D'Ouro Preto Bordados/Embroidery

We recieve beautiful selections from artists all over the world.  The following is from Eduardo Espeschit, an artisan from Brasil.  The original text was translated from Portuguese, so please pardon the sometimes literal translation.  You can reach Edwardo at: [email protected]

  "...we founded in the 70's, with other artisans the fair that was th e seed of the today's biggest Latin America open-air fair, in Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brasil.
     We fought (and lost) against the decaracterization of this fair, with the inclusion of large manufactured articles and, in counterpart gained the benefits (in a today's universe of 3500 stands, 700 of clothing and only a few of true artisan wear."

"...we moved to a rural region and in there we multiplied our hands, by teaching embroidery and sewing to families up to 40 kms around us. We work 16 hrs/day to keep our hands filled. And these hands do their job very well. It's a time-consuming job, and they have lots of that ..."

"...they're housekeepers with children who go to school, husbands help in the agriculture, that do the odd job when they can, if they can ..."

"...we buy the cotton, cut, silk the risk to be embroidered, select the colors and lines and deliver to each family's home (some of them can be reached only with horses or trail motorcycl...) ,to be sewed, embroidered or crocheted.  Depending on distance or accessibility, we come back 7, 15 or 30 days later, delivering more raw materials.  Then we go and sell these items, 100 kms away in B.H's Fair .

It's a good place to sell and attract buyers from all places around Brasil and the rest of the world, That allows us to make, in almost 30 years, a very organized production line and a network of sales partners, both inside and outside of Brasil, that is supported via postal ways.

We llive on a little farm with no trash collection, and no public water or sanitary services.  We need to manage our system by ourselves.