Palestinian Embroidered Pillow by Crossroads Trade
TAFA is having its first public event during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah. We are excited to introduce TAFA to the public at large and are hoping to raise funds for our new website. We have a silent auction and raffle, both available to online participants and an exhibit and vendors. These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts. This blog will feature the works and vendors in the next two weeks. You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link.
Kate Harris is coming all the way from Massachusetts to be a vendor in our TAFA Market! Her car will be loaded down with gorgeous textiles and treasures from around the world: molas, African embroideries, Wounaan baskets, Palestinian pillows and much more! I have worked with ethnic textiles and crafts for over 20 years and Kate's selection and commitment to quality are among the best I have ever seen. Extra bonus: Crossroads Trade is committed to fair trade. These products represent traditions and people who have honed skills over the centuries, many whom now live in precarious and dangerous parts of the world. Embroidery, weaving and sewing allow communities to maintain the traditional structures of their communities without having to leave their homes for work in factories or meaningless labor.
Kuna Mola: Monkeys, Bananas and A Hammock from Crossroads Trade
I always find it interesting how simple and similar materials can generate such different results. For example, the first image in this post is of a Palestinian embroidered pillow. The following image is a South African embroidery, both using black cotton fabric as the background. But, look at the results! The Palestinians excel at cross stitch, boldly emphasizing negative and positive spaces. The South African embroidery uses running stitches, almost calling pointillism into mind.
South African Embroidery, "Cow", from Crossroads Trade
All of these cultural textiles are easily recognizable to those of us who are familiar with them. We can easily point out which countries or communities they represent. However, as with everything in life, styles also evolve. For example, certain mola makers become famous world-wide for their individual techniques and themes. And, contact with people like Kate has also inspired groups to adapt their traditional crafts to products which can be marketed worldwide. We then end up seeing two kinds of product: collectible pieces by artists within the communities and production pieces artisans who don't necessarily have the "muse". This means that there are huge variations of prices within similar kinds of pieces. One mola might be $35 while another might be $350. Kate will have that range with her, both low and high ticket items.
Arpillera from Lima, Peru, Crossroads Trade
Many quilters and sewers like to use unfinished textiles or vintage remnants to incorporate into their own pieces. A mola, for example, can be sewn into a quilt, a bag, a pillow, on to a jean jacket, or if you want to "go" Kuna, make a blouse for yourself, too! (The Kuna women wear them on the front and back of their floral, puffy-sleeved blouses.) Take a look at Crossroads Trade and if you see anything on the website that you would like Kate to bring, you can send her a message through her site or leave a comment here. Kate is bringing mostly textiles, but she also has gorgeous Wounaan and Emberá baskets from Panama.
Wounaan and Emberá baskets from Panama, Crossroads Trade
I don't know about you, but I do know that I will have a hard time looking at Kate's things and not getting them all slobbered up with drool. I'll have to wear a bib or something.... (Excuse the 4th grade humor.... just lost a bit of control!) And, I am super excited to meet Kate. We have talked once on the phone and I just know that the stories will be flying. It will be a great time at our TAFA Market and I do hope that you can join us!
For years and years, I have been promising my friend Diane that I would make her a quilt. Guilt has plagued me as for those same years and years as Diane has been one of those friends who walks the talk. She has consistently given support in the form of advice (as a chemist, Diane is a well of knowledge in all household and textile care tips), as a customer, as a knitter (I have benefited as the recipient of wonderful woolen goodies), as a book pusher (many of my favorite authors came through Diane's guidance), and much, much more.
Diane, AKA The Yin-Yang Knitter here on the blog and DLouse on our Fiber Focus group.
Last April, Diane came down from Wisconsin to help me with my booth during the Quilt Show here in Paducah. I had just purchased a bunch of molas to sell on Etsy and we decided that I would finally make true on my promise of a quilt, using bird molas as the basic theme. Our booth was next to Bob (also a Fiber Focus member) and Helene's, who were selling fabric. Diane scoured through and picked a selection that she liked:
Aaargh! For all that we do have in common, our color palettes are not one of them. I prefer earthy, more subdued colors, while Diane's favorite color is bright yellow. However, I admit that her choices work well with the bright colors the Kuna Indians like to use in their molas. For months, the fabric sat in a pile- I just couldn't see what to do with it. Then, leafing through a quilting book I have, New Cuts for New Quilts by Karla Alexander, I saw what I could do.
The book shows different techniques for "stacking the deck", where layers of fabric are stacked and then cut in free form. Rotate the layers and you get repeat blocks, but with different fabrics. The quilt is very busy, so it may be hard to see the blocks, but the center is made of big, bold leaf designs, alternating the flaming oranges with lighter fabrics. The border on the top and bottom is another set of stacked decks and the sides alternate larger molas with forest greens. Perhaps some symbolism can be read into the reds and greens, referring to the destruction of our forests around the world and the hope that this paradise may somehow continue to exist.
Small molitas are appliqued throughout the center with large leaves protruding from behind them. The larger molas on the sides were sewn into the quilt as part of the piecing.
The quilt looks a lot better "live" than it does in the photos. Some close ups will help show the details. Border Medium Size Molas:
Small Molitas with Big Leaves Appliqued in the Middle:
The Back of the Quilt I like to bring elements of the front to the back of the quilt. In fact, I really like the simplicity this brings and often prefer my backs to the tops I've made. Most of the quilts I've made have been for other people so their tastes or designs have been dominant over what I would prefer to do. I long to play more with these ideas. I also like the prairie points that go around the border of the quilt.
There was absolutely no way that I would be able to quilt this thing! Molas involve layers of fabric appliqued and reverse-appliqued so that they can often be quite thick. Diane hired our friend, Pam (another Fiber Focus member), to do the quilting. Pam is a professional long-arm quilter and did a great job! I told her I imagined vines and tropical leaves throughout the piece.
Pam Heavrin, Professional Long-Arm Quilter
Pam knew exactly how to translate my idea into reality! The quilting shows up best on the back.
Paradise Found is also about friendship and the collaboration we do together with our interests. Diane saw the vision, Bob and Helene had the fabric, I put it together, and Pam made it all stick! Plus, there is the international touch with the molas, bringing people and nature together. If the quilt were mine, I would have overdyed the whole thing to tone the colors down, but Diane absolutely loves it and that is what counts.
Molas are wonderful center pieces to work with and I hope this piece inspires you to look at the ones I have listed on Etsy. This quilt used 16 molitas, which could become quite costly, but simpler versions could be done. Molas are sturdy and work great to applique on pillows, jean jackets, bags, and other accessories. If you have ever made any mola projects, leave a comment and give us all some more ideas on how to use them!
Books on the Kuna, Molas and Stacking the Deck, available on Amazon Purchases through this widget help support this blog.
Note on Commissions: I am available for commissions. I enjoy doing them, especially if I have some freedom in coming up with ideas. A similar quilt to Diane's (in terms of labor) would be around $1,500 plus cost of materials and another $300 or so for Pam to quilt it. I especially enjoy working on memory quilts that honor a person or occasion. I will not be able to start on any new projects until after the New Year, but will happily work on commissions after that.
Appliqué is a technique shared by many needle workers around the world. A challenging skill to learn, many stay away from it, or at least from the hand-worked version. There are plenty of short cuts out there to help give a similar effect through use of adhesives and the sewing machine. I happen to enjoy the process of feeling the fabric take shape under my needle.
The basic technique involves securing a top layer of fabric on to a bottom one using tiny stitches. This little video on YouTube deomonstrates it quite well:
I actually stitch in the opposite direction from what is shown in this video. I take the needle down through the top layer and come up through the bottom. We each have to find what works best for us, but I feel like I have more control this way.
Hawaiian quilts are a much loved expression of this technique. They normally involve two huge pieces of whole cloth that are attached together, with the top one being the appliquéd design. They are challenging because of their immense size. The design is cut much like a snowflake pattern would be out of paper. Fabric is folded into four or more folds, with the shape drawn out so that it is consistent throughout the piece. One way to control the piece is to cut and secure down as you go. Australian blogger, Anna Spiro, documented some Hawaiian quilts she saw in a trip she took in 2007. Her blog, Absolutely Beautiful Things, is absolutely beautiful and a must visit! She is an interior designer with an eye for the truly lovely in life. Here are a couple of her Hawaiian quilt photos:
The Hmong of Laos and Vietnam have long used appliqué in their garments and textiles. Thousands came to the United States as refugees after the Vietnam war and their needle work soon became visible at festivals, church bazaars and quilt shows. The pandau is a gorgeous example of appliqué at its best:
When the Hmong first began selling their needlework here in the West, many found their colors garish and loud. The above example is the result of their understanding of the American preference for a softer palette. I have a vintage baby carrier that has faded with age, but which shows the intensity of work in their traditional pieces:
I saw a booth similar to this one by Hmong Needlework at the quilt show.
I desperately wanted to buy from them as their work was top quality with great colors. The American taste for bland colors is changing. The pieces I saw were vibrant and absolutely gorgeous. They were made locally by Hmong living in Michigan. Unfortunately, buying from local artists for re-sale is not feasible as the market would not bear the prices. Those of us who carry these textiles for sale need to make our profit margin, so we still depend on sources overseas for our supply. Most local vendors don't have the computer skills to get their wares to larger audiences and show fees have increased yearly, making it harder for them, too. A Catch-22.
Another Australian blogger, Melanie Gray Augustin, lives in Japan and documents her life there with her excellent blog, Kimono Reincarnate. Those Australians sure are a creative bunch! Melanie visited North Vietnam in 2007. She has a nice piece on indigo work done by the Hmong there:
The indigo fabric is hand spun, dyed and decorated with appliqué. Visit her blog for more photos and the description of her trip.
Many other needle workers around the world use their skills to make products that cater to the Western market. I buy these pillows from a friend who imports from India:
These pillows are made by cutting into the top layer of fabric and stitching it down. This is often referred to as cutwork appliqué. Buying from these artisans helps them continue to maintain their traditional village life, working at home or in groups with other women.
When thinking of appliqué, we refer to the design being added on as fabric on fabric. Another appliqué technique involves revealing the fabric underneath as the design. This is called reverse appliqué. Molas from the Kuna People of the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama are the best example of this technique.
In this example, the top layer of fabric is the orange:
The green is the bottom fabric. The other colors are appliqued on top as accents. Molas are wild in color and theme. I love them and have a bunch listed in my Etsy store and will have many more there soon.
They are often humorous:
Appliqué is definitely time consuming and labor intensive. But, if the stitches are done well (close together and tightly), the textile becomes durable, able to wear and wash well. I have seen poorly stitched pieces from Pakistan that fall apart if washed. I learned that many of the ones I saw were made by elderly widows with poor eye sight.
Just be informed of what you purchase and what you will use it for. And, if you sew, do not be intimidated by appliqué! It goes quickly once you get the rhythm.
The Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands make exquisite textiles like the photos I have here, called molas. These panels are used to decorate women's blouses, normally one in the front and one in back. They were originally inspired by traditional motifs from their body art and Kuna legend, but later went on to incorporate images from daily life, including the mass media.
The Kuna are native to the San Blas Islands and now live on the coasts of Panama and Colombia. The women continue to wear mola blouses and being skilled in the craft is honored among them. Mola sales has also become an important source of income for them through tourism and collectors. There are many "factories" that imitate molas and cater only to tourism. My main supplier lived in Panama for 17 years and has a mola addiction.
The technique is exquisite and the color choices are often pretty wild. Molas are made by combining cut-work or reverse appliqué and regular appliqué. Reverse appliqué is the process of cutting into a background fabric to expose that color of fabric, while the best known form of appliqué adds fabric to the top of another piece for contrast. The Kuna use both, cutting back and adding on top. They accent the design with embroidery.
A friend here in Paducah, Christi Bonds, has a mola exhibit in her gallery that showcases Biblical imagery. I had never seen them before and was floored! Gorgeous pieces illustrating both Old Testament and New Testament stories. She has promised a story on them for Fiber Focus, so we will look forward to that! I was fortunate to get my hands on a couple of pieces recently, a nativity and communion, which will be available later today in my Etsy store.
A mola appreciates in value depending on how old it is, if it was used by a Kuna woman, how tiny the stitches are, how many layers of fabric were used for cut-work, and for the overall design of the piece. Similar techniques are used in traditional Hawaiian quilts, by the Sindhi people in Pakistan, by the Hmong in Thailand and around the world. Each culture has translated the technique uniquely and the Kuna are undoubtedly the most psychedelic of them all!
