Our Kenya bag collection comes directly from the Machakos district which is about 70 miles Southeast of Nairobi, the country’s capital. They are hand crafted by weavers using threads from Sisal; a Mexican agave plant with large fleshy leaves.

The artisans of these bags are women of Kenya. These practical women spend most of their days working the farm, looking after their households, educating their children, looking after cattle, fetching water from the river, buying and cooking food for their families. But these women still find time to bring the art of hand weaving from the Kenyan culture to life.

These Kenyan weavers begin by stripping the Sisal plant’s outer layers, maintaining the plant’s ability to grow. The weaver uses threads from the pale colored layers that have dried out for a day to make a bag. A design pattern is then finalized. The weaver then boils the threads to be used with water, and then dye sets the bag’s colors. Now the weaving begins. Two single threads are twined to form one strong thread. Many such threads are woven. It is from these threads that a sisal bag is made.

It takes between two to three weeks to complete a Sisal bag. Most weavers have to look after their households, therefore weaving is done whenever these artisans have the time. But this is their way of life.

Thanks to the history of Kenyan weaving, these women will not only support their families but also expose their uncommonly seen art to North America.

So despite a drought in Kenya comes a plant – the Sisal Plant, that continues to grow and be used for life…and art.