{dazzling fabrics}

Dazzling Lanna on Etsy is based in Thailand and sells wonderful shoulder bags, clutches and totes fashioned out of Hmong baby carriers. I like big bags and you know my love for ethnic fabrics, so this is the perfect bag for me. It might be hard to choose though :). The Hmong people are an ethnic people who live in the mountainous regions of Southeast Asia such as China, Vietnam and Thailand (source: Wikipedia). Hmong baby carriers are made from beautiful fabric and have straps that wrap around the mother and hold the baby in place. I read that "carriers are given to brides by their mothers to promote the birth of many children. According to Hmong tradition, a person's soul wanders off when his or her body becomes ill. In order to protect a baby's soul, which is considered more prone to wandering, the baby carrier is designed with protective features. The tufts of yarn are meant to disguise the carrier and baby as a flower, preventing disturbance of the infant's soul by evil spirits." (Source: Wisconsin Historical Society). So lovely!

Visit the Dazzling Lanna store here.
Images from Dazzling Lanna and the Wisconsin Historical Society.