INDIGO THREADS--WHAT IS THE NAME?

September 26, 2008

'Indigo' was chosen from a heartwarming experience I had while visiting two elderly women in a rural village in Southern Laos.  Traveling on a bumpy, dirt road for over an hour by motor bike, my guide said "you'll see, the trip is worth every bump".  The women welcomed me like one of their sisters.  They proudly showed me the process of making their indigo blue dye from the plant to the paste.  I could hardly ignore the blue stains in every wrinkle of their arms and hands.  They had just finished dyeing their hand spun cotton threads.  I was relieved to learn it was not contagious.

We sipped tea under one side of the stilted house while the cows and pigs listened carefully on the other side.  Speaking little Lao, the genuine warmth and smiles made me think we may be sisters.  After purchasing their beautiful handwoven indigo cotton cloth, we said our goodbyes--sa-bai-dee.

I knew from then, the other part of the name of my newly formed corporation would be 'threads'.  Threads honors all women in developing countries who continue to weave their cloth from their own resources to provide for their families.  Many women weave their traditional ethnic designs with extreemley primitive equipment.  

                                           . . . . . AND INDIGO THREADS, IT IS . . . . .

Indigo Threads was incorporated March 31,2006 as a non profit humanitarian charity.

Indigo pots of dye can be seen on our web-site, photo journey, the handicraft page.

Don't forget to go to our donation page.

                            

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