Anything artistic or crafty (or just downright quirky) usually
catches my eye. I oftentimes dream
of creating some whimsical item for myself or as a gift to loved ones (unlike
those “creative” pieces I used to draw in Kindergarten). When I met Aveles Niyrenda at the Dutch
Reformed Church’s Saturday crafts market, her chitenge1 crafts display not only
triggered my chitenge addiction (more on that later) but also made me curious
to know how she created her unique items.
After a firing off a series of questions, I jokingly told her I was
coming to her house to witness the steps firsthand. Surprisingly,
she welcomed me.
Welcome to Aveles’ workshop. This narrow corridor in front of Aveles’ house allows her
chitenge visions to unfold.
The following are steps to creating her works of art.
Step 1:
Aveles buys a bag of chitenge scraps from a local
source. She carefully selects
which pieces would create a great product.
Step 2:
After selecting chitenge pieces, Aveles irons the crumpled
pieces of fabric to straighten them. Then, she
cuts the pieces into small squares or rectangles.
Step 3:
She sews 3 chitenge pieces together in a row, making at least 3 rows to form a bag and more for larger products, such as duvet covers.
Step 4:
Although seemingly random, Aveles lays out temporary
patterns of chitenge strips to see if the pattern “flows” together.
She’s satisfied for now.
Sometimes, she’s sews theses chitenge patterns into awesome looking pillowcases, like the ones shown here.
Step 5:
It’s sewin’ time!
Step 6:
Finally, she sews the chitenge pieces in a U-shaped pattern,
lining the inside with a single pattern chitenge (or other fabric), and she
attaches a fabric strip to the inside of the bag to make a bag strap.
Voilà!
After Aveles' lesson, she confessed that she never received formal training for
her talent. She learned through
trial and error. I was blown away
by this information because of the quality and detail in her work.
As I chatted with her about life, I realized that my visit
meant much more than a lesson in sewing.
After facing many trials- the death of her husband, a sick child, shady
business dealings, and her own health concerns-she never once gave up on her
dream of earning a living by doing what she loved. She taught me that although setbacks happen, there’s never a
wrong time to regroup, reflect and revive your spirit through your own source
of joy.
1 Chitenge (she-ting-gé):
noun
random fabrics of AWESOMENESS; colorful fabric with patterns on it, usually made of cotton, wax cotton or other blends
1 Chitenge (she-ting-gé):
noun
random fabrics of AWESOMENESS; colorful fabric with patterns on it, usually made of cotton, wax cotton or other blends
Have a look at Aveles' chitenge creations below:
