Handwoven Alpaca Blend Table Runner from Peru, "Inca World"

We are an association of artisans known as Panty Pallay. We formed our organization in April of 2013. Our name comes from the panti flower that blooms here during the rainy season. Pallay refers to Inca weavings. We are from a Tinque community in Ocongate, in the center of its ranching area. As a population center, it creates needed spaces for the exchange of goods and other public services through a Sunday fair in the central plaza and by commercial buildings there. Of course, in the last decade, tourism led the area's growth, as Tinque is the starting point for tourists visiting the Ausangate mountain range.

We are entrepreneurs so we can grow and also offer the best to our families. When public institutions called for artisan competitions at arts and crafts fairs, we formed our organization. Always on the lookout for opportunities, we decided to take the risk and enter these contests. We knew that with effort and work, we could do something great.

Initially, we were eight women and two men. Our mission as a group is to unite textile artisans to share our work, and exchange ideas and art. And as artisans working to improve our communities and develop our region, we promote our art in all of Peru. We had to work on gaining our buyers' trust so we set up a formal organization with legal documents. In this way, we began our work in a serious and honest manner.

As an organization, one of our toughest challenges was growing as a business, because obtaining the necessary startup funds was complicated. We organized ourselves to participate in competitions, which helped us meet the budget needed to strengthen ourselves.

Panty Pallay has improved the lives of members through good monetary administration and we have obtained awards in the competitions where we participated. We are always raising the bar to continue improving ourselves and to remind ourselves to innovate and create new designs.

Our hard work has resulted in the recognition of our artisans as true artists of quality. In this way, we've earned the trust of those who have purchased our work. We've received awards in annual artisan fairs, and we won the Eco-Friendly Utilitarian Handicrafts Business Plan competition at MINAM+CAF 2016.

Our work is based in collectivity and the love with which we create our textiles. We are more than just a team of friends and artisan partners — we are a family, and we work together to create a harmony that is reflected in our craft. Through our designs, we convey the richness of Peruvian traditions. Our textiles interpret customs, daily life, fiestas, and the four seasons of the year. We are very happy that, from our small community, we can share a small piece of ourselves with you.