Arpilleras

It is a day to try a gardener's soul, a balmy 60 degrees, but much too wet and windy to work outside, and too early as well--it will drop back into the 30's tomorrow. So I'm fending off cabin fever by daydreaming about the verdant summer days to come. Today I'm featuring a vintage aprillera where the size of the produce matches my imaginings.

Arpilleras are a type of textile folk art from Chile and Peru. You can read about the origins here. Today they provide income and a creative outlet for poor and displaced women. I found this example on eBay, so I'm not certain of its origins, but its maker was obviously very talented. The arrangement of the design elements and the use of color is skillfully done, as is the needlework. Check out these cabbages:

And the carrots:

And last but not least, the livestock: