Maker Stories

This Just In: Embroidered Pouches

September 15, 2011

For more than a decade artist Jenny Krauss has been designing beautiful embroidered fashion accessories. During this time, she’s also enlisted the help of exceptionally talented South American artisans.

Although the women Jenny works with are skilled craftspeople, many had previously been unable to find sustainable income due to economic circumstances in their country, Peru. By embroidering bags, belts, and other accessories under fair trade guidelines, these women are now able to achieve financial stability.

Jenny’s latest creations, the flowers and circles pouches, were designed with the help of this artisan group. The artisans collaborated on the style and patterns, while Jenny requested certain colorways and oversaw the process.

To craft these creative clutches, the artisans use delicate needlework to form bold designs. Each pouch is hand-embroidered using a curly wool thread, which creates a unique textured appearance.

After receiving more than 400 votes in our community voting app, these Peruvian purses are now community approved and available for purchase.

Jenny says she’s happy to see her items showcased in our voting app, and extends her thanks to all of the customers who support fair trade. “I’m thrilled that the pouches received such positive feedback,” she tells us. “The Peru project has taken off over the last few years and my journeys down there always include searches for more artisans to employ.”

Jenny’s latest belts, also created in collaboration with Peruvian artisans, are new to UncommonGoods as well. While the artisans offered the major design ideas for the pouches, Jenny’s own artistic expertise went into the belts–she actually hand-drew each new design before committing to the final patterns.

Like the embroidered flowers pouch, the embroidered flower belt is inspired by traditional floral patterns. The swirl embroidered belt takes a cue from the circles pouch, combining a classic aesthetic with modern, geometric design.

No Comments

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.