Seek Journeys: Thread Caravan in Colombia

Our friends at Thread Caravan recently traveled to Colombia where they were able to explore spinning, weaving, dyeing, paper making, and more.  Exploring a beautiful region while learning about traditional crafts from artisans there is a remarkable experience. For this journey the group packed a bunch of Seek pieces and shared some gorgeous pictures of the trip. Hear more about it from Caitlin below...

Our team had the opportunity to host a group of creative women on a craft retreat in the small town of Barichara, Colombia this April.

Usually, when I mention Barichara to people outside of Colombia, they’ve never heard of it. But when I mention it to Colombians, their eyes light up and many say it's the most beautiful town in all of Colombia. 

With a population of 3,000 people, this quaint town is known for its charming cobblestone streets and whitewashed walls. But artists know it for its thriving creative community. This region was home to the indigenous Guane people, who created beautiful textiles using native, heirloom cotton fiber and fique agave fibers. Now, contemporary artists are fusing fresh perspectives with this region’s traditional craft practices. 

This retreat is an introduction to many regional crafts. Handson workshops include: weaving with agave fiber, making paper from pineapple fibers, spinning heirloom cotton, weaving baskets with the iraka palm and natural dyeing. We also visit local artist studios, walk on a historic hiking trail and eat the best food!  

I sincerely love each and every one of the experiences we offer during this retreat; each has some unique characteristic that makes it special. This time around, I particularly enjoyed our paper making workshop led by artist Angela Jimenez Perez. With the support of her and her assistant, the actual paper-making process was very straightforward. We each used a mold to create square paper from shredded pineapple fibers. Then came the more creative part — adding in plants and found objects into the paper, and then painting it with indigo. This workshop felt very accessible, yet still very creatively rewarding. Each guest and team member was deep in the creative flow, inspired by our surroundings.

Learn more about this trip, and sign up for the next one, here:
www.threadcaravan.com/colombia

Photos by Andrea Tamayo for Thread Caravan.