Creative Women: Fair Trade Hand-Woven Textiles

Who We Are

Creative Women cares … about beautiful hand-woven African textiles, about good design, and about improving women’s lives. We are a Vermont based, women-owned company, working in partnership with two textile design studios in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and a textile studio in Swaziland, to create traditionally inspired contemporary accessories and home textiles. More than just designing and selling textiles, Creative Women works to promote equitable trading practices and to support women’s economic independence. “I founded Creative Women as a way to create jobs in Ethiopia and sustain an ancient art form by introducing the West to the beauty of Ethiopian textiles”, says owner Ellen Dorsch. “Today Creative Women provides a socially responsible link between producer and consumer by opening markets for these high-quality textiles."

Why We Came to Be

Creative Women began in Ethiopia. It grew out of my experiences and travels. I saw sex workers training to be hairdressers, only to find there were no jobs available; I visited rehab centers where women were sewing and embroidering beautiful table cloths, but the only market for their products was a small bazaar for the ex-pats living in Addis Ababa. I realized that by finding markets in the US, an opportunity existed to improve women’s lives and to maintain a centuries-old art form by introducing the West to the beauty of Ethiopian textiles.

Woman with Camel in Rural Ethiopia

Our Partners

Today, working with four women-owned businesses in Ethiopia and Swaziland, and finding markets for their handsome and unique products in the United States, Creative Women supports the emerging private sector in both these countries and most importantly, creates jobs for women in societies where good jobs are rare. Each business brings something unique to our array of textiles. The weaver/artisans at Menby's Design, Addis Ababa, produce the centuries-old tibeb, an intricate hand-woven border; then the seamstresses transform the tibeb into Creative Women's pillows, wall hangings, table runners, mats shawls, scarves, and handbags. At Sabahar, silk production has been reintroduced into the country. Here, workers spin the silk from local cocoons, hand-weave the textiles, and using natural dyes, create vibrantly colored shawls, scarves, throws and blankets. The artisans at Negist weave the most gossamer looking scarves and panels, dying them in contemporary colors that flatter all women.

Seamstress at Menby's Design in Ethiopia

In 2006, Creative Women started working with Coral Stephens, a business in Swaziland where three generations of women have been weaving mohair, and now raffia and other raw materials, into elegant and lush home and personal accessories. This committed Swazi business employs 60 women and provides them with training, skills, and financial independence … all difficult to find in rural areas of Swaziland.

The Hand-Weaving Tradition

Creative Women capitalizes on this energy by working in Ethiopia and focusing on the tibeb, a hand-woven traditional textile. For generations, Ethiopian weavers, mainly in the Dorze and Chencha areas of southwest Ethiopia, have woven netelas and gabbies on traditional looms using centuries-old patterns and designs. On Monday and Thursday mornings, weavers from these areas walk from their homes -- sometimes over an hour each way -- to sell their fabrics at the textile market. Merchants from Addis wander through the crowd of weavers, negotiating for the best deals, while local women look for a good price for their limited purchases.

Weaving is a family activity in Ethiopia: sometimes a supplement to a family's farming, sometimes the entire source of income. Women are responsible for gathering the cotton grown in the Rift Valley lowlands, carrying huge loads on their heads and climbing steep mountains back to their villages. Women of all ages spin cotton, using a simple drop spindle to make the thread used for the weft (horizontal) threads on the loom. Most of the cotton used for the warp is factory made.

Spinners at a training session

Traditionally, the men do the weaving. Their pit-style looms typically are set up outside the house. Whenever possible, they are built into a hillside and the weaver digs a hole, and sits with his feet hanging into it. Four vertical posts and two horizontal pieces connecting the posts support the Doko loom. Two harnesses, with many string heddles, are suspended from the horizontal pieces. Attached to each harness is a long rope that forms the treadles of the loom. In front of the harness is the reed that holds up to 600 threads.

Weaver in Addis, Ethiopia

Today, many of the Dorze and Chencha weavers have moved with their looms to Addis, and sell their fabrics at the big market at the foot of Entoto Mountain. There, among hundreds of overflowing stalls of weavings, Ethiopians and ferengis (foreigners) look for the ideal piece of fabric to make a traditional, or sometimes Western, dress … each with just the right touch of tibeb and color that says, hand-made in Ethiopia.

The Craft and Weaving Tradition in Swaziland

I spent much of my time in Swaziland meeting crafts people, particularly basket makers, and working with the weavers who supply us with our wonderful mohair and cotton products. Women have been weaving baskets out of sisal, straw and other grasses for generations in Swaziland. Today you can see examples of many types and qualities of baskets. The traditional and functional baskets remain simply made, with little decoration, but serve many utilitarian purposes around the home. New businesses and non-profit groups have moved this traditional craft into the 21st century, adding colors obtained with eco-friendly dyes, and very complicated designs, and marketing Swazi baskets to a global market. (See www.tintsaba.com and www.gonerural.com).

Spinner at Coral Stephens

Textile weavers in Swaziland, as opposed to Ethiopia, are women. They weave the warm and richly colored mohair used in our Swazi shawls and blankets from hand-spun Lesotho mohair. In addition to these classic home accessories, our Swazi producer draws from Swaziland's long history of basket making and grass weaving, to produce unusual raffia pillows and floor cushions in a variety of colors and stripes.

Art historians suggest that the missionaries who came to Swaziland in the 1800s first encouraged women to use their basket weaving skills to weave textiles. Subsequently, they were encouraged to use their hand-woven textiles to change their style of dress and cover their breasts in the Western style. Another theory suggests that international development organizations capitalized on the weaving tradition and set up weaving training programs for women so that they could generate income for their families and communities. Regardless of how it happened, most weavers in Swaziland today are women. And whether its baskets or textiles, they are creating products that incorporate Swazi culture and beauty into each piece.

Ellen visiting the weavers at the Monday market.

A Personal Note from Ellen:

"After a 35 year career in public and reproductive health, both in the U.S, and internationally, I knew it was time for a change. I wanted to start a business that would make an impact on women's lives, allow me to travel, and to be surrounded by beautiful things. I held my breath, jumped, and started Creative Women. Creative Women brings all of my passions... including my family... together. Whether making sure that bills are paid on time, an order arrives intact, or pleasing a new customer, I never lose sight of our goal ... creating jobs and improving women's lives. At the same time, I take enormous pride in knowing that we are sustaining an ancient art form by introducing the West to the beauty of Ethiopian textiles."

Women staff at Coral Stephens, Swaziland

Visit Creative Women Hand-Woven Textiles for more product info and find shops, catalogs and websites that carry these gorgeous textiles through their Store Locator.

Creative Women: Fair Trade Hand-Woven Textiles

Lowertown Art & Music Festival in Paducah

Memorial Day Weekend means that it's festival time in Lowertown, here in Paducah. Lowertown is a neighborhood adjacent to Paducah's historic downtown which benefited from a City initiative which designated it as a gallery district. Paducah's Artist Relocation Program has attracted artists from around the country, bringing in needed cultural and financial capital. Once a neighborhood falling into disrepair, Lowertown now attracts new residents and tourists who enjoy the restored historical homes and galleries, along with a wonderful sense of community.

The Lowertown Art & Music Festival is a chance to celebrate local talent as well as those of vendors and musicians participating from places far and near.

I worked at HeART of Healing Gallery, one of the Lowertown galleries, and had a chance to run around and see if I could find any fiber people. (See tomorrow's post for more info on HeART of Healing.) For some reason, every year during the festival, we get Paducah's worst, hot and steamy weather. Of course it rained the day after the festival was over and now it's gorgeous, crisp and beautiful. Despite the conditions, people seemed to really enjoy themselves. I watched a belly dance presentation for a bit, then went on to find the fiber folks. I found three who were all excellent.

Teresa Hays does some of the best marbling on silk that I have ever seen. It's not a technique that I am normally drawn to, unless it's executed with talent. Well, Teresa has mastered marbling. Her wonderful color palette swirls and feathers, complementing her excellent choice of designs in silk garments, scarves, purses and men's ties. Teresa lives in Franklin, Tn.




Mary Waite came all the way up from Florida and was happy to get away from the humidity down there (!!!!). She was probably one of the few who was actually enjoying the weather.

Mary weaves and her booth was displayed with gorgeous ikats, scarves and natural textures. A hard sell on a hot, humid day, but I did have a customer at HeART of Healing who was a weaver and just had to buy one of her shawls because she knew how much work went into it!


Finally, a booth with musical instruments caught my eye. When I told Chad Scott I wanted to post his work on a fiber blog, he seemed a bit surprised. Well, maybe 3-d bamboo pieces are not normally included in the fiber category, but I love it and for the purposes of this blog, bamboo will always have a welcomed place.

Drumzrguruven (he uses umlas , but I don't know how to add symbols through blogger), has a great website with more info on their drums, didgeridoos, and rainsticks. Make sure to read Chad's artist statement!

The instruments show excellent craftsmanship and design.



I had to run on back to my job, but was happy to see these and other artists making Lowertown come to life. Of course I bumped into a couple of friends:

Monica Bilak, actually did most of the organizing of the festival. Can you tell she didn't want a photo taken? "Come on, Monica! Give me that smile..."

She did it, but if you look closely, she's throwing daggers at me through her eyes. Monica was one of my first friends in Paducah. She and her husband, Paul, lived in Kenya for a few years and when they came to Paducah, Monica opened a retail store in Lowertown called Global Nomad. (My kind of store!) She also bought a lot of the things I made, just to be supportive... Since then, she decided that retail was not for her and they changed the store into a guest house called "The Mary Jane Inn". Monica and Paul also are actively involved in an important project they helped start in Kenya, Project Aids Orphan, which helps children who have been orphaned because of Aids.

Then, I saw Merle, sitting in his recycling booth:

Merle and his wife, Deb, are also Chicago transplants. Deb is also a member of Paducah Fiber Artists, and Merle works for the City as an inspector. Merle has been extremely helpful to me in my housing search, but more importantly, he is mobilizing the city into a rapidly growing recycling movement.

So, that was my little time at the festival. Paducah is a wonderful place to live. If you are an artist looking to relocate, there are still properties available in Lowertown. While most of the country is suffering a housing crisis, Paducah is experiencing revitalization with increasing property values. There are plenty of nice houses with big yards around the city for under $100K and for those of us who are struggling artists, there are also fixer uppers available from 10K on up. If you don't want to move here, but are driving nearby, know that the turn off is worth the exploration. There are plenty of treasures to discover here in Paducah!

Lowertown Art & Music Festival in Paducah

Mother and Child, Mirrors of Love

Today is Mother's Day here in the United States. I would like to dedicate today's post to my mother, Donna Biel, and to all mothers around the world.

My mother grew up in Western Minnesota in a tiny town called Minneota. She is a Gislason, a descendant of Icelander farmers who settled the area. Mom went to St. Olaf College in Northfield, became a nurse, met my Dad and after six months, married him. I was born a year after they married and when I was six months old, they took off to Brazil for twenty years of service as Lutheran missionaries. My brother and sister were both born there.

Mom in college in the late 1950's

When I look back on our lives, I think of my mother going off into the unknown at the young age of 24 years. This is no small undertaking coming from a small Midwestern town in the 1960's. She met her first Black person in college and had no contact with Latinos growing up. I was an adult when she told me that she had been planning on going to Appalachia as a nurse if she hadn't met my father.

We struggled with each other when I was growing up. She was practical and determined while I was impulsive and conceptual. She wondered why I couldn't be "normal". But, some of the wildness in me had to come from her. When she was a teenager, she put eggs in one of my grandfather's hats. My grandfather cursed her, "May you have yourself as a child someday!" (Me, I think...)

The 70's were unattractive for most of us...

My mother worked hard all her life. In Brazil she kept life running smoothly for all of us. We had a maid, but they cooked, cleaned, and prevented chaos, side by side. She organized the church women, was the local "shot" lady (neighbors would have her give them their shots), had cookies and kool-aid as constant supplies for the scores of kids that constantly swarmed our house, mended my Dad's socks, patched up our clothes, read to us, and was just always there and always constant. When we moved back to the United States, she worked at horse radish factory for awhile until a position opened up at a nursing home for an RN. She finally used her academic training and continued her ministry with the elderly. She retired last year and now continues to serve as a hospice volunteer.

At the age of 70, my mother has more energy than I ever have had. She bought herself some snow shoes this winter and trudged around just for fun. As I age, I see how many good things she has instilled in me and how much of her determination I also have. My mother opened the world to me and let me go forth, finding my own path. We are different from each other, but we are also of the same stock. With all my heart, I thank her for her labor, her guidance, her persistence, and her purity.

Here is a little tribute to mothers around the world. Those of us who love textiles and fiber art need to keep in mind that someone, probably a woman, most likely a mother, made these things. They represent cultures that are quickly disappearing, giving way to technology or violence. They were made for a purpose that might no longer seem relevant to most of society. In admiring their work, we should also give credit to their origin, to their integrity.

Following are photos of mothers with a child, Madonnas of the world. The photo titles are linked to their site of origin and many are available for purchase, so visit the sites for more information. When a photographer was named, I included them in the title.

Basutoland, South Africa 1947

by George Rodger

Yanomami Mother and Child by Steve Cox for Survival

Meiji Era Japan

Andean Mother
by Beatrice Peltre

Nepal School Project



Afghan mother- Herat

Piute Woman and Papoose


Reang Tribal Mother and Child
by Mitchell Kanashkevich

We may seem so different from each other, yet these photos all show the love these mothers have for their children. If we can look beyond our cultural trappings, we will find common ground. I was once at a friend's house where three small girls sat at a table with my friend's daughter. They were working on an art project together. I knew all the mothers. As I watched them, I was shocked by how similar they each were to their mother. The way they spoke, their opinions, their method of reasoning, their body language- they were little xerox copies of my friends. If you are a mother, may blessings be showered on you. May your children grow healthy and strong. May they be leaders of peace and mirrors of your love.

Mary, mother of Jesus the Christ, most favored of women
Credited to Leonardo da Vinci

Mother and Child, Mirrors of Love

Kuba Cloth: The Art of Woven Raffia

I can't think of another fiber form that better illustrates how to take a material like raffia, found abundantly in nature, and transform it into art more than the Kuba cloth of Zaire. Sure, I love fiber art in its many incarnations, but the kuba cloth has a special place in that repertoire for me. Kuba cloth was originally woven into long yardage used to make ceremonial skirts and clothing. The process is extremely laborious so 20th Century weavers began making smaller pieces for the tourist market as Westerners increasingly visited Africa. These smaller pieces may take up to a month to make, from the beginning of the process until completion.

There are two basic types of kuba cloths, each with its own appeal. The first is a flat-weave that often has appliquéd symbols and shapes over the background. The second is often referred to as plush or velvet raffia and is made similarly to a knotted carpet. Raffia is tied to the background weaving and then cropped closely. Kuba cloths may show symmetry in design, but they are often boldly chaotic. Parallels have been drawn between African American quilts to African influences found in kuba and other textiles.

Authentic Africa has a nice history on the Kuba textiles:

"The art of the Kuba of Zaire, which ranges from pipes to cups, metal to weapons, basketry to furniture to textiles, is remarkable for its abstract patterning. Traditional appliqued cloth was primarily made into dance skirts. Skirts and embroidered Kuba textiles were produced and used for ceremonial occasions and court rituals. Until it was replaced by cowry shells, the basic Kuba weaving unit, an undecorated square of plain cloth, the mbal, was used as currency. Kuba cloth is woven from raffia palm leaves. Production of the fine decorative textile is a series of endeavors engaging both men and women. The men are responsible for the growing, tending, harvesting and weaving of the cloth. The women are responsible for preparing it for decoration by pounding the stiff, rough cloth in a large wooden mortar until softened, for hemming and in some cases, treatment with brown, wine-red, black blue or yellow dye from local plant sources. The women create the cut pile embroidered panels as well. The men's dancing skirts are significantly longer than that of the women’s, sometimes having distinct borders with fringe and raffia bobbles. The women’s skirts up to nine yards in length, would be wound around the body several times and folded over a belt. Some of the decorative techniques incorporated by both men and women are applique and reverse applique, dyeing, tie-dyeing and resisted-dyeing, certain types of embroidery as well as patchwork. Patchwork in Kuba cloth came about because of the softening process. The pounding would cause holes to develop in the cloth that would need to be repaired; thus patchwork would be used. To further enhance the look and to balance the visual effect, other patches of various geometric designs were added. Some dancing skirts can take up to two years before all the cloth needed to finish the skirt has been gathered. The Kuba’s primary contemporary use of the cloth is at funerals of wealthy elders. The traditional techniques used to create the cloth have survived because of these funerals, enabling us to continue to enjoy the extraordinary creative Kuba textiles."

Vrije Universiteit Brussel has more historical information. The above photo from 1909 of Kuba dancers wearing skirts made of the woven raffia. On Kuba design they state:

" The outstanding Kuba style diagnostic is geometric patterning used to embellish the surfaces of many objects. These designs are woven into raffia textiles and mats, plaited in walls, executed in shell and bead decoration, and incised on bowls, cups, boxes, pipes, staffs, and other forms including masks. All art forms and designs are laden with symbolic and iconographic meaning, and the same is true of the rich Kuba masquerades."

Visit the page for more information on Kuba beliefs and traditions.


How can we use these wonderful textiles in contemporary settings? Some simply hang them as wall pieces or as center pieces on tables and dressers, but they can be framed or mounted for a more finished look. Indigo Arts of Philadelphia offers gorgeous pillows made out of kuba cloths for $110-$190:

Indigo Arts pillow using the plush raffia kuba cloth.

Indigo Arts pillow using the appliquéd kuba cloth.

Kuba cloth is easily cared for: it can be washed by hand with a mild soap. Crinkles can be flattened by spraying with water and ironed.

I have several kuba cloths available for sale in both my Etsy and eBay stores for $45 each:

Kuba on Etsy
Kuba on eBay

There are many qualities and price ranges of kuba cloths. I have been purchasing mine from the same African dealer for years and have always had customer satisfaction with them.

Kuba Cloth: The Art of Woven Raffia