Saturday, 27 April 2013

ONE: Eliane Vuirs


Eliane Vuirs

A challenge I overcame: To learn to make lace with my mother.
A dream for my future: That our work is recognised.
A hope for the global community: That people heed the warning to economise with water.



Eliane is one of the highly skilled craftspeople based at number 732 Avenida das Rendeiras along the waterfront at Lagoa de Conceição.  Eliane creates intricately woven lace pieces: dresses, jumpers, collars, tablecloths and more.  Like a bowerbird my eye was caught by the multi-coloured designs of the clothing hung from her shop Casa das Rendas and in a break from the backpacker-method of non-shopping I bought a jumper and waistcoat as well as a couple of presents, and was delighted when Eliane gifted me a bookmark and flower to sew onto a top.


Eliane and I got chatting and after I’d invited her to participate in the ONE postcard project she very kindly demonstrated for me the weaving process, which you can see in this video footage:


This weaving technique is traditionally passed down from generation to generation, and Eliane shared with me memoires of learning from her own mother.  Her daughter is also a weaver and shares the shop with Eliane, but apparently there are fewer and fewer weavers as more and more daughters choose to go to university and follow different career paths.  The process is a very long one, one jumper taking up to a month to complete, and so we also spoke of how it is difficult financially because the prices of the pieces in no way reflect the hours of work which they take.

Watching Eliane’s speedy hands at work gave me a real insight into the delicacy of the work, and she was good enough to let me have a wee go at a basic technique with kust four handles to create a plait.



Eliane muito obrigada por as presentes que você me regalou, y muito obrigada por mostrar me as tecnicos, foi muito interessante saber de sua práctica.  
Sorte con todo o negocio e sues dizenhos.  
Um abraço
:-)

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