After seeing a couple of great videos on YouTube, and making that pillow from the beady, spangly artwork, I urgently need to hoop up some fabric, create a design and get going with beads and gold work threads.
I have another drawer, with silver threads.
This is part of the excitement, courtesy of Bernadette Banner who can't stitch for toffee, but loves it and can hand sew to beat the band.
She was researching Indian and English embroidery for an eighteenth century reproduction vest. Waistcoat, to be technical.
Earlier I'd been immersed in iron age textiles, the historical reenactment of the making, sheep to shoulder, of the dress on the Hammerum, in Denmark,bog girl.
The physical and textile preservation is amazing, because of the bog, and a museum did a great job, showing the processes, tools and skills.
Monday was a day of textiles, then there was Tuesday's Textiles and Tea with Marlowe Katoney, a Navajo tapestry weaver and painter.
He's powerful in both media, familiar with Navajo iconography and symbols but moving into expressive art, away from traditional weaving.
As you see, he incorporates familiar Navajo references, with break dancing, pets, pop culture, all in great colors, in large rugs using wool. His work is dazzling and very well received, in museum and private collections.
Such a delicious post, this will be revisited many times! The gold is amazing, you are so lucky to have it to art with! When I was over yonder I did see the gob smacking million spider golden orb cape- so incredible I could not take it all in. Fabric, such a thing of beauty and practicality, clever humans. The bog dress project is amazing too. Weaving is always enthralling- the rugs are perfect! Yes, a most delicious post, Ms. Liz, Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the banquet.
DeleteWhat a jam-packed post of exciting projects and weaving. My favourite item is Marlowe Katoney's cat!
ReplyDeleteHe's got a great sense of humor! Aside from being a great artist.
DeleteAs you can assume, I'm lost but know this is about somethings special. I do like The modern blended with the traditional of the weavers work.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's his secret sauce! He knows how to blend ancient and modern.
DeleteWhat a fun post...taking us from bog girl's weaving to your imagination to use the golden treads...with modern Navaho thrown in for better chuckles!
ReplyDeleteAll over the place today! I'm glad you liked the ride.
Delete"Wow" doesn't even begin to do all this justice. The embroidery, oh gosh, it doesn't get more fantastic than that. Love the tapestries too; inspiring even though my dabbling in tapestry weaving never held my attention for long.
ReplyDeleteThinking about the warp weights. It used to seem that this would be a terribly tedious task to do, but the donut shape is perfect. And after all, how could tying them all on be any more tedious than threading and sleying a harness loom!
About warping, it's always a long task, and I wonder likewise about loom weights, why not.
DeleteBy the way, despite all your myriad accomplishments, to me you are the mayo lady, every time I make it using your instructions!
This makes me think of the song "Silver Threads and Golden Needles." (Never knew there actually ARE silver threads, not to mention gold ones!)
ReplyDeleteThat project to re-make the bog girl's dress is fascinating. It's like a journey across time.
I loved how respectfully they reenacted the entire process of making a single garment. No wonder people had few, and treasured them.
DeleteSo many beautiful things! I continue to browse and marvel.
ReplyDeleteGood! Enjoy. This was a packed blog post.
DeleteThrough your posts about weaving and textiles in general, I have come to truly believe that civilization really got started when humans figured out weaving. And it absolutely amazes me how so many cultures did figure it out and eventually turned it into art.
ReplyDeleteIt's an amazing process. I wonder who figured out spinning first? Then weaving?
DeleteI saw a short video with Neil deGrasse Tyson yesterday talking about things I didn't begin to understand but one of the parts that intrigued me the most was about how it may be that worm holes sort of weave the parts of the universe together. Some sort of quantum physics thing and it struck me that we may have weaving built into our very beings.
DeleteSomething coming up in this space tomorrow with thoughts about all this. Stay tuned.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteI like Katoney's work very much!
ReplyDeleteHe's really exciting. Groundbreaking.
DeleteThe gold threads are amazing really! I didn’t realize one could find and use gold like that!
ReplyDeleteIn high end bespoke embroidery workshops, threads with gold content are reserved for titled folks! Mine just cohabit with the synthetic threads.
DeleteHave seen TV programmes about textile restoration in museums. What they can do is almost beyond belief.
ReplyDeleteMy wife keeps going on about fibre. She days I don't eat enough of it.
So much information. Love it. Being a girl from the 80’s. I do love a bit of bling
ReplyDeleteThe good and silver would definitely bling up anything you added it too
Watch this space
DeleteI used to have a loom weight, reclaimed from the Thames. I don't know what became of it.
ReplyDeleteWas it stone?
DeleteA feast of textiles indeed! I'm intrigued by your latest project but freely admit I'd be happy just to feast my eyes on all those sparkly gold threads.
ReplyDeleteThat box of thread is lovely, just to see and touch.
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