As part of her business, Treenway Silks, Karen has led tours to countries with strong ties to silk production. In 1992, she was drawn to Laos after reading that during the Vietnam War, weavers put their treasured textiles into glass jars and buried them for safe keeping. The talented women she met then are still working tirelessly to promote Lao textiles and employ women and their families. Weaving in this small country is bound to its geography, culture, heritage, and bumpy history. Historically, each step of the cloth-making process-from raising silkworms, gathering dye plants, spinning the yarn, and weaving the cloth-was done by women. Treasured recipes were passed from mother to daughter. The rich reds, warm ochers, and deep blues that adorn the luxuriant and diverse cloth of Laos seem to be part of each weaver's DNA.
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