Claire Benn: Taking her Own Advice
In July’s essay I discussed the importance of the ‘what if?” which I subsequently felt could be explored further. I created a long ‘what if’ list at the start of the…
Sacred Dagger: Forging the Keris Blade
About 1/2 mile drive from the busting city-centre of Solo in Central Java we find the village of Wonosari. Wonosari is a residential village, typical of many villages in Central…
Claire Benn: Fiber Reactive Dyes on Silk
I’ve heard it said that fibre reactive dyes aren’t great on silk fibres, and that completely befuddles me! I worked with silk (mainly silk broadcloth) for many years, always with…
Natural Dye Workshop 4 – Beyond Mordants: Indigo Intensive and Direct Application of Dyes
Michel Garcia and Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada explore the world of natural dyes as we travel to Brittany, France, for a rare opportunity to look at mordanting with natural dyes.
Batik of Java: A Visual Journey
In this article we look at the historical background to making the film and DVD, "Batik of Java: A Visual Journey". While the project was principally sponsored and funded by…
Balinese Double Ikat: Filming in Bali, Indonesia
In this short documentary commissioned by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Studio Galli travels to the Balinese village of Tenganan to discover how double ikat textiles, known as geringsing, are made. Gering means “sick” and sing means “no.” According to ancient Balinese legend, Geringsing are prized for their ability to ward off evil and sickness.
Traces of Time: Claire Benn
‘Watering Hole’ (detail). Claire Benn, Textile Artist, 2015. The Acoma Pueblo is a Native American pueblo about 60 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Acoma people have lived in…
Karen Nicol: A Fascinating Journey
Karen is a British-born fashion designer and embroiderer who has developed her own unique style of embroidery. Unsatisfied by the traditional stitches and outcomes and feeling disconnected from the usual ladies’ social stitch clubs, Karen set off on her own after finishing college in London to Paris, France with a simple objective: apply what she had learned to the world of embroidery for fashion and apparel.
Luiz Rodriguez: Ikat Weaving in Mexico
Luis Rodriguez using a roller to apply ink to yarns Take a stroll down the Zocalo in Oaxaca, or visit one of the open air markets in Tenancingo or Santa Maria del…
Michael Swaine: Mending for the People
Michael Swaine darns at the Alexandra Palace bus-stop, October 2009. Photo by Rob Kennard. Image Courtesy Liz Cooper. In October, 2009, Jan King and Andrew Salmon of the London Knitting…
