Global Groove Life
The Night Before Christmas- Handmade Felt Cat Ornament - Fair Trade- Nepal
The Night Before Christmas- Handmade Felt Cat Ornament - Fair Trade- Nepal
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The purr-fectly adorable eco-friendly, wool ornament for the cat lover! This ornament features lots and lots of intricate detailing. Lovingly crafted by mother and sister artisans in Nepal using hand-crafted, eco-friendly wool felt. A Fair Trade holiday ornament.
Measures approximately 5 x 4 inches.
The Art of Felting: The first step to creating these beautiful felt pieces begins with gathering some of the world’s finest sheep’s wool from New Zealand. Making felted wool is an ages-old, time-consuming process of bonding fabric with fiber. This is a physical job where the artisans scrub, rub, roll, and rinse the wool again and again with soapy water. Once the wool is bound into a sheet and the desired thickness is complete, the felt is laid out to dry. From there, the felt wool is cut and reworked into many complex shapes and designs. The many sheets of wool might merge several colors to create patterns and layers. This takes a well-trained, talented artisan and is a true labor of love. The results are colorful, one-of-a-kind textiles that are stunning to behold.
About the Artisans
About the Artisans
Esther Kariuki is an independent artisan who continues to make a big impact in villages outside of Nairobi, Kenya, near Kitui.
Esther and her husband train women on banana fiber crafting to empower them to earn money while working from their homes. Banana Fiber which would normally be discarded is used to craft unique pieces taking the leaves from the banana tree to create durable and eco-friendly pieces of art. The products range from whimsical home decor, Christmas nativities, decorative and holiday ornaments, to functional trays/baskets.
The banana fiber is first dried, and then a light varnish applied. Once this process is complete craftspeople cut the fiber into thin strips to make several different items, including boxes, Bao Bab trees and mobiles. The varnish on the banana fiber with its many tones of brown resembles textured tortoise shell. Esther ensures the craftspeople are paid a fair wage for their goods, which has enabled many in her small village to earn a sustainable wage for their household.
Materials
Materials
Dimensions
Dimensions
Care information
Care information
