I became a maker at a young age. I was first exposed to a textile technique as a seven year old when Mum taught me to knit. Through the years I learned a variety of textile techniques, including needlepoint, crocheting, felting, and spinning. I enjoyed them all. Learning to weave was different. It was as … Read more
On my way to class, I almost tripped over a student sitting cross-legged on the floor. As I apologized profusely, I noticed her hat, and froze— Definitely not crocheted. Nor knitted. “Love your hat. Did you make it?” It had been a gift and she had no idea how it was made. With her permission, … Read more
Marta Cucchia Matteo suggested we visit Rocca Paolina, the 16th century fortress in Perugia, the capital of Umbria in central Italy. I thought it would be like all the other castles I’ve encountered in the past. I assumed we’d climb up the keep, gaze at the view from the wall-walk, and peek thorough the murder … Read more
Streak of Lightning; photo credit: Daderot My son, Daniel, a toddler at the time, and I sat on the grass knoll overlooking the site of the auction, an Amish auction. Daniel, mesmerized, watched the kids playing tag and hide-and-seek among the quilts flapping in the breeze. An older girl pushed a little boy on a … Read more
The Mayan weaver was kneeling on the ground in front of her loom weaving complex patterns. I stood above her mesmerized, watching her fingers flying across the warp, one row, then another and another. How did she do that, so deftly, without consulting a design? How did she keep track of all those colors? Weaving: … Read more
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CA%BBAhu_%CA%BBula Feather boas, feathers decorating Mardi Gras masks, peacock feathers in vases, ostrich feathers embellishing hats, but an entire cloak made of feathers? That was new to me. I had to investigate further. Since Polynesia lacked precious metals or gemstones, the Polynesians came to treasure natural materials such as feathers. Featherwork garments were worn (usually … Read more
Sheep, outnumber the inhabitant of the Faroe Islands two to one. Strong winds, an abundance of rain, and shallow soil inhibit the growth of trees. Grass covers most of the land on the group of islands in the North Atlantic. There is plenty of grazing for the sheep. Not surprisingly, there is a strong knitting … Read more
I’ve always been intrigued by the ‘stans—Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Growing up, the names fascinated me. According to World Atlas, the suffix “stan” is an ancient Persian or Farsi word meaning country, nation, or land of. As an adult, I was intrigued by them as homes of a wealth of textile techniques—stunning … Read more
This was my first time striding purposefully through the alleyways in the Old City of Jerusalem. During previous visits, I’d always strolled along taking in the sights and smells of the bustling market surrounding me, peeking into a pottery shop here, stopping into a textile shop there, pausing to breathe in the aroma of herbs … Read more
When I wore skirts or dresses, I walked differently, my hips swayed more, it was almost a floating sensation, as if… as if I was a girl.I felt awkward, ungainly, like I didn’t quite fit in the role, like I wasn’t myself. I haven’t worn one in more than a decade. When I needed to … Read more
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next »