Posts by Joan Rasch
India’s Block Printed Textiles
Woodblock printing has a long and venerable history, dating back from ancient civilizations in Egypt, China and Assyria. It has kept its place in the limelight through the Middle Ages, Renaissance and early modern periods, all the way through today. The tradition of woodblock printing in India takes off during the medieval period, first used…
Read MoreWhat is Fair Trade?
The long-standing image of business in popular culture is that of one small business owner gradually climbing his (and it is always “his”) way to the top, where he is then the owner of a large business that has significant impact on his employees, his customers and his community. However, an integral part of this…
Read MoreSpotlight on GUJARAT
Sevya works with talented artisans all over India, so we thought it’d be fun to tell you a little more about each of those regions. This month we’re shining a spotlight on Gujarat! Located in the Northwest part of the subcontinent, this vibrant and diverse state of 60 million people has been an important commercial…
Read MoreSustainable Fair Trade Fashion
Sevya’s fair trade scarves and embroidered tunics are handmade and eco-friendly. We work directly with artisan cooperatives throughout India to help preserve the endangered art forms and provide much needed marketing avenues for these artisan communities. Sevya conducts workshops with each cooperative to develop designs that showcase these rich artistic traditions of hand weaving, block…
Read MoreThe Making of a Sevya Fair Trade Scarf
Sevya’s hand-woven scarves and shawls are entirely handmade and each piece is the beautiful culmination of a process that involves many intricate steps, each performed by an artisan who is highly skilled in their craft. The entire process is done by hand and without the use of any electricity, which means that there is very…
Read MoreSpread the Holiday Cheer by Buying Fair Trade Gifts
As we get closer to the holiday season here in America, it is a good opportunity for us to reflect on the choices we make when we select gifts for spreading holiday cheer. Purchasing fair trade gifts helps to spread that cheer far beyond the confines of our own country, and makes a very tangible…
Read MoreBeing The Change We Wish to See in the World
Today is Gandhi Jayanti, which is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. At Sevya, we draw much inspiration from the wisdom and visionary leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. He was a beacon of political, economic and spiritual freedom, and spearheaded a non-violent movement for India’s self-reliance and independence. It is important to understand that Gandhi’s vision of…
Read MoreThe Many Ways to Tie our Sharada Silk Scarf
Our Sharada Silk Scarf is a uniquely beautiful hand-woven scarf with a distinctive gathered weave design, using the finest natural silk. Due to its versatility and artistic flair, this pure silk scarf is one of the top selling designs in our wholesale scarves collection. This scarf can be worn in many ways, including as a…
Read MoreBatik Scarves & Sarongs
In our continued quest to create unique fair trade fashion for our customers, Sevya searches for the best artisan groups in India who are creating the finest handcrafted fabrics. On our most recent trip to India, we had the opportunity to spend time watching how these artisans create beautiful batik designs on cotton and silk…
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