The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Art Dolls and Animals

Colin's Creatures, Sheep made with tenderness...

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was launched in February, 2010.  As it has grown, now over 200 members, so have the members who have Etsy shops.  About half of us use Etsy as our retail platform.  We decided to organize as an Etsy Team (a program Etsy has for sellers to organize under themes or locations) and set up a blog where we can talk about what is important to us and where we can show off our shops.  The blog has eight pages of shops, divided into themes and serves as our Team Catalog.  Although many of us sell things that do not fit neatly into those categories, most of us do have a focus.  I am introducing each of those categories here, hoping that this will encourage you to go over there and shop, shop, shop, until you drop!  These eight pages have over 100 shops, filled with wonderful eye candy that will surely delight anyone who appreciates all the many techniques and traditions that are found in the needle and textile arts. 

Today's focus:  Art Dolls and Animals

Geek Redhead Girl by Yermit

  

For some reason, I have always been drawn to handmade dolls and animals, purchasing one here and there and ending up with a small collection.  Most of mine are cultural dolls, but others called to me because of their unique look, technique or "spirit".  I sew and make things and figured that I could make these 3-d pieces as well.  One year, I decided I was going to make a bunch of funny teddy bears for all the kids I know.  After I finished the first bear, I trashed the intention along with that poor, wretched piece of road kill.  Point of story?  It's not as easy as it seems to make two arms and two legs sit well on that body....  So, I have great respect for people who work with soft sculpture and one day, I hope to master the ability to do so as well!

I recently did a treasury that features several of our TAFA Art Dolls and Animals:

My Eyes Are On This Crazy Beautiful World

I find it intriguing how fabric and other materials can be basically similar tools for different artists, but the way they are handled ends up in such different results.  Of course, this is true of anything: art, music, dance...   But, there is just something special about the right rendition of an art doll or animal, perhaps something that is buried in a treasured childhood memory, begging to live on.

Dragon House of Yuen supports efforts in hare rescue.

Some of our soft sculptures are made for children.  Orit Dotan makes dolls in the Montessori tradition.  Others are intended to be seen as objects to be treasured, not played with.  Whether appealing to the child in the home or the child within, Art Dolls and Animals is a wonderful category to explore.  Visit each shop as they all have a huge variety even within their own shops.

Click here to visit our Art Dolls and Animals Page in our TAFA Team Catalog of Shops.

And, while you are there, click on the other tabs to see our other Team member shops.  We aim to be the best in textiles and fiber art on Etsy!

All TAFA Team members are also members of TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List.

Interested in membership?  Click here for more information.

The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Art Dolls and Animals

Doggie Love, a new Rayela Art dogfood paper bag

"Doggie Love" a candywrapper bag made with 
dogfood bags, by Rayela Art.

 This is the third bag or purse I have made upcycling with dogfood bags.  Until recently, I had four dogs, so I have plenty of these bags stored up, ready to transform into "art" (or craft or whatever...).  My love for these dogs has brought a lot of pain recently as one of them bit a utility man (who came into my yard without my permission...) and another has been diagnosed with lymphoma.  

Sheba bit the water man and then she bit the dust.

Sheba lost her life because of that bite and now lies planted under a little tree in my yard.  It's a horrible thing to put a healthy dog down!  She was six and had never bit anyone before.  But, she did have a kill instinct and had attacked two smaller dogs in the past and killed a cat.  99% of the time, she was a great little dog, smart, full of tricks, willing to please, and a funny girl with her own special antics.

Sheba was born in my apartment in Chicago.

Now there is Mitchie, my oldest, who was the gallery dog in Chicago.  Supposedly a boxer/lab mix according to the shelter he came from, we have had ten great years together.

Mitchie as an old dude in Kentucky.

Younger days at Dara Tribal Village.

Mitchie made the Sun Times in Chicago.  

He had a huge following of people 

who would stop in to see him.

These dogs, Sheba, Mitchie, along with Laila and Juba, are spoiled, well loved, and have been through a lot with me over the years.  Yes, I know they are "just" dogs, but, in my world they have a lot more empathy, humor and consideration than many of the people I see around me.  They give me affection and protection in an "iffy" neighborhood.  I'm sorry that the water man got bit.  Fortunately, I have renter's insurance and he will get a nice settlement from them.  But, that doesn't seem to be enough as he drags me through court, making an awful situation even worse.

 "Doggie Love", side view.

I finished "Doggie Love" shortly before the pain started with Sheba and Mitchie, so it is tied in my mind to this difficult time.  This technique is widely known as the "candywrapper technique".  It involves cutting small rectangles of paper and folding them then interlocking them together into long lines.  Those are then sewn to each other.

 "Doggy Love" detail, by Rayela Art.

 I like to incorporate beads and findings into these bags, altering the surface and adding texture.  So far, I am the only one that I know of who does this to these bags.  On this one, I used African coconut discs, Ethiopian copper and soapstone beads.

 

This was the first project where I also incorporated fabric.  I wanted the piece to stand upright, like a vessel, so I made a fabric bottom for it.  Normally, the sides are sewn to each other at the bottom into a traditional purse shape.  There are many other ideas I want to play with to take this technique to new levels.  The folding is time consuming, but a perfect activity when I don't want to think.  I can sit and watch a movie and fold away.  You wouldn't believe how much paper a vessel like this takes!  There are probably eight or nine large dog food bags folded up into this piece, paper that would have otherwise ended up in a land fill.

Yes, my heart is heavy with the loss of my two dogs.  But, Juba and Laila will still be with me, so I will have many more bags to use up in the future!  By the way, Laila is Juba and Sheba's mom.  I found her all torn up in Chicago, pregnant.  

Juba and Laila, daughter and mother.  (??!!!???)

National Geographic had a great article, a couple of years ago, where they examined the relationship between dogs and humans.  Because we have lived so closely together for thousands of years, we have developed a symbiotic relationship.  Dogs will look ahead to where you are pointing, while wolves don't get it.  They just stare at the finger.  If you pet a dog, it lowers both your blood pressure and theirs!  Most dogs can learn 150 words.  Smart ones can learn 300.  I will always have dogs in my life.  But, I don't think I will go for four again.  One thing I learned was that it is really hard to control a pack, especially in an urban environment.  I miss Sheba, still counting out four treats, and I know I will cry when the time comes to say good-bye to Mitchie.  They definitely do not live long enough!  I am grateful for the time we have had, for the inspiration they give me, and for all the good memories I have of them.

Bye-bye, Mitchie and Sheba!

Click here for more posts on the other bags I have made and for information on the candywrapper weaving technique. 

Oh!  You want "Doggie Love"?  It's yours for $360.  20% off if you buy it before I list it on Etsy...

 Mitchie, Juba, Laila, Sheba and me...

.

Doggie Love, a new Rayela Art dogfood paper bag

Hello, World! Best National Geographic Photos of 2008

These photos are going around on an e-mail, so some of you may have seen them. But, they are so beautiful and such a good reminder of what a beautiful, wondrous world we live in- I just had to post them!

My brother has been giving me a subscription to National Geographic for years as my Christmas present. I am so thankful for the work they do, for their documentation and support of research projects around the world. May we really begin to see some real environmental protection in 2009!

Hello, World! Best National Geographic Photos of 2008

Prayer Rugs, Kilims & Suzanis, A Few of My Favorite Things by Catherine Salter Bayar

When I was a very young girl, my mom took my brother and me to the movie theater to see “The Sound of Music”. We loved it so much that we left the theater, drove over to pick my dad up from work, and went right back to see it a second time. The best part of the story was Julie Andrews cheering up unhappy children by singing, “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…” I learned then that remembering the little things I most loved was a great way to lift my spirits out of the doldrums. Perhaps that’s why I collect vintage textiles – they remind me of the best things in life.

Turkish Prayer Rug

Like this small prayer rug, probably woven by a girl not a lot older than I was when I saw that movie. Turkish village girls would start learning to weave practically as soon as they could walk and talk, so that by the time they were old enough to marry, their dowries would be complete.

Prayer Rug Tree of Life Medallion

Prayer rugs were not only good training for larger carpets; they were something every person in the home would need for their prayers five times a day. This central medallion is full of Tree of Life symbolism, to remind those who saw it to appreciate their connectedness to all those relatives in the village who nurtured their roots in life.


Hearts, floral vines and zigzags of fresh water were other reminders, along with the waxing and waning moons over the mountains as a sign of how fast time flies.

Long Kurdish Kilim Runner

Near Mount Ararat in Eastern Anatolia, Kurdish tribes would weave pairs of animals into their colorful wool kilims to recall the story of how Noah was commanded by God to collect two of every animal on the earth and take them along in the Ark.

Animals Depicted in the Kilim,
Important in the Weaver's Life

Chickens and ducks must have been an important part of this weaver’s daily life, though all sorts of farm animals are depicted here.

Woven Flowers, Representing Beauty and Abundance

And of course, flowers were almost always woven in, as a sign of appreciation for abundance and beauty. But my favorites are suzanis, especially this one:

40 Yr Old Suzani

Embroidered in Central Asia more than 40 years ago, it is a veritable Garden of Eden. Comprised entirely of flowers, leaves and tendrils in hot pinks, oranges and pungent greens, just looking at it makes me smile.


The embroiderer who drew the pattern was ambitious in the amount of detail she added. She and the friends who must have helped her did not complete stitching all the curling bits and pieces, so ink marks are still evident.

Ink marks still evident on this Suzani from the 1960's.

What fiber artist can’t relate to starting such a large project and never getting it all done?

I marvel that the backs of suzanis look nearly as good as the fronts:

The backs of Suzani embroideries are almost as solid as the fronts.

The edges are bound in a contrasting color cotton and machine stitched, but in controlled wavy patterns that would not be so easy to do.


The embroiderers did manage to stitch outlines around the border leaves. My favorite details are the chain stitched bands that enclose the border, so precisely executed they look knitted.

Scorch marks from an iron add history and character to this suzani.

Alas, someone once took a too-hot iron to the heavy sateen that I think is silk, though it may well be cotton…I’ve never snipped a piece to burn and find out. Much of the pale background is covered with scorch marks, and there are occasional stains that show that I’m not the first woman to love this suzani. Though disparaged in today’s world in which everything and everyone must be without flaw, to me, this suzani’s imperfections give it an extra layer of character on top of the beautiful embroidery. Like my favorite things in life, I’ll take the bitter with the sweet.

These three treasures can be found in my Etsy shop, along with lots of other vintage fiber art finds. Click on their names to visit the listing:

Prayer Rug

Ararat Kilim Runner

Suzani

Catherine Salter Bayar lives with her husband Abit in Selcuk, near Ephesus, Turkey, where they own a vintage textile shop and a water pipe & wine bar. A regular contributor of this blog, Catherine is also a member of our Fiber Focus group. She is currently working on a book on Turkish textiles. Visit Catherine and Abit at www.bazaarbayar.com or www.bazaarbayar.etsy.com.




Visit us: Ataturk Mahallesi, Siegburg Caddesi, 3 Selcuk 35920 Izmir Turkey
Phone: 90.232.892.6508

Prayer Rugs, Kilims & Suzanis, A Few of My Favorite Things by Catherine Salter Bayar

Not Only Men Who Knit, But Men Who Knit Lace

by Diane Gerlach
the Yin Yang Knitter

Contemporary male knitters abound, well, at least are becoming more common. The first male knitter I knew of was Kaffe Fassett, famous for his fabulous colorwork in the decorative arts.

Other than Kaffe, it was not common to hear of men knitters in the late 20^th Century. Rosie Greer embroidering? [All Pro defensive lineman, Los Angeles Rams, 1960’s and 70’s] Yes, but knitting…no.

In World War II Britain, it was expected that everyone, schoolchildren and adults alike, would “Knit for Britain." When World War I was waging, the American Red Cross provided yarn and instructions to knitters all over the US, to encourage them to knit gloves, hats, vests, socks, etc, for the men in the military. It is not known how many men on the home front were knitters.

"War, War, War, Warm, Warm" by Rayela Art
Reverse painting on glass collage

During the American Civil War, there was a huge effort to produce knitted goods for soldiers on both sides of the conflict; there is documentation that boys and men were involved in this effort.

Not so surprising when one considers that the first French knitting guilds in the 1300’s were male organizations, and it is likely that knitting came to Europe as it was spread from port to port by Arabic sailors.

In many communities in the Andes, men are the knitters.

Lauren Weinhold explains her photo, “This gentleman is knitting a hat by the side of the road. I had heard that needles are often recycled bicycle spokes, sharpened to a fine point, and this picture seems to confirm it. Also, his technique is quite different from European circular knitting - he is actually purling every row in the round, working from the outside of the loop, not the inside. This is supposed to be "easier" for the integrated colorwork. It is also a tradition that the working yarn is looped around the neck - it is here, although hard to see. (The end ball is in the small bag near his foot on the ground).“

In Men Who Knit and the Dogs Who Love Them,

Annie Modesitt and Drew Emborsky include short bios of 16 male knitters, one of whom learned to knit as a child from his grandmother and another who learned from his wife as a way of spending more time with her. Selected pages are available here.

But men who knit lace, now that’s special. A personal favorite is Jared at Brooklyn Tweed who scaled up a vintage knitted doily pattern

into this jaw-dropping Hemlock Ring Blanket in a lovely manly shade of gray.

He also knit Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Pi Shawl as a blanket,

which became so large it presented a blocking problem. (Photos courtesy of Jared)

Montse Stanley’s book, Knitter's Handbook : A Comprehensive Guide to the Principles and Techniques of Handknitting has an illustration of a wonderful pair of Spanish 19^th century knitted stockings with inscriptions ‘Jacinta Cabanes’ knitted into one sock and ‘Recuerdo de Vicente’ on the other, recording a gift from a man to a woman.

Were they knitted by Vicente himself? On needles finer than anything readily available today?

Kenny, The Boy Who Knits produces lace shawls

scarves,

and lace socks. (Photos courtesy of Kenny)

A lovely Spiral Counterpane was knit by Ricke Scott:

He is a member of Men Who Knit, an online community where you can buy Real Men Knit, the DVD.

In The Dining Room at 209 Main, a restaurant in the central Wisconsin small town of Monticello, a display features the exquisite work of Gene Beugler:

Yknit offers a podcast by WonderMike and Stephen hizKNITS, who describe themselves as "two needle junkies who happen to be men". Episode 5, "Lace in Your Face" interviews Nino Esposito

and Ted Myatt, the Knitter Guy.

Who would have predicted it, all these men who knit? And, men’s knitting retreats are popping up from Australia to Albany, NY. Steve reports in his blog, Famous Steve Knits, that there were six male knitters at the Atlanta Knitter’s Guild’s recent retreat, an all-time high. EZ would be so proud!

[Elizabeth Zimmerman affectionately known among knitters as EZ, revolutionized modern knitting with innovative techniques and patterns in her books and in her knitting series shown on American Public Television. In 1974, she founded Knitting Camp, which continues today under the direction of her daughter.]

Amazing work. Good job, all of you guy knitters, and thank you for the eye candy!

____________________________________

Note from Rachel:
I made a series of reverse painting on glass collage pieces recently. I had found an article on men knitting during World War II and used the images in the collaged pieces. These were inspired by Diane's charity knitting and are available for sale on Etsy. Click on the images for the link.

Not Only Men Who Knit, But Men Who Knit Lace