On Maria’s trip to India, she visited a group called House Of Hearts in West Bengal and taught the women there how to make potholders. They listened carefully, and yesterday, a box stuffed full of potholders Maria inspired arrived, Maria and I will sell them on her blog and at our Open  Houses.

She is delighted by them.

Maria especially loves the beauty and color of these potholders, by the color and feeling.   They have real emotion. There are 100 of them.

We are excited to  have them here and to help sell them. The potholders were made by women in an Indian village who are working to find safe and meaningful ways to make a living. Maria said teaching them was one of the most powerful experiences in  her creative life, and she is going to be working with House of Hearts to sell potholders and also some other things the group will be making.

I think this means another trip to India at some point,  for her, and perhaps for me. The potholders will be sold on her site, she hasn’t figured out the price yet, the money will go to support House of Hearts and the women seeking to control their own lives.

For women in India, that often means having a trade. This is exciting for both of us, and we were both delighted by these potholders. You can see them and buy them on Maria’s website in a day or so. Maria’s potholders have a life and identity all of their own, they are truly going global.

She has taken the humble potholder and turned it into a statement of empowerment and affirmation. The potholder has now gone global. You can e-mail Maria at [email protected] if you have any questions.