Elva Fields Blog » BHWL
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BH+WL No. 3
Our third offering in our By Hand + With Love series is a small curated collection of the most beautiful handwoven textiles from West Africa. I've been gathering these for a while (honestly, almost every time I've sourced glass beads over the last 20-plus years from my longtime friend and vendor of African designs who hails from West Africa himself, I added a textile or two to my own collection) and I'm thrilled to share a few with you here!
Most of this collection is vintage, though some are more contemporary examples of African fabric. Each is entirely spun, woven, or sewn by hand and dyed with organic materials, all in an ancient tradition by richly talented craftspeople, the result of which is honored and celebrated for its beauty, quality, usefulness, and meaning. Some of these cotton creations hail from Mali, others from the Ivory Coast, and still others from Burkina-Faso. The texture, colors, details, imperfections, and hand-crafted character of each textile tell a remarkable story and bring an authentic artistry to any setting.
A few ways I enjoy them:
They can also be turned into pillow covers (with the help of someone who sews!) or even used as upholstery fabric (I have big plans to cover my great-grandmother's sofa with a few of them soon...) hung as a tapestry, or stitched together for a bed coverlet. I'm hopeful you'll appreciate and adore them as I do, and I can't wait to see which ones catch your eye.
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Introducing By Hand + With Love
I'll always adore one-of-a-kind creations, but it IS fun every once in a while to be able to offer MORE than one of something to you - whether it's a pair of earrings for which I have the materials to make a dozen or so, a collection of vintage goodness found at my favorite flea market that shares the same style, a limited-edition run of handmade necklaces, or even artisanal designs sourced out in the wide world. And not exclusively jewelry! I have plans for gifts, home accessories, art and more. The theme that links them all, "By Hand + With Love," is deeply connected to the Elva Fields credo, and it seemed a fitting name for this new bi-monthly offering that starts this week!
So, how will it work? Be sure you're signed up for our emails (there's a spot at the bottom right of every page of this website,) and I'll send you a BH+WL link via email when we have some small-batch fun for you to see and shop - roughly twice each month. I'll have a limited amount of each BH+WL item available, and once they're sold out, they're gone, friends, so, as my mother always says, "Remember, the time to take the cookies is when they're passed!"
I hope BH+WL quickly becomes a fun addition to the ways in which you connect with Elva Fields, allowing you to bring even more joy to your growing collections of beauty and delight in your lives.
SHOP BH+WL COLLECTIONS