told by the likes of me, then, perhaps, the buying public would dig a little deeper and bulk up their air miles with the added and justified expense.

"I returned to Bolga last October armed with a camcorder to document the whole industry and the "Tree's" place in it, but for personal reasons the camera never made it out of it's box and thus, customers are still left in the dark as to who exactly makes these baskets, what challenges they face and what victories are beheld.

"The weavers of Bolgatanga can take care of themselves through their artistry and create spin off enterprises through seed capital saved once their daily needs have been met. But their collective poverty doesn't give them much leverage at the bargaining table and the weavers fall prey to the dictates of the market.

I will be in the warehouse, poised and standing ready, until the basket stock is exhausted.

I extend my gratitude to all of you, my customers.
I hold you all. I mean that.

Gregory MacCarthy
The Baba Tree

These extracts are the result of a collaborbation between Maiwa and the French natural-dye research team Couleurs de Plantes. After years of research into dye plants, colour yields, extracts, and ecology, Couleurs de Plantes has perfected organic cultivation techniques and a sophisticated eco-friendly extraction process. We are happy to add the Couleurs de Plantes extracts to our own line of natural dyes and extracts.

Extracts easily dissolve in water and are so concentrated
that only small amounts are needed. They extend the art of natural dyeing into new realms giving the dyer both versatility and control. Here's what we have added:


Buckthorn species are native to the Middle East, and Mediterranean. Also known as Persian berries since the warm yellow colour comes from the unripe berries. Use cream of tartar along with mordants. Dyeing: Use extract on mordanted fibre at 2-6% WOF.

Chestnut trees grow in many parts of the world and contain a great source of tannin. They dye a warm brown colour. This dye is also well known for it’s ability to dye silk black with the addition of logwood and an iron mordant. Dyeing: Use extract on mordanted fibre at 5-10% WOF.

Cochineal is a parasitic insect that lives on the nopal cactus native to Central and South America. This dye has excellent light and washfastness and produces a powerful range of fuchsias, reds and purples mainly depending on mordents used and the dyes sensitivity to pH. Dyeing: Use extract on mordanted fibre at 0.5 - 2 % WOF.

Coreopsis has an abundant variety of plant species that are widespread throughout North and Central America. The dye is located in the flowers, which give a warm yellow - orange colour Dyeing: Use extract on mordanted fibre at 5-10% WOF. A reddish colour can be achieved when the pH level is more alkaline.

Dyer’s Broom or Greenweed is a small shrub that originates in the dry woodlands of Europe and has a long history of use for yellows. It contains the same colourant as weld, which is very lightfast. Dyeing: Use extract on mordanted fibre at 7-10% WOF.
Golden Rod is a wild flower found in North America and Europe where it continues to be a well known source of yellow. Dyeing: Use extract on mordanted fibre at 7-10% WOF.

Logwood is a bushy, thorny tree grown in Mexico, Central and South America and parts of Africa. The purple dye is concentrated in the heartwood of the tree. Dyeing: For a medium to dark colour use extract at only 1-2% WOF on mordanted fibre. Dye at temperatures no higher than 180 F and for no longer then 60 min or the colour will lack clarity and luminosity.

Madder (standard & rich) Madder is one of the oldest dyestuffs. It is most frequently used to produce turkey reds, mulberry and in combination with other dyes can yield crimson, purple, rust and browns. The primary dye component is called alizarin, which is found in the roots of the plant. Two concentrates of extracts are available giving a standard and a rich madder colour. Dyeing: Use madder standard on mordanted fibre at 5-10% WOF. Use madder rich at 2-5 % WOF. Do not allow the dye bath to go above 180ºF as this brings out the brown colour also found in madder.

Quebracho dye comes from a tree native to South America, which is very high in tannins. The dye can vary in colours from coral, warm red brown, yellow or green depending on the species. Dyeing: Use extract on mordanted fibre at 5-10% WOF. To deepen the quebracho colours add an alkali or iron mordant.

Weld or Dyer’s weed has been used as a dyeplant for many centuries in the Mediterranean, Europe and North Africa. It has been a long time favourite yellow due to its intense colour which has excellent lightfastness. Dyeing: Use extract on previously mordanted fibre at 7-10% WOF.

We've just put the first part of the Artisan's Alliance of Jawaja presentation up as a series of videos. Usually we distribute the symposium lectures as podcasts, but because we did this one through a Skype connection we've put it up in video format. You can see all five videos on the podcast page.




In response to the interest generated by the Jawaja presentation we have put up a large collection of products made by the Jawaja leatherworkers in our online store.

The question and answer portion of the presentation will be up next. Let us know what you think in the comments section of this blog.

We have just added a new collection of buttons to our online store.

These buttons are hand-carved by Nepalese craftsmen. Some are wood, others are made from the horn and bones of domestic animals (mostly water buffalo) which have died of natural causes.

Maiwa has worked with this group of artisans for over 15 years. When we use a wooden or bone button on a garment or in our bedding it is always from this group. The designs that they come up with are inventive, charming and clearly illustrate the character of the carvers. When they send us new designs and we open the package, it is like unwrapping a collection of tiny treasures, each one is a world in itself.

Prices range from $2 - $5.

Available in a range of shapes and sizes. They are funky and wonderful art pieces.

When we think about Indigo we think about Jenny Balfour-Paul, author of the British Library publication Indigo. But who does Jenny think about when she thinks about indigo? Most probably it is Thomas Machell.

In 1999 Jenny discovered the journals of Machell in the British Library. It was a remarkable find. Born in 1824, he began traveling at the age of 16. He sketched (the image above is a self portrait) and kept notes and writings. Before he died in 1862 he had gathered the materials together into a 3000 page journal. In it he details his love of Indigo and Bengal. He saw many things, including the opium wars and the transformation of Hong Kong from a tiny fishing village into an international seaport.

Recently The Telegraph (which still has "Calcutta" on its masthead) ran a story about Jenny Balfour-Paul and her interest in the Thomas Machell journals. Jenny is working on the Story of Machells life which will be “the opposite of biography”, because she feels that the parallels between her life and his are so strong that it is almost as if they were the same person.



See the Telegraph for the full story.