MELODY VAUGHAN
WEAVING SALE for Gaza & Lebanon
From Friday 1st May I am holding a sale of my handwoven bands to raise funds for the anti-capitalist mutual aid orgainsation Bridge of Solidarity in Gaza, and the mutual aid organisation Lebanon Solidarity Collective.
Scroll down for full details of how this works and to see the bands.
About Bridge of Solidarity
Bridge of Solidarity is an anti-capitalist mutual aid organization founded in Gaza by Yazan, in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis.
All money goes directly to people in need of support, and none is kept for Yazan or other volunteers.
These efforts are focused on the most marginalized in Gaza most at risk of dying: people without phones, English skills, social media, wealthy relatives, outside support, and living relatives.
These efforts actively combat genocide capitalism with mutual aid, and violent “survival of the fittest” ways of turning on each other with collective care.
These efforts also actively combat the ways Palestinians are turned into a spectacle by the English speaking world and West, and are forced into performing on social media in a pity economy and attention economy, always have to compete with each other.
About Lebanon Solidarity Collective
Lebanon is currently being carpet bombed by the Zionist state. Lebanon Solidarity Collective is back to their emergency response work and in dire need of funds. They are directing all incoming funds to these two avenues:
To directly support displaced families and individuals that we have initiated mutual aid relationships with over the past 2+ years of aggression.
To fortify other trusted mutual aid efforts on the ground who are supporting recently displaced people, including migrants, refugees, and others who lack financial means and access to resources.
HOW IT WORKS
This sale will remain open until all the items have sold.
You can browse the information about the bands here.
I have priced each band with a suggested minimum donation.
If all the bands sell at the minimum price we will raise £295 for Bridge of Solidarity and Lebanon Solidarity Collective. Of course I would love this to be more, so please give as generously as you are financially able to.
** Due to export issues this sale is only open to people in the UK.
how to purchase
- If you would like to buy any of the bands please email me at hello@melodyvaughan.co.uk or for Portal folk find me on Circle and DM me there.
- The sale will operate on a first come basis.
- After you’ve registered your interest I’ll send you the link to donate to Bridge of Solidarity or Lebanon Solidarity Collective and ask you to share a screenshot of the reciept with me.
- Once I’ve had your receipt I’ll send the band out to you (I will cover the postage costs).
THE BANDS
SMALL BOOKMARK
This bookmark is approximately 21cm long and 2.5cm wide
Design: Falastin Poppies
Woven in cotton
Included: a safety pin to wear the band as a bracelet or pin onto clothing
suggested minimum donation £17
Currently available: 1
pin/brooch
This pin/brooch is approximately 13cm long and 2cm wide
Design: Falastin Poppies
Woven in cotton with black safety pin
suggested minimum donation £12
Currently available: 1
Key Ring fob
These keyring fobs are approximately 12cm long and 2cm wide
Design: Falastin Poppies Spring
Woven in cotton with black brass D-ring
suggested minimum donation £12
Currently available: 6
small bookmark
These small bookmarks are between 20-24cm long and 2cm wide
Design: Falastin Poppies Spring
Woven in cotton
Included: a safety pin to wear the band as a bracelet or pin onto clothing
suggested minimum donation £17
Currently available: 3
Large bookmark
This bookmark is approximately 30cm long and 2.5cm wide
Design: Vines
Woven in cotton
suggested minimum donation £20
Currently available: 1
large bookmark
This bookmark is approximately 30cm long and 2.5cm wide
Design: Hedge Maze
Woven in cotton
suggested minimum donation £17
Currently available: 1
Large bookmark
This bookmark is approximately 30cm long and 3cm wide
Design: Spring Gradient
Woven in cotton
suggested minimum donation £20
Currently available: 1
small bookmark
These bookmarks are between between 15-19cm long and 2.5cm wide
Please specify which Version you would like
Design: Mari (green/pink/yellow/black)
Woven in cotton
suggested minimum donation £17
Currently available: 5
About the Weaving
The bands are all hand-woven by me with cotton warp and weft yarns using tablet weaving techniques on a modern inkle loom. Tablet weaving is a form of weaving that is approximately 2500 years old (with some of the oldest fragments dating from the 6th Century BC). It was popular all over Europe and particularly here in the UK during the Anglo Saxon and Viking periods. [In fact a fragment of potential tablet weaving was excavated at Blewburton Hillfort which is a few miles from my house].
The lineage of the designs:
Falastin Poppies & Vines
These patterns were created by Catherine Weaver inspired by work done by Shelagh Lewins on a band from the Oseberg ship burial in Norway (buried in 834 CE).
This pattern is commonly known by tablet weavers as Osberg Roses but I have affectionately re-named it Falastin Poppies.
Hedge Maze
This design was also created by Catherine Weaver.
Spring Gradient & Mari
These are my own designs.
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