Tou and her children

The first thing you notice about Tou (pronounced toe) Phanthavong is her huge smile, the second is that she is pregnant and is due any day now. She doesn’t know if it’s a girl or a boy yet, but she and her husband have one of each – an 8-year-old girl and a 1 ½ year old boy – and like expecting mothers all over the world, her biggest hope is that her new baby is healthy.

Tou's Background
Originally from Viang Vieng, Laos, a tourist town that is known for its caves and nightlife, Tou now lives 3 hours away in the capital Vientiane. She met her husband, an electrician, nine years ago when he was on holiday in Viang Vieng. Tou’s house was on the road that he passed by every day on his way to the market, and one day he stopped to chat...

The couple and their children now live in a small house in the back of his uncle’s property in a neighborhood where it seems like every family is somehow related to them.

One of the scarves (sv005) woven by Tou

As is the case in many Laotian neighborhoods, almost every woman has her own loom near or under the house and this is also true of Tou, who has been weaving since she was a young girl. Weaving allows her to supplement her husband’s income and is flexible enough that she can weave, take care of her children, and cook for her family, another skill that she is well known for amongst family members.

Tou's World
Tou normally weaves the bright scarves that are favored by Laotian and Thai women, but she eagerly accepted our request to weave solid covered scarves made of a combination of silk and cotton, and then produced the beautiful scarves seen on our site today. We look forward to continuing to work with Tou and to watching her 3 children grow!

	The Family
	A Close-up of Tou's Weaving (sv002)