Yesterday's Textiles and Tea was a celebration of Nigerian cotton textiles and indigo. It's used for dyeing and medicine in Nigeria where it grows in abundance.
There are traditional motifs, such as the gecko, significant to daily experience, and the spiral and other shapes.
The guest now lives in the US but travels a lot teaching dyeing techniques and a respect for indigo, the magic dye. He loves the community of textile dyers and workers and the mutual respect of dyer and material.
He's a joyful man and a happy artist!
From simple magic to high tech magic
And in the garden this morning, see that lone ripe tomato?
Yesterday it was a ripening cluster. I see I have to keep ahead of the squirrels here.
Meanwhile I'm reading a Donna Leon
Happy day everyone, a couple of good election results in, Dems won a special House election in NY, straw in the wind maybe for the midterms.
I read one Donna Leon a very long time ago. Maybe it's time for another.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful designs and fabrics!
ReplyDeleteThose rascally squirrels…or was that rabbits?
ReplyDeleteOf all the dyed pieces, I like the hands the best.
ReplyDeleteMary why am I not surprised?
ReplyDeleteMarie, yes we have rabbits competing too. It would account for the neatness of the theft, too
Batik, tye die...I love the cloth.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I also like the hands best. Wascally Wabbits!
ReplyDeleteI have seen a few positive posts about elections and runoffs and whatever other strange things you get up to down there.
ReplyDeleteAfrican textiles are the BEST! (In my humble opinion. :) )
ReplyDeleteGrrrr squirrels. I, the Tigger, share your frustrations. xxx Mr T
ReplyDeleteBeautiful hands indeed - and what designs! Mr. Adeyemo looks like he really enjoys sharing his knowledge, and his students look pretty darned thrilled to receive it. But...that white thing in his hand that looks to me like paraffin - is a sponge?
ReplyDeleteThat code photo is AMAZING.
Thanks for introducing me to Donna Leon a while back. I enjoyed the first one, am looking forward to working my way through all of them.
Sympathies on that much-reduced truss of tomatoes. :-(
Chris from Boise
Funny you used the word truss there. Since that person has been in the running for British prime minister, when I type my name, predictive text insists I have to write Truss instead of my own name.
ReplyDeleteYes, the host thought that was a wax cylinder, but he assured her it's a sponge.
Indigo is so beautiful. Still trying to imagine how one could dye only one side of fabric. And I am a Donna Leon fan, too. I always get so wrapped up in what he's eating, and the customs of Venetian life that for me the mystery is secondary.
ReplyDeleteI've only done a tiny bit of work with indigo. Sadly, I'm allergic to dyestuffs (and never wore a mask), and spent more time recovering from allergic reactions than I did to actual dyeing. Indigo was my favorite, however.
ReplyDeleteMarty, I believe it's surface printing. That affects only one side of the fabric.
ReplyDeleteJoanne I've never used indigo at all. It does look lovely. I usually dye with natural substances I gather that I'm not sensitive to, been very wary of commercial dyes.
Wonder how long it takes for the indigo to wear off those hands (if it ever does). I've thought about experimenting with it but never have gotten so far as to actually doing it.
ReplyDeleteRather astounding to see the pile of code. Just to have the sort of mind that can do such things is equally astounding.