How Crafters Can Help the Ukranian People – Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers

by Margie Gale

At a recent Portable Fibers Live! SIG, Myra Wood, a beloved member of our guild, told us how she was able to reach out to help the people of Ukraine. Her ideas were simple and effective.

This is what Myra said:

“I’ve learned so much about needlework from traditional and modern Ukranian crafts and feel a deep connection to their passion for color. I had been in touch with some crocheters in the past doing Modern Irish Crochet, especially through Duplet magazine (now defunct) which I bought previously directly from Kiev.”

“When the war started I reached out to a few women through Etsy I had been in contact with. Most did not respond. I feared the worst and wanted to do what I could to help. After a few more attempts I got a hold of several and realized that they no longer had the ability to earn any income by producing their products so buying their PDF downloadable patterns on Etsy was a way to contribute. I searched and found many other Ukranian weavers, knitters, crocheters and beaders who were also selling PDFs and realized that while they can’t work, they can still sell patterns so I bought a number of them. A search on Etsy for Ukranian Sellers lists many opportunities to help contribute in some way. Many of them are donating a portion of their funds to the war efforts.”

Many sellers are donating up to and including 100% of their proceeds to humanitarian aid organizations in Ukraine.

I personally heard from Julia Plumerrii who said my purchase of a dress ( which I asked not to be made) was used specifically for body armor. She very kindly sent me a small Ukranian flag and keychain in return. Some sellers are selling downloadable pdfs of their or their children’s artwork to buy food and necessities for their own families and most are very inexpensive. Many are not able to send physical goods since so many of the post offices are closed throughout the country or have been bombed.

You can help by purchasing an item and writing a note to keep the money as a donation and not send anything. Search for Ukranian Sellers on Etsy and be sure to read the description for the heartbreaking stories of their needs, survival and hope for a brighter future.

Here are some links from Ukranian fiber artists I’ve purchased from:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PlumariiUA

Julia Plumarii

https://www.etsy.com/shop/WovenSlavicBelts

PDF Inkle loom

https://tinyurl.com/4r3daupn

PDF pattern for knitted socks

https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlisaSonya

PDF crochet patterns

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FamilyTreasureShelf

PDF crochet flower patterns

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrochetWithTonya