Quilting in Mongolia
In June 2003, I received an
impassioned e-mail from a Mongolian woman, Selenge Tserendash, who wanted to
help needy women in her country where unemployment is high and alcoholism is
rampant. She was opening the New Way Life NGO Mongolian Quilting Center and
asked for volunteers to go and teach quilting in Mongolia. I responded to her
request for help, beginning a wonderful bond between us.
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Selenge's goal was to purchase a permanent Community Center where
the Mongolian women could meet for
quilting and other crafts,take quilting classes, and run a shop to sell their
products.
We achieved this in 2008 and the Mongolian Quilting Center now has a
permanent home. The next challenge will be to expand the already
overcrowded space. To give a tax-deductible donation to help with
operating and maintenance costs or the expansion,
click here. |
| Quilting is a new activity in Mongolia. The women
are eager to learn, already have sound sewing skills, and own ancient,
but usable hand-cranked sewing machines. They have fabric scraps
and clothing to recycle, so may easily begin quilting without any
additional expense. The New Way Life (NWL) organization aims to give a
new service to poor people in Mongolia, teaching them patchwork and
quilting, and providing a center for this activity. |
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Unemployed women may contribute to their family income by
working at the Center or at home. The target groups are poor, unemployed,
single, and widowed women, disabled women, orphanage children and children with
special needs. NWL teachers also visit the Provinces to teach quilting to rural
Mongolians. |
Click here to read about my experiences in
2004 teaching Mongolian women to quilt, in 2006 helping to
organize the First International Quilt Exhibition in Mongolia, 2009
returning to teach and visit the new Mongolian Quilting Center, and annual updates. Check out the pictures of these quilting activities and our
travels.
To volunteer to go to
Mongolia to teach quilting and help at the Center, or to purchase quilts made by Mongolian women please contact me by e-mail:
maggie.quilter@gmail.com, or contact Selenge Tserendash in Mongolia:
selenge_ts@yahoo.com.
Many thanks to the following for their generous contributions to the New Way Life Mongolian Quilting Center:
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island Quilters Anonymous,
Kitsap Quilters Guild, Bainbridge Island
Quilters, West Sound Quilters, Comforters Quilt Guild, and Issaquah Quilters. Local stores -
Churchmouse Yarns & Teas,
Esther’s Fabrics, Island
Textiles, Heirloom Quilts, Quilting 4 Friends,
Material Girls, and
The Kingston Quilt Shop The quilting industry -
Viking Sewing Machines,
Prym-Dritz,
Coats
& Clark, David Textiles,
The Electric Quilt Company, and
Marti Michell Bainbridge Island Rotary Club -
Overseas organizations - UNIFEM TAMA Japan, Reed Japan, Deutschland Development Agency,
and the International Women's Association in Mongolia.
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