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The Q'ewar Project, a social work initiative begun in early 2002, is in the rural highlands of the Andes Mountains in Peru. Working with the indigenous women of the village community of Andahuaylillas, the Project is engaged in creating an atmosphere which fosters personal growth and a way to gain economic independence through learning skills in a humane and respectful working environment. Your interest and support are gratefully appreciated. From the pure wool innards to the finely crafted traditional clothing, Q’ewar waldorf dolls are a work of art from start to finish. It takes five days to craft one of these intricate waldorf dolls, and the process starts with cutting out patterns for the head, body and limbs – from Peruvian cotton cloth (onion-dyed). 
After each part is cut, sewn and filled with clean sheep’s wool and possibly some alpaca, they are put aside, on reserve. Since the head and torso are one piece, the next step is the careful sewing in of the alpaca hair, strand by strand. The most time consuming hairstyle is the curly haired boy. 
At this stage, the doll is ready to be assembled after which the eyes and mouth can be gently sewn in. During the above process, the knitters have been busy making lovely doll outfits for both boy and girl dolls – of Peruvian everyday wear. The last stage in the doll making process is the dressing of the dolls and the careful overview, ensuring quality control for each individual order. 
Behind the scenes there is the intensive work of the spinning ladies who make the alpaca threads which are used to make doll booties, sweaters and little hats, as well as doll hair. 
Finally, at the end of this five day labor of love, the Q’ewar doll is ready for shipment, to find a new home and a pair of loving arms to care for it. Note: sorry we generally can't fill requests for specific dolls in the photos (the photos are just taken to show samples of each hair/skin color, and we have already run out of some colors). About Q'ewar: It takes a whole village to create these beautiful Waldorf dolls. Homespun fibers and fabrics reflect a wide variety of traditional clothing and traditional skills of shepherding alpaca and sheep, carding, spinning, dyeing, weaving, knitting and embroidery. The combined qualities of imagination, color, and therapeutic work give rise to the healing environment in this women's workshop located in the rural village of Andahuaylillas, Peru. How You Can Help: If every community buys only two Q'ewar waldorf dolls it would make the world of difference! On behalf of the women and children of Q'ewar I thank you for considering this purchase. Proceeds contribute to the installation of water, electricity, and toilets in addition to providing a fair wage for labor. Please consider selling Q'ewar waldorf dolls in your community. A raffle, school store, holiday fair or other public event is a prime opportunity to spread word of Q'ewar further. Each waldorf doll is 9 or 16 inches tall and made of natural fibers of alpaca, lamb's wool and cotton. Girls have various hairstyles which can be undone and restyled easily. Both the boy and girl dolls have hair made from pure alpaca fiber. Onion dyed cotton gives a warm pigment to the skin. For more information or to donate to the Q'ewar Project, please visit: http://qewar.com A wonderful video is also available that tells more about the project, with interviews and footage of the women working to creat the beautiful waldorf dolls. |