DETAILS:

The San Xa Ho lumbar throw pillow is contemporary in design and features two exquisitely hand-embroidered appliques from Vietnam in the center. The gray and black handwoven fabric is from Guatemala and has subtle jaspe (ikat) designs. To compliment the colors of the embroideries, I selected Indonesian fabric which includes the ikat technique as well as an overshot surface technique. This one-of-a-kind home accent pillow will be a beautiful addition to any room.

• 15” x 22.5”

• Front—cotton

• Back—linen, in black

• Zipper closure

• Down feather insert

THE STORY:

The two appliques come from the San Xo Ho commune in Vietnam. In 2001, UNESCO and Craft Link, a non-profit fair trade organization in Hanoi, initiated a handcraft project for Hmong women in Y Linh Ho, one of the three villages of San Xo Ho commune. To this day, the project continues and the women are reviving the traditional skills of embroidery and batik in order to make handcrafted products for income. This is one of many projects for Craft Link. During the six visits I have made to Vietnam, not once did I have the opportunity to visit the Hill Tribes in the northern part of Vietnam, but I must admit that the textiles produced by the Hill Tribes are notably some of my favorites.

Also incorporated in this pillow are beautiful examples of ikat fabrics from Guatemala and Indonesia. The Guatemalan ikat fabric, known as “jaspe” in Spanish, is very subtle in this pillow and the Indonesian ikat more colorful and traditional in design. The fabric also includes a woven overshot surface technique. Ikat is the exact art of wrapping warp threads to form a resist before submerging the warp into the dye