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.
