The Rayela Review: HAND/EYE Magazine

HAND/EYE Magazine, World Textiles, Summer 2011

I was honored and super pleased to receive a copy of HAND/EYE's latest magazine, World Textiles, in exchange for a review here on Fiber Focus.  This is an easy task, theroretically, for the magazine is right up my alley, showcasing textile efforts happening all over the world.  But, of course, I also want to do something different with this review, so I hope that what I say will encourage you to jump up and immediately act on buying your own copy.

HAND/EYE's bi-line, right under the name, says: Connecting cultures and inspiring action.  That is exactly what it does.  The 68 pages tell story after story about how one person had a vision, pursued it and in doing so is transforming a community as well as impacting how that specific tradition or technique can thrive in a modern and industrial world.

Take a look at the table of contents:

• From Australia, India Flint shares how her children have taken the skills handed down within the family to express their own interests in unique ways.  
• Six stories follow from Asia, zooming in on Laos, Japan, India, and Cambodia.
• In Africa, three stories look at silk, weaving and Berber rag rugs.
• A quick stop in Europe takes us to a tiny Dutch area where women still embellish their clothing with a dot technique.
• Latin America gets five stories: Mexican Maya, Colombia, Peru...
• Then, another six stories in North America.

These stories are about empowering indigenous people, healing social wounds, exploring how one tradition can refresh another.  The engine behind the movement comes from the people.  The resulting products are eye-popping, gorgeous, and marketable to high-end markets (as well as affordable ones) which can sustain the communities that make them.

Anouphanethong Thammavong fled Thailand in 1975 and returned in 2001, finding his grandmother's legacy in woven silks.  From the ashes of history rose Soie de Lune.

The magazine, richly illustrated, does a wonderful job of showcasing both the people and the product.  Eyes and silk glow, hands and weave touch, bodies become color, washed in the folds of gorgeous fabrics, embroidery, and stitches.

This is a great time for me to do this review as it was almost exactly a year ago since I first heard about HAND/EYE.  I had launched TAFA earlier that year and one of the members sent me a link and said, "You will love this!"  I began getting the weekly e-mails.  (Subscribe to them, too!)  Eventually, I approached them and asked them if they would do a story on TAFA, which they did.  (Click to read it.)  One thing led to another and they also became a TAFA member:  HAND/EYE's TAFA Member Profile.

Our long term goals are very similar: we want the world to be place that understands and supports the power of craft, of creating something beautiful that is functional or that makes us think.  HAND/EYE has a broader focus, as they also write about clay, wood, glass, and other handmade traditions, which I think is just great!  And, from our communities on facebook and other online groups, we are not alone.  There is a thirst out there for the stories we are telling!

Rehwa Society trains and employs women with limited opportunities in India.

What is the place of a magazine in our techy world?

Even with all this enthusiasm, we are also coming out of whiplash from the demise of another favored magazine, FiberArts, which had published for over 30 years and was a mainstay for many of us.  The reality of today's world is that we are seeing magazines, newspapers and publishing companies closing down their paper products and moving them to cyber venues only.

Should we even be in the business of publishing anymore?  Why have a hard copy that you can hold in your hands and turn real pages?  If we are concerned about the environment, why should we encourage paper production?

Well,  I must say that I am happy to see many paper things disappear or decrease:  trashy novels, catalogs that were not requested, junk mail....  The cost has cleaned up a lot of the abuse.  But, at the same time, there is a place for documenting our stories through hard copies that are not electronic.  Information on the web can be so fleeting.  And, if there is a power shortage, there goes the access.  I have many books on textiles, cultural anthropology, theology, etc.  Those are references that I can check at will, that I can hold in my hand and feel connected to that paper.  Plus, there is a whole segment of our population, like my mother, who refuses to learn how to use the computer.  HAND/EYE Magazine is one of those publications that should continue to tell the story for many, many more years.

The highland communities in Chiapas, Mexico, continue to have dynamic indigenous traditions and dress.

What you should know:

HAND/EYE publishes these beautiful magazines a couple of times a year.  Back issues are still available for their issues on Central Asia and Haiti.  Each magazine is $15.  Think about all of the time and effort that goes into collecting these stories and then taking them to print.  In between, there is much, much more that you can access online.  There are three sites that you can visit:

• HAND/EYE Magazine  (online) discusses the intersections of art, craft, design, effective philanthropy, and enlightented consumption.  Get it by email once a week with an average of three new stories. 
• HAND/EYE Blog  invites makers, collectors and commentators alike to be part of the discussion by bringing what they make, what they collect, what they obsess about, onto the screens of our devoted handmade community.
• 12 Small Things by HAND/EYE offers high quality, handmade, artisan goods from around the globe. Our collections support craftspeople working to improve the lives of their families and communities in some of the most challenging situations on the planet. Their stories are those of strength, hope, and beauty, and each of our products reflects these qualities in their design and craftsmanship. 12 Small Things by HAND/EYE strives to assist these communities and artisans through commerce. 

Native American artist Teri Greeves tell her story through hand-sewn beads on manufactured high tops.

The Key Words

Here is my exercise:  we are always reducing our curiosity or hunt on the web down to key words that capture what we want.  I will pick a word from each page of this World Textiles issue and see what we come up with.  Ready?  Here goes:

Hope + India Flint + child + Laos +Paris + baby + weaver + Japan + origami + nuno + handloom + heritage + Muslim + saris + India + UNESCO + eco-culturalist + silk + ancient + yam juice + Raw Mango + royalty + sustainable + road + Cambodia + Madagascar + feathers + South African + embroidery + rags + Morocco + Amazigh + Dutch + dots + Chiapas + Maya + backstrap + fashion + threads + globetrotter + sophisticated + indigenous + Peruvian + ancestral + nature's + organic + Rome + costume designer + hope + symbols + vision + empowerment + textures + conscious consumption + indigo + Korean + moccasins + beads + healing + machine embroidery + Rowland Ricketts + sukumo + opacity + vitality.

What do you think?  One page, one word.  Are we speaking the same language?  Is there enough there to spark your interest?  Order your copy of World Textiles and support HAND/EYE in the wonderful work that they do: connecting cultures and inspiring action.  It is not only fascinating to those of us who love these textiles and techniques, but also so important in making the world a safer and healthier place for all.  The more we can communicate, share, learn, and break down the barriers that divide us, the more we understand that even if names, places and techniques are different, we are really all on a common journey.

And, if that journey includes some raw silk, indigo and a good story along the way, I am a happy camper indeed!

The Rayela Review: HAND/EYE Magazine

Comfort Quilts Requested for Japan

TAFA Member Terry Aske

We have a long tradition of charity knitting, quilting, and sewing in the United States.  Women, especially, gather together or work independently to send clothing and bedding to the needy around the world.  I have a friend who knits for both soldiers in Afghanistan and children who have been orphaned by the war, two separate organizations.  I call her the "Yin Yang Knitter" as it seems like she is comforting both sides of the coin.  Even men and boys came together and learned how to knit in World War II, sending socks, mittens, sweaters and hats to the boys in the trenches.

TAFA Member FolkWear

Now we have this horrible tragedy unfolding in Japan.  TAFA member, Valerie Hearder, received a call for quilts which can be handed out to those who have been displaced from their homes.  The Japanese have been avid partners in quilt events, exhibiting in shows, visiting, forming alliances, and sharing techniques.  We normally have a large contingent which comes every year to Paducah for our quilt show.  This year?  I doubt very much that a quilt show will be on the list of priorities...  But, perhaps some solace and comfort can be offered from us to them through these quilts.

TAFA Member Peppermint Pinwheels

Valerie's contact is Naomi Ichikawa, Editor of Patchwork Quilt Tsushin Magazine.  Naomi lives in Tokyo and her mother and brother survived the tsunami in Sendai.  Here is Naomi's request:

Dear Valerie,

It is still bad situation now in Japan.  We are still nervous about shaking and radiation, but no way to escape.

I start to announce to the quilters to send us comfort quilts for the people who are suffered. I would like to do it to the world quilters.  We will deliver the comfort quilts to the people who are very difficult situation.  Could you please help to announce it to the quilters in Canada?

We accept any size of quilts(baby to adult), new or unused.
The deadline would be the end of May or later.

Send the quilts to:
(until the middle of April)
Naomi Ichikawa, Editor of Patchwork Quilt tsushin Patchwork Tsushin Co., Ltd 5-28-3, Hongo,Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan    zip:113-0033

(after the middle of April)
Naomi Ichikawa
Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd
2-21-2, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan zip:113-0034

I will appreciate it if you help me.

Naomi

TAFA Member Victoria Gertenbach

Valerie sent a follow-up e-mail reporting that there has been a tremendous response to her email and that she has heard from groups as far away as Norway who want to help.  That is wonderful news, but I imagine that the need exceeds our ability to respond at this point, so all efforts will be greatly appreciated.  Remember, too, that we tend to think of tragedies at the moment they occur, but the aftermath of rebuilding lives and homes lasts for years and years.  Remember New Orleans and Haiti?  Not much in the news these days, yet neither has recovered from their disasters.

Valerie also added the following info:

Naomi has advised that it would be better for the quilts to arrive at the end of April and into June. They have found that lines of distribution are so difficult that it will take longer.  Also, it is not cheap to mail quilts to Japan. Some fundraising for the shipping arranged will probably be in order. If you're working in a group to ship quilts to Japan, a newspaper article about the effort could help to generate donations for shipping.

Channel 4 News: Save the Children

Save the Children reported that 100,000 children have been displaced due to the tsunami and earthquake.  This article talks about what they are doing to help.  The comfort quilts are a wonderful, long term project that will bring show support and care from the world community.  But, many other needs are a priority right now.  Check into your favorite charities and see what they are doing to help with this crisis.  Money is desperately needed to fund the many efforts that seek to address evacuation, water, food, shelter, and clean-up.  I have added a banner at the top of my blog that links to "Doctors Without Borders", one of my favorite organizations.  If you can afford to help, send in your donation to the organization you support and then get to work on that quilt!

TAFA Member My Sweet Prairie

You don't quilt?  Here's another idea: 

Buy a quilt from one of our TAFA members and send it to Japan.  

You will be helping an artist AND contributing to the cause.  The gift that keeps on giving!  

Visit TAFA's quilters and quilt artists.   

(Keep hitting the "see older posts" at the bottom of the page to see all of them.)

Comfort Quilts Requested for Japan

Folkwear Patterns: 30 Years of Ethnic Inspiration

I saw my first Folkwear Patterns in an ethnic shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota over twenty years ago. "Wow!", I thought, wishing I could buy what a college pocket could not afford... Since then, I have acquired several of the patterns and actually made a couple of them into garments. I also had the immense pleasure of meeting owner Kate Matthews on a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, several years ago.

Folkwear Patterns are a standard for anyone interested in costume design, world culture or ethnic wear. Like me, you might remember the first time you saw the patterns, or, perhaps this is your first encounter. Sometimes we may think that everyone already knows about an incredible resource such as this one, but there is always a new generation coming up or new interests emerging that call us to bring up the old standards.

Folkwear Patterns take their inspiration from clothing worn throughout various parts of the world as well as historical time periods. Thematic categories divide these into the following: Americas, Asian, Caravan, Children, Frontier, Old Europe, Retro, Romantic, Accessories. The patterns serve theater and performance groups well, but most are also functional for today's eclectic fashion taste. Choice of fabrics can make all the difference in making a piece look dated or contemporary. Let me start with a pattern that I have actually made into something wearable, which also happens to be a big favorite with Folkwear customers:












#107 Afghani Nomad Dress
This comfortable dress is easy to make and wonderful to use up favorite fabric pieces. I made mine out of silk that I had reclaimed from other dresses. Worn out long ago... This is one example of a dress that can look very ethnic or quite contemporary depending on fabric choices and colors. It is also a great piece to incorporate authentic remnants from other cultures, such as the ones I sell in my Etsy store. Here are a couple of examples of the dress:


Another pattern I own, but have not sewn yet, is also a big favorite:
#112 Japanese Field Clothing

I love roomy jackets and loose pants. But, if I remember correctly, one of the reasons why I have never made this pattern is that the version I have is on the small size. I'm a big Viking type and many of the older Folkwear pattern versions were too small for me. They have re-worked many of them to reflect our unfortunate reality of being overweight in America. But, make sure you check the dimensions carefully before you buy a pattern or cut it up. Most are easily enlarged- it just takes some patience.

#114 Chinese Jacket

This Chinese jacket is based on a formal court robe from the Ming Dynasty. Another wonderful example of how contemporary a garment can be with today's fabric selection. Folkwear also sells the closures in their Accessories section. The jacket is a perfect piece for silks or velvets.

Perfomers and theater groups all over the world use Folkwear as a costume resource. Although many of the patterns can be adapted for belly dance costumes, Folkwear offers one that is specifically for them.

#144 Tribal Style Belly Dancer
Here is another opportunity to use embroidery and textile remnants! The pattern includes instructions for the choli, bra, pants, skirt, scarf and belt. All of which could be used with other outfits as well.


Some of the culture specific patterns can challenge the beginner's sewing or embroidery skills. For the experienced, they offer an opportunity to show off needle work. The #125 Huichol Wardrobe collection's simple garments beg to be covered in embroidery. See my Huichol Yarn Paintings: Visions Destroyed by Poison for lots of images of the Huichol in their native dress. They have no fear of covering their canvas with with every color under the sun!

#103 Roumanian Blouse offers a similar opportunity to make the most of your embroidery skills. I think it is so interesting how cultures around the world overlap in so many ways in their dress and other customs, yet translate them into something uniquely theirs! And, in our multi-cultural and always changing environment today, what was hip in the 1970's, back when Folkwear started, has come and gone in the mainstream several times, making these pieces timeless.
Folkwear's historical patterns are lots of fun! The #201 Prairie Dress can be worn with or without an apron. I think I have seen this pattern here in Kentucky where many touristy businesses have their employees dress up in old timey wear.

Of course, the glamorous side of history (or, her story?) cannot be ignored! The #264 Monte Carlo Dress is something I would definitely wear if a moment of glamor popped up around here! I hear it crying for bead work, lots of it! And, don't forget, Halloween is coming up. If you are planning on going to a costume party, let Folkwear help you be the star! So many options to choose from! Dress them up or down, but use them!

My friend, Catherine, from Bazaar Bayar just listed a few collars that are perfect for Folkwear patterns. She does not have a consistent source for them, so once they are snatched up, they will be gone. (Better go get them quickly!)

In celebration of Folkwear's 30th anniversary, they have published a 20 page booklet based on the Bethany Dress which was featured as a fold-out poster in their early years.

#011 Bethany Dress

Folkwear has been around a long time now, quietly providing all of us a wonderful service. Even if you don't buy anything from them right now, why not visit their site and send them some Happy Birthday wishes? Let's hope they will be around for another thirty years!

Note: All of the photos and drawings (except for Catherine's collar) are from Folkwear's website. This post just highlights a few of their patterns. Visit them to see the whole collection.

Related Costume Books Available on Amazon!

Folkwear Patterns: 30 Years of Ethnic Inspiration

The Costume Page, A Most Wonderful Resource

Have you heard of The Costume Page? Are you interested in clothing design, apparel throughout the ages? Do you have many, many, many hours at your disposal to explore this extensive list? The Costume Page is a resource that compiles links to websites with costume related information. Julie Zetterberg Sardo, who developed the site, states:

"Welcome to The Costume Page, my personal library of costume and costuming-related links. I'm sharing it for the benefit of those who study and/or make costumes: costumers, students, historical re-enactors, science fiction fans, professionals, amateurs, dancers, theatrical costumers, trick-or-treaters, writers, researchers, and all those interested in fashion, textile art, and costume history.

There are over 1,000 unique links listed on these pages. Some of them cover more than one area of interest. I recommend that you browse through all sections of The Costume Page if you don't immediately find what you're seeking. I've tried to cross-reference where possible, but you're likely to find some additional gems if you dig!"

The subjects are divided into the following topics:

Home | Reference | Museums | History | Topics | Ethnic | Theatrical
Organizations | Events | Schools | Instructions
Halloween | Other Lists
Materials | Accessories | Costumes

Each of them opens the door to a vast compilation of links. Of course, my favorite is the Ethnic tab. This one is divided into:

Africa | Asia & India | Western Europe | Eastern Europe and Siberia
Near & Middle East | North, Central & South America | Pacific Islands

The linked sites are varied and include documentation of historical costumes, how-to pages, and ethnographic information. Photocollect deals with old photographs such as the Japanese warrior below. They target museums and private collectors as clients.


Macedonian Folk Embroidery offers samples of embroidered clothing and patterns such as the one below:


Maya Adventure has a page on woven symbolism in Mayan textiles.

Those three are just a small sampling of what is available in the ethnic section. There is a lot more on Japanese kimono, Indian saris, Middle Eastern garb, African wraps and a huge section on European costumes.

The Costume Page is especially rich with information on Western historical fashion. The Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Medieval links are fascinating! Footwear of the Middle Ages is one example of an excellent overview of how shoes were made, what tools were used, and what the various designs meant in that period.


One of the Paducah artists had a costume party last year with a 1960's theme. Another one used a flapper theme. I used this site as an idea place to figure out what to wear for both parties. Sometimes you just need to look at some good images to get some inspiration. This is the place to come.

There are also many links that have excellent educational resources for kids (or adults who like to play...). David Claudon Paper Dolls has a huge selection of designs from all over the world through the ages. My sister is home schooling her kids and I can just imagine her using these as teaching aids.

The Costume Page is an invaluable resource for theater people, designers, historians, and anybody just curious enough to poke around the site. I can only thank Julie Zetterberg Sardo for putting such an excellent collection at our disposal. Thank you for all your hard work!

The Costume Page, A Most Wonderful Resource

Fiber Art to the Max: Tree Shaping and the Dictates of Nature

My first exposure to sculpting with living plants was through my best friend's father when I was a kid in Brazil. Our city was 30% Japanese and her father had immigrated from Japan after World War II. He spent hours with his little bonsai trees and in his garden. Over the years, my appreciation for art as it relates to nature has continued to grow. I am drawn to environments that blend in with their surroundings and that seem to have a conversation with all the elements around them. In college, I fell in love with artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser.


Way before there was even a green movement, Hundertwasser explored how buildings can function as organic structures, both in design and in incorporating living plants and trees as part of the architectural dictates of the environment. Never square, buildings replicate natural mountains. Roofs are gardens, both insulating the living spaces and allowing the mind and body to breathe.

Since then, people have been experimenting with nature in a partnership of art, form and chance. My friend Pam sent me an e-mail with some images of artists who have been taking the ancient bonsai practice to another level. Most had no source information, so if anybody out there knows where these images came from, please leave a comment so we can credit them. I got a big kick out of the time, effort and patience it took from conception of the idea to its fruition.

This bicycle in a tree reminds me of my mother's cousin, Darren, who for years has been sculpting a garden and cemetery in Western Minnesota. His forest is filled with bathtubs, old cars, and other discarded household appliances that are planted with nature and slowly eroding back into the soil. Maybe my interest is partly genetic...

All knotted up...

Star of David

Arch

A living hut

Tree ladder

One of the photos did have a name on it, so I was able to trace it, Pooktre. Australian artists Peter Cook and Becky Northey have transformed their land into a living sculpture. Calling themselves tree shapers, they work on two kinds sculptural work, pieces that are eventually harvested and others that remain planted. The two photos below show Peter with a couple of his living chairs:


Pete's favorites are his trees shaped like men:

Explore their site. They seem like wonderful people. Apparently, they have never sold a piece yet, but had a show in Japan that made the bonsai community wild with excitement. They are thinking of having workshops in the future.

All of this coincides with another Canadian fiber artist that I had recently bookmarked, Alastair Heseltine. You see, to me, working with these plants and trees is fiber art in its most raw and basic form. Yet, it cannot be done without tremendous patience, skill and foresight. Heseltine also plays with tree shaping, but most of his larger pieces involve juxtaposing created structures with nature's background. Here is a living bush that is replicating a basket weave (Heseltine also makes traditional baskets):

And, here is a large sculptural piece that has been assembled by a body of water:

Many of Heseltine's pieces are functional, such as this bench, which I absolutely love:

But, his mastery of basket weaving is especially shown in this gorgeous figurative sculpture:

What I take from this as a fiber artist is that the materials are secondary to the vision. Developing our skills to their fullest potential is a life time of hard work, patience and pushing the elements to tell a new story. Hundertwasser was considered a nut in his early days. He passed away in 2000, finally receiving recognition as the visionary that he was. Most of us will never be famous or rich, but we can enjoy our craft and let it lead us to new places that right now might only live in the murky lands of our imagination.

Alastair Heseltine

Fiber Art to the Max: Tree Shaping and the Dictates of Nature