Barbara Villegas

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I was born in the province of Ica, one of the warmest in Peru. I consider myself a strong woman, humanitarian hardworking and respectful.

Life hasn't been easy for me, in fact, I had to face many tough times. Once we found ourselves in a very complicated financial situation. I didn't have steady work and had to leave my young son with my mother so I could go out and look for a job that would pay the bills. I thank God we were able to get through this and have the strength to continue working and striving for our dreams.

"I have a lot of hope for a promising future. I believe that commitment and effort bring results. To reach my goals, I believe I must give it my all. That's the only way of achieving success. I want to share my accomplishments with my beautiful family and my son. I hope we can all grow together in the textile arts. In my mind, I can see all the things we could do if we work together.

"All my life, I watched my mother knit, crochet and sew, and I became familiar with the entire process. I'd come home from school and want to design apparel and accessories. I always loved the details, the colors, the vivid tones when they came alive in clothing that I could wear everywhere. I wanted to make my own accessories and, for that, I had to learn to knit. But I worked hard to balance school with my personal life to be able to do the things that make me happy.

"When you work with so much enthusiasm, it shows. It happened with me. I love to preserve our ancestral and traditional techniques as they were used in olden Peru. Our different cultures used different manual methods and I love them. I really enjoy using them because simply thinking of someone wearing my designs fills me with happiness. My work is attractive as well as comfortable.

"I had to practice, practice and practice some more to master my art. I had to work as well as take care of my son while dividing myself among a hundred different tasks. However, I feel very fortunate to be able to create my own designs, see my child grow, and have a beautiful family.

"Once I come up with a design, it can be challenging to find the right stitches but I love the challenge. I want my work to be both fun and elegant. I love to knit and it's inspiring to see how you can make a complete piece of apparel with only yarn and a pair of knitting needles! Human ability is amazing and I love this craft so much. It's also inspiring to see women wearing my designs."