Rayela's Fiber Focus

Tour TAFA's New Site!

2012-01-17T23:34:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was my 50th birthday and I could not have asked for a better present than to have TAFA go live with its new site on www.tafalist.com. Two years ago, I had come to the realization that many of my peers and I were swimming in a new madness called social media. We were all bumping into each other in different places, but didn't really have a way to connect in an orderly manner. There was also so much to learn. Selling online had become extremely competitive and if we were going to make headway in this ocean of information, my thought was that we needed to do it as a group. "Together we can do great things!" So, I put the idea out there, started TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List using a blog format and began navigating the web to bring in potential members who were professionals and who worked with handmade textiles and fiber art.

A year later there were almost 200 members and it was clear that we needed a new website. A bunch of us held a brainstorming session on facebook, identifying member needs and how we would use the website. In the summer we had a fundraiser on IndieGoGo and raised $5,000 towards the new site. In August, work on the site began and it took five months of hard work to reach yesterday's launch. Oh, and we are $2,500 over the budget plus there is a Phase Two in the works where the site will be completed with the original bones we envisioned. In the end, this will be a $10K site and we believe that it will become a major hub for the textile and fiber art community.

Take a Tour

Navigation is not self-evident at this stage, although we believe we have some really cool tools to explore the site. An in-depth drop-down site map is planned for Phase Two, but we want to live with what we have for awhile as we tweak the site. Here is a map of the front page:

Logo: Click to return home.
The List: Our member list.
Fresh Profiles: Members who have made recent changes to their member profile.
Banners: They flash and are linked to member profiles. Click to visit.
Member Stories: Features on members.
Product Talk: Features on products.
Events: List of member events.
Member Blogs: Not ready yet, but will have a stream of member blogs.
Member Map: A Google map with members pinned to their locations. Click on the pin to see the member, linked to member profiles.

The core value of the site is in finding the members and their products. The members each have a member profile page. They can each list four products (which link to their sites), one video and one event. All of these can be shared on social media sites and show up in search. They are color-coded by type of result (profiles, products, videos, etc each have a different color). Users can bookmark these in their private bookmark page for future reference. Here are some examples:

Profile Page

This page will be re-worked in Phase Two as it still seems a little awkward in how it displays, but all of the member's basic info is there: where they are in the web, on the google map, and a slideshow if they have one. In Phase Two, the member's blog will stream to the sidebar.

Search

The search bar at the top of the site needs a keyword in order to operate. Type it in and either hit enter/return on the keyboard or click on the magnifying lens. We currently have 400 members, so with 4 products each we may have an initial 1,600 products to look at. The results can be narrowed down by clicking on the drop down menu. Here is an example of a search result:

This was for a search on "shibori". Note that some of the boxes are brown and others are golden. The brown ones are products and the golden ones are member profiles. Click on the product and you get a full page description of the item with a link to the member site. Click on the member profile ones and you will go to that profile.

Product Pages

You will see an image, a description (if the member entered any), a visit link (takes you the member's site), and a comment box where visitors can ask questions or say something about what they think about the product (hopefully, something nice!). The page can be shared on social media sites and saved as a bookmark. We also have a green flag on product pages. This is to be used to alert us when an inappropriate image is loaded (blurry, bad photo, or culturally insensitive). We will take a look at flags and work with the members on their presentation.

Here is an example of a Product Page;

Bookmarks:

You have to log in if you want to bookmark something. Yes, non-members can have mini accounts where they can bookmark pages, leave comments and buy ads. When you are logged in you will see a red ribbon at the top right hand corner of the site. That is our dandy bookmark. Here is a video that I liked:

The orange arrow is pointing to the bookmark. I clicked on it and then checked my bookmark page:

Sure enough, there it is: the third to the right on the first row. Notice the color coding again. Don't want to keep something anymore? Click on the red bookmark on the item and it goes away.

Events:

Many of our members make their living by teaching workshops or participating in competitive shows or gallery exhibits. We felt that having an event page was a huge service we could provide for them. This page still needs some tweaking and in Phase Two it will be searchable by type of event, location, and dates. For now, we have a basic list:

Click on the event and it has its own page which links to the member profile. The event also posts on the member's profile page, on the left sidebar.

The event has a full description along with a location map. Each member gets one free listing which can be renewed when the current event expires.

Member Map

This is one of my favorite site features! We are now over 400 members from over 30 countries. We are using a Google map to pin our members:

Click on the pin and you will see the member's logo and a link to their profile page. If there is a congested cluster, just zoom in to see them more closely. I love how diverse we are becoming and long to see the day when there is more than one lonely pin in Africa! Right now, that is Oshiwa Designs in Namibia. This is a great way for members to find each other and for buyers and students to support their local artists and businesses. I also love imagining a road trip, thinking, I can stop here and here and here and here along the way, meeting wonderful TAFA members at every step of the way!

The List

As our name implies, we do have a list of members. There is button next to the search bar that says exactly that, "The List". Click on it and you will see our members, 100 to a page in alphabetical order:

The first two images link to the member profile: People photo and logo. The other four are products and link to their product pages. The name also links to the member profile. Below that is a one-liner that the member uses to describe themselves in a nutshell: We are all very cool!

If you love handmade textiles and fiber art, then you will love TAFA. And, many of our members also make or sell supplies and tools, so be sure to look for them as well. We have gorgeous hand-spun yarns, home-grown fleece, natural dye suppliers, hand-made spinning wheels, vintage textile stamps and much more.

Come and explore and if you like what you see, spread the word! So far, only a third of our members are up and we know that we will continue to grow and become better and better. We have come a long way in two years! It makes me excited to think of where we will be next year, the year after or when I turn 60! You can be a part of it. Sign into the site and start interacting with an incredibly talented group of people who have a world to offer! And, support them with your buying power, too.

Enjoy!

Affecting Change in Your Corner of the World

2012-01-05T13:21:00.002-06:00

"Gandhi" by Diana Bracy

You must be the change
you want to see in the world.

-Mahatma Gandhi

I just watched an inspiring video by Jeff Skoll, one of the founders of eBay, at a TED conference. The video is several years old, yet still current in its message:

Jeff's path is one example of one person who succeeded in harnessing his talents and ideas into successful businesses that could then allow him to give back to society. We have several leaders today, who like him, are working on the big issues that threaten our world's future: the environment, economic inequality, human rights, war, etc. Any one of those issues seems daunting enough on its own. Together, the state of world affairs seems depressing indeed. How do we move forward and hope for a future in the face of this mess?

My answer is that we have to believe that each person can truly make a difference. Diana's quilt above is made by tiny pieces of fabric, each a different shade. On its own, the piece might not seem significant. As a part of the whole, it is essential.

Many pieces make the whole.

Two years ago, at right about this time, I had an idea and put it out there: I felt that those of us who have an online presence and are trying to get an audience for our work as fiber artists or textile businesses needed a better way of getting the word out. Most of my peers were starting to use social media sites, opening shops on Etsy and spending a lot of time networking and doing what we thought we needed to do get business to come to us. Swimming alone in an ocean of information..... We needed to band together and be so beautiful that the right people would come to us. TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was born. Two years later, we are almost ready with our state of the art new website. You can preview it here. We are now at 402 members from over 30 countries.

Yes, I have worked hard to make this happen, but it could not have happened on my own. Many of TAFA's members have stepped forward with their time and money to help this dream come true. I've had to learn a lot along the way and have some tips on what has worked for me:

Be passionate. Love what you do with your whole heart and be willing to take risks for it. Expect that it will take time and endless hours of unrewarded effort.
Define your Vision. Don't replicate what is already being done out there. Most of the textile and fiber art organizations that are out there serve their specific niche. TAFA embraces all of the textile and fiber art traditions, but members are vetted in based on the maturity of both their product and their presentation. Members came together in a think tank to help write the mission: TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List is a membership organization of fiber artists and textile businesses on the web. TAFA showcases member portfolios through its website, provides access to larger markets, offers business resources and fosters community.
Establish a Home Base on the web. I used Blogger as it is easy to set up, free, and integrates with other platforms.
Set up your social media hubs. TAFA now has active hubs on facebook, google+, flickr, LinkedIn and a team on Etsy.
Build your community. I started with my peers and several signed on. Then, I visited thousands of websites over the past two years, inviting the cream of the crop to join. Of every 100 that I visited, 10 were invited and of those, 1 accepted. It took persistence, but as the list of members grew, it became more legitimate and interesting as a group.
Make the financial risk minimal: For the first year, membership in TAFA was $25. This was an affordable amount to risk in a new enterprise. In the second year, the membership fee went up to $48. Now, in the beginning of the 3rd year, it is up to $75. Members have also supported TAFA financially with inexpensive ads.
Reward your supporters: As TAFA grows and establishes itself, my main priority is, "How will this benefit the whole membership?" I have tried to build systems that benefit everyone equally.
Ask for help. There have been times where I was stuck or against the wall. The members stepped up to the plate and helped me center my energies in a productive way. (Don't do this too often as it can get annoying.... )
Build your financial support. Once you have your project seasoned and can show something for what you have done, take it to the next level and get the financial support you need to fund your tools. We identified the need for a "real" website with a robust search engine and estimated that it would cost $5,000. We raised exactly that through the members in a fundraiser using Indiegogo. By the time the site is finished and does everything I want it to do, it will end up costing closer to $10,000 (Spring 2012). But, I expect the site to raise the rest of the money on its own through new memberships and advertising.
Set it free. Let your dream take root and become bigger than yourself.

After two years of hard work, TAFA has established a name and identity within the textile and fiber art community. The next steps will include separating it from my personal business and making it an S-Corporation, getting it to become financially stable so that it can hire staff, and ultimately selling shares back to the members so that it can become member owned. I predict that it will take another two years before we get to that point, but when it happens, TAFA will be something beyond my own vision.

Jeff Skoll's speech confirmed much of my own process. Some of us, creative entrepreneurs, have a gift at seeing a need and of imagining a way in which that need can be addressed. When TAFA can fly on its own, I will probably start something else as I have always been an idea person. Change does not have to happen by creating a new project like eBay, or on a much smaller scale, TAFA. It happens by each of us being conscious about everything we do. If you are an artist, think about the materials that you use. Are they toxic? Can you recycle garbage into your work? Can you involve your local community into an activity that helps them understand art in a new way? Are there local organizations that need your time or financial support? Each person's talents, resources and visions all contribute to change the world, a bit at a time, to make it a better place.

FACES of EARTH - 1972 NASA Blue Marble image of Earth as a Twitter Mosaic.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T13:32:00.002-06:00

2011 is history! Another year come and gone. How time flies... I remember when I was a kid and I thought about the year 2000. I was going to be 38 years old. Soooo oooold! Well, in a couple of weeks, I turn 50. Not so old, eh? Heh, heh.... It's all a matter of perspective.

The end of the year and the beginning of a new is always a time of reflection for me. If you follow this blog, you know that I have spent a great deal of time and energy in building TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List, an organization that helps textile businesses and fiber artists market their businesses. I launched it at about this time two years ago on a Blogger platform, wondering if there would be interest out there. At this time last year, we had grown to over 200 members and it was clear that we needed a new website. Most of the year was spent focusing on that. Several members volunteered their time and energy in a think tank that we set up on Facebook, discussing what we needed. Then we had a fundraiser on IndieGoGo and successfully raised $5,000, again from the members, to pay for the site. A local design team, Horizon Media Group has been working on the site since August, with me actively in the thick of things. One week ago, we had members volunteer as guinea pigs to test the process of loading their info and using the site. There are still many glitches and we need to change servers, but you can preview it at www.tafalist.net.

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List's new site.

Hopefully, we will be able to move to the www.tafalist.com url by the end of this week. This has been an incredibly exhausting process, but one that has also been energizing, wonderfully democratic, and it goes to show that things can happen with no money. My motto with TAFA has been, "Together we can do great things!" and the website is the first proof of that.

It's hard to explain to people outside of the textile community what I do. I used to say I was an artist, but since I started TAFA I have poured all of my creative energy into building it, so have not done much of my own sewing or art work. Hopefully, the website will free up some of my time so that I can do that again this year. I also hope that I can travel more and actually meet some of the members who have become virtual friends. We'll see how it all pans out.

We also had our first live event last year during the Quilt Show in April here in Paducah. We suffered serious flooding in the area and it was a scary time. I don't know if we will do it again this year. I was also able to visit family and friends in Wisconsin and in Chicago during the Fall, a wonderful highlight.

What is ahead for 2012? I haven't thought much beyond getting the new site finished. Who knows what doors will open or close? I pretty much try to live each day fully and take things as they come. Many friends have been ill in the past year, having major surgeries or having to go through chemo. As we get older, nothing can be taken for granted, so I just hope that 2012 will be a healthy one and a creative one, with no big, rude surprises.

Let's start out the year with that old favorite Gaelic blessing:

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you:

May you see your children's children.

May you be poor in misfortune,

Rich in blessings.

May you know nothing but happiness

From this day forward.

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home

And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,

May blue be the skies above you,

May pure be the joys that surround you,

May true be the hearts that love you.

Happy Holidays from Rayela Art!

2011-12-24T17:55:00.001-06:00

I had a lot of fun putting this Christmas card together. My friend, Pat, took about 20 photos of me and the dogs sitting on the porch outside of my house. My dogs HATE being photographed and I look like I am choking them in all the pictures. At least on this one, they are both sitting next to me...

I send you my best wishes for a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate it. And, along with that, may all of you have a great end of the year and receive the new one with the hope and joy that comes with new beginnings.

Peace on earth!

Good will to all!

(Lofty aspirations for the mess we live in,

but we can all keep on trying and hopefully make a difference...)

Art Quilt Challenges by Donna Hussain

2011-12-08T12:07:00.002-06:00

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Connie Horne.

Recently a group of my quilting friends in Sacramento, California (USA) decided to form Pins and Needles, a new quilt circle that would focus on making art quilts. Most of us had mastered traditional quilting skills, but now wanted to learn about basic art and design principles such as balance, perspective and scale, concepts that painters, sculptors, and photographers apply to their work. We also wanted to use materials such as beads, stamps, mirrors, paints, and a wide range of embellishment techniques but were reluctant to experiment on our own. Group support has helped our members venture into new avenues of creativity.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Donna Hussain.

This past year we studied one chapter a month of The Quilting Arts Book by Patricia Bolton and made small samples of the techniques described in each assigned chapter. Circle members also participated in two major quilt projects: the making of monochromatic quilts and sewing two panoramic quilts of the Sacramento skyline.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Helen Burke.

Making monochromatic quilts was an exercise in value. One of our members collected paint chips from a paint store and put them in a paper bag. With eyes closed each member of our circle drew one of the paint chips from the bag. The color of the paint chip determined the color of the 9x15 inch quilt each member was required to make. Only light and dark fabrics of the paint chip’s color could be used. The quilt design was up to the individual. After three months all of the participants brought their monochromatic quilts to our monthly meeting. We were thrilled with the results.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by Kim Brownell.

Monochromatic exercise, quilt by BJ Bailey.

For the second major group project our art quilt circle decided to make a panoramic slice quilt, chosing a photo of Sacramento’s skyline taken by Evan Wisheropp (the son of one of our quilters) to be the image we would reproduce in fabric.

Donna Hussain's working copy of the skyline.

A committee of three set the guidelines and rules for the project. Since ten quilters wanted to participate in the project, the committee decided that we should make two identical panorama quilts, five slices each. After deciding what each of the finished quilts should measure (70 x 220 inches) the committee printed two enlargements of Evans’ photo that size.

Each paper enlargement was then cut into five vertical segments (14 x 44 inches). After outlining the basic shapes on the patterns with felt pen the committee randomly distributed the slice patterns to the quilters. We quilters were advised to pay attention to the horizontal lines on the patterns so that the slices would match up when joined together.

Each quilter also received a 4x6 inch color photo of the panoramic scene to help in the selection of fabric colors for her slice. Since we planned to hang the five slices of each quilt from a single sleeve we were told to omit a traditional quilt binding. To cover the edges of my quilt I added ¼ inch to the pattern specifications for the quilt top (but not to the batting or back fabric), then folded the ¼ inch excess to the back of the quilt and secured it with a hem.

Sacramento Skyline I, Quilters left to right:
Lori Wisheropp, Denise Schmidt, Helen Burke, Judith Imel, Sunni Hamilton

The committee requested that the quilters work independently, not showing their quilts to others during their construction. We were given five months for the completion of the slice panels. As you can see from the pictures that accompany this article the panoramic quilts turned out to be spectacular.

Sacramento Skyline II: Quilters left to right:

Connie Horne, Jan Soules, BJ Bailey, Donna Hussain, Kari Bauer

At our December meeting of Pins and Needles we will be choosing an art quilt book for the coming year that has exercises to help us refine our artistic skills. In addition we will be collecting suggestions for one or two group projects for 2012.

______

Note: The images and drawings on the skyline are copyrighted and used with permission here. Several people were involved in the process and are available if you would like to commission a similar pattern for your own photo:

Step 1: photoshot in the Yolo Causeway. Photographer; Evan Wisheropp

Step 2: Photo manipulation: Lori Wisheropp and Sandra Torguson

Step 3. Cartoon sketch; Sandra Torguson

Step 4: Combining sketch and ghosted photo image and full size print output pattern: Lori Wisheropp

Step 5: Distribution with full size pattern and small photo for reference.

Contact Lori Wisheropp for more information.

California quilter, Donna Hussain, has exhibited in major quilt shows around the country, authored books, and is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. Click on her name to see all of her past articles.

The photo shows Donna with her husband, Pascha.

Obsessions Manifested: Stereoviews

2011-12-03T11:54:00.002-06:00

Stereoviews on Rayela Art

When I was a kid, I spent my allowance on two things: arts supplies and stamps. Both were obsessions. If I wasn't making something, I was organizing my stamps, spending hours and hours pasting them into my various books, eventually ending up with over 15,000 of them. Yes. I counted them! I learned a lot about the world through those stamps. How different countries called themselves, their landscapes, historical happenings. It broadened my interest in the world and I traveled around through them.

Now I have a new obsession: Stereoviews. Also called stereographs, stereo optic cards, and many other names, these photos were the first 3-d images to capture the public's imagination and thirst for world travel. A special camera with two lenses captured the scene at a slight change in position. When mounted on a card, side by side and viewed with a viewer (called a stereoscope), the images popped into 3-d:

Stereoscope

I've picked up a couple, here and there, at antique shops, just because I thought they were interesting. But, recently, I was able to purchase a whole slew of them, around 300 cards and have started to organize and list them on Etsy. You can see them in my shop: click. I didn't really have an idea of their value so I've had to do some research. Stereoviews enjoyed over 60 years of popularity and millions of copies were made. They were used as educational tools, parlor entertainment, and were treasured as windows to the world. Photographers captured the Wild West, historical buildings, everyday scenes, theatrical plays, vegetation, animals, and almost anything you can imagine. They are an invaluable record of life in the late 1800's.

The earliest stereoviews were actual photos pasted on to cardboard. Later, lithographs were made of those same photos and towards the end, collections were printed by the thousands. Of course, the most valuable are the earlier ones, dating before the 1880's and those of photographers who became famous and collectable. About half of the ones I have are lithos and the other half are the old photos. Many are in poor condition, but who knows? Maybe a couple will win the lottery! As I list them, I look them up on google and have been fascinated by the stories I am finding.

One example is of the Cliff House:

Cliff House Stereograph on Rayela Art

The above image is the card that I have for sale. It has a fold in it and is not a great, collectible item. Looking at it, I wondered why anyone would build a big old mansion on the end of a cliff like that.... Turns out there is whole story behind it and one man has made his obsession manifest: Gary's Cliff House Project. He has pages and pages of documentation on this grand old hotel in San Francisco, visited by Roosevelt and other dignitaries.

Cliff House Project: Stereoviews Page

Gary's project is a fascinating documentation of history zoomed in on one spot on the globe. The Cliff House did not last long, consumed by a fire in 1907:

Cliff House Fire

His site documents the fire, news stories, reconstruction, and on to current day images of the site, a total transformation. One could spend hours going through everything he has collected. Why? Because this snapshot somehow tells us about our own history, how our collective past shaped the world as it is today.

The photographers who went out and collected these images had to have an adventuresome spirit and the physical ability to face the challenges of carrying the equipment and putting up with the hazards of travel: no infrastructure, living in tents, exposed to the elements and to hostile encounters.

"Taking a tramp in the country"
Universal Series, Stereoscopic Gems
Of American & Foreign SceneryCopyright 1901 by C. H . Graves

One of the photographers who made his mark on history was T. Enami, a Japanese photographer who captured the late 1800's and early 1900's in Japan with thousands of sensitive, beautiful and historical images.

Nobukuni Enami (T. Enami),
Stereoview photographer

Rob Oechsle has a website dedicated to his work, T-Enami.org, another place you can spend a good chunk of your day.

Photos by T. Enami

As the stereoview obsession grew, so did the publishers who collected images and reproduced them, often without any thought of copyrights or ownership. I have a couple of Japanese litho cards listed, but do not know if they were originally Enami's:

Vegetable Peddler, Yokohama, Japan

Shinto Priests in Tokyo

Some of the commercially printed cards have stories about the image on the back. These can provide some pretty shocking attitudes of the times, especially towards native peoples. I have this card listed of an Egyptian girl:

Portrait of Bisharin Girl, Stereoview

The text on the back says:

No. 1380. PORTRAIT OF BISHARIN GIRL, UPPER EGYPT

If beauty is but skin deep, so is ugliness, and both are a matter of taste. May we not assume that the boy in the background personifies open-mouthed wonder at the beauty of the idol of his heart? Or did the poet think that this girl when he smote the lyre, singing: "A kiss from her two rosy lips would make me hale and whole?" The man who took this picture is authority for the fact that the original was the proud daughter of the richest man in the village, who owned twenty goats, two donkeys and four camels, a wealth unparalleled among all the Bisharin tribes twenty miles around, and that she was considered a great beauty among all the marriageable young men of her race, but was held as a great prize by her father who would not give her away for less than one camel and ten goats. The background of the picture is formed by the wall of the tent, made from plaited grasses and stretched on poles which the Bisharin call a house, easily folded together and carried away on a donkey's back, when the animals have eaten up the scant vegetation in one place, and quickly set up again a few miles further on.

Yikes! Ethnocentric to say the least...

It will take me awhile to get all of my cards listed and I will have to re-open my shop on eBay. That is where the stereo view community congregates and I don't want to overwhelm my Etsy shop with non-textile items. I'll announce it here when that happens, so stay tuned.

How about you? Have any obsessions manifested themselves in your life? Collectors often seem like the nut in the hood, but some of these obsessions have also preserved stories from the past for the rest of us. Is it a mis-fire in the brain that takes us to an extreme in pursuing an interest? Or, is it the same part of the brain that propels scientists to zoom into the minute details of how the world operates? Share your obsession with the rest of us. It is bound to be an interesting story!

New Textile Stamps from Oshiwa!

2011-12-01T13:05:00.000-06:00

Oshiwa on Etsy

We got some more textile stamps listed on the Etsy shop. We used an old, rusty iron table that I have as a background and they just pop!

Oshiwa Designs is a fair trade carving workshop in Namibia. Rayela Art is their North American rep. These stamps are great to use to print on fabric or paper and can also be used to press into clay or soap. The carvers insist on making one of a kind designs, although there are similar themes that pop up often, like elephants...

Oshiwa elephant printing stamp.

Here are a couple of examples of fabrics printed with the stamps:

Great gifts for your artsy friends and a wonderful stocking stuffer! Come shop!

Paulus, one of the carvers, shows how to use the stamps on fabric.

A Package from Costa Rica

2011-11-30T15:06:00.002-06:00

Costa Rican coffe: a gift from Silvia of Galeria Octagono

Yesterday I got a nice package in the mail: a gift from one of our TAFA members, Silvia of Galeria Octagono in Costa Rica. (See her member profile on TAFA).

coffee. macadamia candy. brochures. ornaments made by her kids workshop.

FUN FUN FUN

Silvia joined a couple of months ago and has been a joy! She participates actively in several of our forums and we share many common interests with Latin America, nature, and of course, how things are made. As the SDA representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Silvia has a broad range in her role as an artist, educator and member of the world textile community.

As I was thinking of her and where she lives, I thought I would check it out on Google Earth:

Sil had sent a marker, which made it easier: "If you look up "Bosque de la Hoja, Heredia, Costa Rica" you'll get Galería Octágono campus. We're at the intersection: the road continues north to the Divide, and we're outside a huge fancy residencial development (Residencial Ave del Paraíso)."

They have a small B&B with a cabin and in my imagination, I am there, hiking around in the local hills and mountains. Here is one of the photos from her husband's, Rick's, blog:

Paradise, eh?

From there, I killed a couple more hours looking at Google Earth. I went to Kabul and ran away. What an awful place! Down to where I grew up in Brazil. Now everyone in my old neighborhood has a swimming pool in their back yard! Puh-leeze.... I don't want to hear any griping from my Brazilian friends about hard times! Went and took a look at Chicago, came down to Paducah and then the bird got tired and went to bed.

Woke up this morning.... and yes... I had a wonderful cup of that Costa Rican coffee. Thought of Silvia again. She had told me she was sending me a bag of coffee, but I had no idea it was going to be so big! Looks like I will be thinking about her for weeks ahead!

The Musician, available at Galeria Octagono

Galeria Octagono is a lively place with many community programs and projects. Silvia is now a radio celebrity, with a weekly program aimed at getting regular people to think about art, nature, and other topics. It's all about education, meaningfulness, creating community, making life rich with color, texture and collaboration. I think about how each of us has the potential to impact our local communities. How we live in such faraway places, but in a click of the button, we can get a bird's eye view of our neighborhoods. How we can never meet yet still be friends.

Want to share a cup of coffee with Silvia? I doubt she can send bags all over the world, but she is there, interacting with our online communities. Visit her website, her blog, and if you can, go down and spend some time at their B&B. And, I bet that if you have some craft supplies that need a new home, Galeria Octagono would be a good place to send them. Buy their art, send donations, and make new friends. It's a beautiful world and it warms my heart that Silvia is down there, doing her piece to make it so.

Thank you, Silvia!

Black Elk's Prayer: Meditation for Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T11:38:00.002-06:00

Today is Thanksgiving

here in the United States.

Top stories on BBC
News on this day of thanks:

Unrest, violence, and anger all over the world...

Occupy Wall Street has spread to major cities around the United States. As we hail on the Arab Spring, our leadership here cringes at our homegrown dissent of the status quo. Arrests, pepper spray, beatings, evacuations...

USA News: Scores Arrested at Occupy Chicago

How do we make sense of it all?

How do we give thanks?

Well, I know that the only way I can keep a smile on my face is to think small, to zoom into my own back yard and try to make my little world have a positive impact on what's around me. The supposed domino effect... Everything we do has an impact on the world in some way:

Thanksgiving has become an annual tribute, for me, to the Native Americans who inhabited this land before we white people arrived. Those first whites would have died if it had not been for the natives who showed them how to plant corn and survive the winter.

I planted a Native American variety of corn this year in my garden. The stalks grew really, really tall and spindly. Then, we had a big storm and they all fell over. I read online that when there is too much clay in the soil, the roots can't take hold and it's a problem... My uncle-the-farmer poo-poohed the idea of even trying a Native American variety of corn. "Stay away from that and go with the hybrids that are tested and true."

Hmmm..... Maybe I want the challenge... For sure, I would have been one of the white girls who would not have survived Thanksgiving in those early days...

I don't have Indians on a pedestal, glamorizing the past or seeing them as good while the whites were/are evil. History happened as it did. It is up to us to shape the future. But, I do like the relationship that Natives had/have with the land and how God speaks to us through it. So, on Thanksgiving, I find one story and think about that for the day.

On this day, I will be thinking about Black Elk and John Neihardt. Here is a little ditty about this video:

John Neihardt reciting Black Elk's Prayer. Neihardt wrote the prayer shortly after the 1931 historic talks he had with Black Elk at Pine Ridge Reservation. He was able to capture in poetic form what the great Sioux holy man was relating to
him in Lakota conversation. In 1971 Neihardt recorded his recitation of the prayer. Thirty five years later, grandson Robin composed the music and combined it digitally with John Neihardt's recording. The old photos in the video clip were taken by John Neihardt and his daughter Hilda during the 1931 meetings.

Black Elk's words resonate through time. But, even more beautiful to me is the legacy that both he and Neihardt left for the future, collaborating together to create peace and understanding, a bridge between cultures.

May we all build our own bridges as we move ahead in history, knocking down one domino at a time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Black Elk and Neihardt at the Sioux

Victory celebration at Pine Ridge in September 1945.

Cool stocking stuffers from Rayela Art

2011-11-22T17:51:00.000-06:00

The small gift can sometimes be the most memorable.... Diamonds might be some girls' best friends, but there are others of us who like something a little more rustic, something that comes from far away and has a story..............

May I suggest my shop on Etsy as a source for such mementos? If the Christmas stocking is still a tradition in your home, you might find just the perfect small stuff over at Rayela Art! Click on the captions of the following suggestions and it will take you to the item's listing:

Milagro women praying, $15.

Senufo pendant, woman kneeling, lost wax pendant, $42.

Whistle stamps from India, $12.50

Fabric for that quilter you know.

Set of stereograph cards, $18.

Definitely not your run-of-the-mill stocking stuffers! The shop is stocked so look around. You will definitely find something really cool for that special person.

AND.............. there is a sale going on through Thanksgiving Day, November 24th.

25% off of

everything in the shop!

Use this coupon code when you check out:

NOVEMBERSALE

(You must use the code to get the discount. Etsy will automatically figure out the discount after you enter the code.)

For those of you here in the US, have a happy Thanksgiving Day!

Isabel Allende's message to women: Be passionate and change the world!

2011-11-22T11:17:00.000-06:00

Isabel Allende

I have loved Isabel Allende's books over the years. Blending that special Latin magical realism with history, both real and imagined, her stories capture the passion possible through characters that mirror our world.

She was a guest speaker for a TED conference. These 18 minutes will make you laugh and will inspire you towards the change that most of us are wishing for our world: justice, freedom and kindness. This was filmed in 2007 but is more than relevant for today.

See her books and learn more about Isabel Allende on her website.

25% Off on Rayela's Biodegradable Art !

2011-11-19T13:20:00.002-06:00

Recycled Dog Food Bag by Rayela Art

Rachel Biel, 1989

Many years ago I used to work with clay. I loved it! I did it for about four years and my skill level was just at the point where some serious work was beginning to happen. Mostly, I made bowls and boxes to sell at art fairs and shops, but I was getting into big, sculptural work.

We had a community of clay artists who remain as some of my favorite people to this day. I saw Roberta and Maryanne when I was in Chicago a couple of months ago:

Patte, Kate and Andi at the back, Maryanne and Roberta in front. Chicago clay artists in the late 1980's.

We made many wonderful things and then there were those awful ones, best used smashed as fillers for the bottoms of flower pots. I used to imagine our work being excavated a couple hundreds of years from now... remnants of a lost civilization. What would the future archaeologists think of us?

Art festival in Chicago, 1995

By the mid 90's, I had moved on to fiber, hooked forever. Clay had become impractical and I wanted something that I could work on at home. Almost everything that I make now would rot away if it was buried. From dust to dust. That really appeals to me!

"Garden Greens" by Rayela Art, $370

So, I sew, embroider and fold paper, salvaged from my dog's food bags. That is, theoretically, I do. I haven't made much since I launched TAFA almost two years ago, but my hope is that I will have more time once our new site is launched. I have lots of ideas in my head that are begging to come out, all biodegradable!

Prairie Point Centerpiece, "Golden Flower" by Rayela Art, $150

I have several pillows, a couple of hats, dogfood bags, pillows and some other things I've made in my Etsy shop: Rayela on Etsy. I moved everything I made into that link to make it easy to find. You will see that I love texture and little pieces of things brought together to make something bigger... I try to use recycled supplies that might have ended up in the dump. And, I like interesting fabrics, a distressed look... earthiness. Appropriate, eh?

Reversible Hat, "Geisha's Garden", Rayela Art, $42

Look at the rest of the shop, too. I sell mostly ethnic textiles and vintage supplies. Everything is on sale through Thanksgiving Day, November 24th.

Coupon Code: You MUST enter this code at check out to get the discount: NOVEMBERSALE.

Rachel Biel working with clay, 1989

How about you? Do you think of how your carbon footprint will impact the future?

Ralli Quilts on Sale: 25% Off!

2011-11-11T15:57:00.003-06:00

Dimensions: 82" long x 59" wide
Metric: 208.5 x 150 cm
Ralli #95, $140 (discounted to $105)

I have posted quite a bit about ralli quilts in this blog. If you would like to learn more about them, click here to see the past posts. Made in villages throughout India and Pakistan, ralli quilts have been a big favorite of mine and I buy them when I can. Mothers have handed the designs down to their daughters for generations and finishing off a ralli is a communal event, much like our historical quilting bees. Women sit around the unfinished piece, stitching the long rows that will hold it together. I love the uneven squares, the sometimes odd choices of fabric, and the multi-functional role these pieces have served: bed quilt, wall hanging and even as a door in the village huts...

I have five rallis left in my Etsy shop. You can see all of them on this page: click! Two are simple whole cloth quilts, priced at $60 and $75. The discount would bring them down to $45 and $56.25. The one shown at the top of this post is the biggest one, in very good, usable condition.

This one is my favorite and the most expensive one I have ever carried:

Dimensions: 62" long x 43" wide
Metric: 157.5 x 109 cm
Ralli #93, $350 (discounted to $262.50)

Small and fragile, this ralli would have to be used as a wall hanging or as a decorative throw such as on a guest bed. It would only cover the foot or middle of a bed. The applique and color choices are lovely!

Another favorite is this wonky checkered ralli:

Dimensions: 78" long x 50" wide
Metric: 198 x 127 cm
Ralli #94, $135 (discounted to $101.25)

Yes, it is narrower at the bottom... The quilt does not hang well, but it looks great thrown on to a couch or bed. What I like best about it is the feel of the fabric. I can't figure out what it is and assume it's some kind of polyester, but it is soft and worn and feels like silk. Maybe an acetate? Normally, I despise polyester, but whatever this is, it is cool, soft and pleasing to touch.

These are your five ralli choices! All 25% off through November 24th. I normally give free shipping on orders over $100 but will not be able to do that during the sale. When you are through shopping, type in NOVEMBERSALE as your coupon code and Etsy will add the 25% discount to anything that is in my shop.

Wrap yourself in a ralli!

African Textiles on Sale

2011-11-10T10:11:00.002-06:00

Vintage Kuba Hat on Rayela Art

I have a 25% off sale going on in my Etsy shop through Thanksgiving. I've always loved African textiles and try to carry some in my shop on a regular basis. For some reason, they seem to sit on Etsy... Hopefully, this sale will help some gorgeous pieces find a new home.

The Kuba hat above has been a favorite by viewers, ending up in many treasuries in the past year. Truly a gorgeous piece, it is probably from around the 1950's. It comes from the Congo, an area in Africa rich in natural resources but enmeshed in terrible conflicts right now. Overpopulation and ethnic clashes are threatening nature reserves, the most controversial being forested areas and corridors used by gorillas.

The hat would have been worn perched on top of the head, held in place with a long hat pin. I don't have any of the pins. Priced at $180, the 25% discount brings it down to $135.

Kuba Cloths

I have 7 Kuba cloths currently listed: Click! I used to sell Kubas on eBay quite easily, but closed my shop there a couple of years ago. They have not been a hit on Etsy. I love them and have a couple in my own house. Woven from raffia palms in a technique very similar to carpet weaving, they are pliable, soft and make great mats or can be framed and hung on the wall. I have also seen pillows made out of them. Picasso and other artists in the 1950's were greatly influenced by the geometric patterns found in Kuba cloths. Kuba are also made using applique, but I don't have any at this time and they are much more expensive.

There are many qualities of Kuba and these are the highest quality available in this size. It is hard to tell how old they are, but the trader I bought them from estimated that they were at least 20 or 30 years old. They are $125 and the discount brings them down to $93.75.

Senufo Bronze Pendant: Ivory Coast, Mali

I have four of these lost wax Senufo pendants, two with horses and two of women. The lost wax technique has been used for centuries around the world to cast small objects. The original is made out of wax and then covered by clay. The metal is poured in and the wax melts out, so each piece is a unique, one of a kind piece. If you like rustic pieces, these Senufo pendants should grab you. They would be great as key chain amulets. Price: $42 With discount: $31.50

The 25% off sale will go through November 24th, Thanksgiving Day. Use NOVEMBERSALE at check out and Etsy will figure out the discount automatically.

See all of my African items: Click!

Happy shopping!

Rayela Art's Thanksgiving Sale

2011-11-09T15:54:00.000-06:00

Rayela Art's Thanksgiving Sale

Thanksgiving is coming up here in the United States, the 24th of November. I have a lot to be thankful for, especially as TAFA's new site gets ready to launch. So, I am putting my Etsy shop on sale, 25% off of everything through the 24th.

Rayela Art: Tribal and Vintage Textiles

Of course, my agenda is also to hopefully move some things. I have a big pile of things to photograph and list and would like to re-order some of my best sellers that I've run out of. So, will you help me make room for new things?

A couple of ideas:

Wooden stamps from India, available on Rayela Art

I have several of these sets, small carved stamps from India. Not great as a stamp, but interesting as a rustic ornament. Add a eye screw picture hanger and hang it on your tree. Great stocking stuffers. Currently priced at $12.50 a set, the discount brings it down to $9.38. Do you see the little round things on the side of some of them? Those are whistles. Screechy, like a cat in heat. Lovely, eh?

Pakistani Remnant Pillows from Rayela Art

I have a lot of these pillows and a pile more to list. Old textiles have been selvaged and made into something new. I don't really care for the cowrie shells on these pillows, but some people might like them. If you don't, they are easily snipped off. Great gifts for college kids! Well, for the ones that go tribal in their decor... Normally $18, they are now $13.50. A great deal for all that embroidery! We used to sell them easily in our Chicago gallery for $45 a piece!

Go look around and find some things that you like. When you are done, type in NOVEMBERSALE as your coupon code during check out. Etsy will automatically take off the discount from the total. I won't be able to give my free shipping offers with the sale, but most of my things fit in flat rate envelopes.

Have fun shopping! Clicking on any of the items below will take you to my Etsy shop.

Uncontacted Tribes

2011-11-07T11:19:00.000-06:00

Awá child, Amazon, photo by Survival International

A friend sent me a link to Survival International's website, Uncontacted Tribes. These are tribes that still have no contact with the rest of us, considered "civilized" by some. Many live in forested areas that have encroaching development on their periphery. Quite a few are down to just a few surviving people. For example, the Akuntsu of the Amazon in Brazil only have six people left. The rest of their tribe was slaughtered by developers of a major roadway that went through their land in Rondonia, a Brazilian state in the Northwest, just South of the Amazon.

Can you imagine being left with only five other people who understand your language, your way of life?

Survival International describes a bit of the Akuntsu life: "The Akuntsu make wooden flutes which  are used in dances and rituals. They wear arm bands and anklets made of  palm fibre. Shell necklaces have been replaced by necklaces of bright  plastic which the Akuntsu cut from the  pesticide containers left as litter by the ranchers.  They paint their bodies with urucum (annatto dye) for ceremonies." Learn more about these survivors on their page: Akuntsu

Survival International has a list of tribes who are threatened around the world, each with pages describing their story, how they are threatened and what can be done for them. A couple have even made a come back!

The last issue of National Geographic had an awful story about what is going on in the Congo. One of the most fertile areas in Africa and held as a conservation area for wildlife, people have been destroying the forest and wildlife in order to survive. This is also where refugees from the Rwandan genocide have fled to and they want the land. Armed guerrillas fight the rangers for control of the forest|:

I don't know why I even read or watch these reports. It is so discouraging and sad. I remember that back in High School, late 1970's, we were told, "If this doesn't stop, this will happen..." Cause and effect. The 7 billionth child was just born. Where are we going?

It doesn't help to close my eyes. I know it is all happening. The beauty of our planet being run over by our own lifestyle along with the greed, guns, and guerrillas of a failed social system. Yes, it's depressing. But, I do believe that every little thing we do in our own corner of the world can create a positive reaction that will stop some of this destruction. Keep your corner healthy and teach your neighbor how to do it, too!

Here is a Shipibo textile from Medicine Hunter which reminds me how we are all woven together and our paths cross, whether we see it or not:

Shipibo Ayahuasca Textile

The Shipibo people are native to the Peruvian Amazon. Traditionally, the women create these beautiful hand embroidered textiles depicting visions experienced in ceremony with Ayahuasca Shaman.

Artist Erica Harris and the Buddha's Smile School

2011-10-31T10:40:00.001-05:00

Scholarships at the Buddha's Smile School awarded to Paro, Vishal, Ravi, Khusboo, Rekha, Sunita, Brijesh, and Pooja.

Erica Harris is a new cyber friend. An extremely talented artist, I found common ground with her because of her interest in economic development and cultures around the world. In her own words:

"I live in Brooklyn, New York. The history, debris, languages, and industries of my metropolis are a huge source of materials and inspiration. I also teach art to children, both here and internationally.

In recent years I have facilitated projects in India, Guatemala, Macedonia, Brazil, El Salvador, Southeast Asia, and Brooklyn. These settings have had a profound influence on my work, and the collaborations with children have been extremely rewarding exchanges. I learn as much, if not more, from looking at children’s art and talking with them about their process and ideas as I do from the museums and galleries of New York. Using art as a tool to outline and interpret their relationships to family, school, work, play, death, violence, society, and the environment, I am provided with such a simple visual vocabulary, so eloquent and universal."

Her work ranges in mood from serious to whimsical, but always meaningful. Here are a couple of examples:

Cambodian Woman by Erica Harris

Studiocraft for American Craft Magazine by Erica Harris

Erica is currently helping the Buddha's Smile School in India to raise money for their scholarships. She has a couple of events and is donating proceeds from her Etsy shop. Here is the info she sent me:
_________________________

We have started a Scholarship Fund for 8 students of Buddha's Smile School in Varanasi, India and hope you can contribute! (Pictured at the top of this post) The students are: Paro, Vishal, Ravi, Khusboo, Rekha, Sunita, Brijesh, and Pooja.

Each scholarship of 25,000 Rupees (about $500) covers costs for school supplies, books, clothing, first aid, meals, and transportation for one year.

These are children previously holding down full-time jobs, mostly as garbage collectors and recyclers on the streets of Varanasi. For most of them, Buddhas Smile School, a non-denominational, non-profit school, is their first experience with education and with someone taking an interest in their well-being.

Kids at Buddha's Smile School in their new winter clothes.

Here's how you can participate:

All proceeds of any purchase on my Etsy site from now until November 15th will be contributed to the fund. In partnership with the lovely Brooklyn Commune cafe in Windsor Terrace, a print sale of my collages and drawings is running until November 24th.

All proceeds go towards the fund.

Prints are 20 bucks.

25 prints= 1 scholarship.

If you would like to create a full or partial scholarship either by purchase or donation in your name, or in the name of your family, school, organization, press or label, I will make a one-of-a-kind certificate and present it to the school when I visit in January. Just think of it!

For donations, please go HERE, and scroll to the bottom of the page.

As always, thank you so much for your support.
If you have already contributed, your generosity is greatly appreciated!

-Erica, Shannon, and Rajan (founder of Buddha's Smile School)

http://www.ericaharris.org

Erica's shop on Etsy:

Following the Bison Trail Part II by Doris Florig

2011-10-12T10:07:00.001-05:00

"Gros Ventre", Bison Fiber Sculpture by Doris Florig

Part II. Gros Ventre

Read Part I

It took all summer to complete but it was worth every minute. While working on him, he got moved around quite a bit from studio to studio. Everywhere he went he created quite a stir. Unlike other art work, there was never a hesitation in the response of the observer. Some jumped because he seemed so real, others thought he was scary and others laughed showing great pleasure. The reactions changed as he took shape, but there was always an uninhibited reaction. He has been fun from start to finish.

He was constructed from nothing but wire, a raw fleece, felted wool, yarn, real bison hair and real horns. Once completed, he sold immediately. I am happy to say that he went to a good home. He was purchased by Marie-Eve and Harvey Locke. Harvey is the founder of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, commonly known as Y2Y. One of their projects is to reintroduce the Bison to Banff National Park.

With my approval Harvey and Marie-Eve named their new sculpture after the location where he was conceived, “Gross Ventre”. Headed for Canada, they left my studio grinning and smiling. ”Gros Ventre” become the first bison to migrate to Banff National Park as part of the BISON BELONG project.

Should I do a big horn sheep next?

______________

Doris Florig is currently teaching in the fiber department at Jackson Hole, WY at the Center for the Arts. To learn more about workshops and classes offered contact Doris: email.

Doris is a TAFA member although her member profile is still not posted. Visit her website.

See all of Doris's posts here on Fiber Focus.

Steve Jobs Leaves Us a Challenge: Live Fully

2011-10-06T09:09:00.000-05:00

Steve Jobs, Apple Genius and Visionary

The sad news that Steve Jobs has died is a top story on the news today. Can one man or woman change the world? Steve Jobs did. And, he did it in an elegant and dignified manner. I don't know how he passed his last weeks or hours, but imagine that he did it with similar grace, as much as that is possible as a body succumbs to cancer. I know so many people right now who are also facing that inevitable transition we must all go through someday: when death closes the final door to life as we know it.

A couple of quotes from Steve Jobs:

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful, that's what matters to me."

"I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."

Most of us will not make the headlines when we die, but we can impact those around us with our talents and gifts. We can be a light in our small corner of the world. Steve Jobs strove to keep things simple and light, to make things functional and useful, and to enjoy the process and make it meaningful.

I wonder what else he would have brought the world if he had lived to old age. A candle that burned too brightly and too quickly? In the end, all of the money in the world, all of the medical knowledge we now have, the resources and technology, cannot save us when it is time to go.

Life is precious. Live fully!

The Rayela Review: HAND/EYE Magazine

2011-09-08T23:52:00.001-05:00

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!

New listings on Etsy! Vintage printing stamps from India!

2011-08-20T16:15:00.000-05:00


Little printing stamps from India

I got a bunch of these little stamps from a dealer who had bought them at an estate sale. It looks like they had been in storage for a long time as the boxes they were in were in pretty bad shape. These stamps are small: 1.5" x 1" x 1" (Metric: 3.25 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm) and the images they produce are not that great. I tested a couple. But, I think they could be fun as a quick repeat design on cards of fabric.

I divided them up into sets of six and am selling them for $12.50 a set (a couple bucks each). The fun thing is, many of them are also whistles! See the holes on the sides? They sound like a kazoo or a cat in heat, or, the ones that work do. I also thought there could be other uses for these: knobs on drawers or boxes, party favors, shadow box piece, etc.

You can see all of the stamps I have in stock on this page: Textile Stamps.

New Arrivals! Pakistani Remnant Pillows

2011-08-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

Remnant pillows from Pakistan

I listed 12 new pillow covers in my Etsy shop a couple of days ago. The pillows are made of vintage textile remnants, couched with a thick black cotton in between the pieces. Gorgeous textures and rich colors! I got these from a dealer at a good price and kept the prices low, passing on my savings to you! We used to sell these in our gallery for $48 and I have them at $18 in my shop!

All of them have cowrie shells sewn on them, an element that I don't particularly care for on these fabrics. They are easy to remove if you also think they might be too heavy for the delicate embroideries. Only in the last 20 years have remnants become valuable and I just love it when odd bits and pieces come together to form a new whole. Think of all of the labor that went into each hand embroidered part!

The backs are all a black cotton with a zipper enclosure. Mix and match to make sets. I think these are a great gift for college kids going off to school. Give them a piece of dazzle to spruce up their dorm rooms! These pillow covers are 14" square, an easy pillow form size to find in hobby and fabric shops.

You can see all of the pillow covers in my etsy shop here.

Enjoy!

Vote for us on Idea Cafe!

2011-08-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

We are finalists for a $1,000 small business grant from Idea Cafe! I applied on behalf of TAFA, hoping that we could use this money to help market the new website. The grant is given to the finalist who has the most votes, so go over there and help us give a great showing!

Vote for TAFA!

And, if you also have a small business, check out Idea Cafe and see if they have anything that can help you, too!

TAFA's New Website: The Prototype is Here!

2011-07-24T17:24:00.000-05:00

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was launched in January of 2010 using Blogger as a temporary platform. All along, I have known that eventually we would have to invest in a new site that could accommodate our needs. By January of 2011, we had clearly outgrown the blog format and began investing time and energy in getting a new site. For the last two months we have been fundraising on IndieGoGo. With two days to go, we have raised enough to launch the core part of our site, but still need another $1,400 to develop all of the bells and whistles we would like to have on the site.

Our designer, Nathan Brown of Horizon Media Group, finished the prototypes for the new site's look yesterday. I almost cried with relief when I got the emails from him. Although we still have a lot of work to do, I knew that our members would like this design. It was so much more beautiful than I imagined! It spells happiness and joy, a welcoming to the beauty that is so much what TAFA is all about!

The landing page has several versions, showing how the largest image will flash to different scenes:

Nathan basically plugged in different things he found from our links. The Home Page will be the portal to the different hubs and features of the site. We are working on much of that through a think tank group of TAFA members. All along, as TAFA has developed and grown as an organization, members have had input and helped shape the direction. It has truly been a great experiment in democracy! Of course, I have to make many of the decisions, but I feel that I can do so from an informed place. Our members are mature and have an extraordinary amount of knowledge, business savvy, and experience in the field. I certainly could not have come this far on my own and every day I am grateful, humbled and honored by having this experience with TAFA and its members.

TAFA Member Profile Prototype

Right now, our members have their profiles on the site as a post, listing their background and internet sites. At full functionality, each member will have their own landing page, highlighting their products and other online presence. Member profiles will be like mini-websites. All users will be able to register, sign in, save profiles and product that they like for further reference, leave comments and connect to each other. We want to be able to integrate some of the best social media functions into the site. That is what we still need to raise some money for... and that is what will benefit the whole fiber art and textile community the most. We hope that you will see how wonderful TAFA will be as a community hub.


Product search template for TAFA

Developing a smooth search system for TAFA products is the most challenging part of the site for us. We have a think tank on facebook, a group of TAFA members, which has been discussing how to best set this up. Language is important. There will be two product areas on TAFA, the main search database that links back to member profiles and a market, much like the one we have set up temporarily, TAFA Market, which links to member shopping carts outside of the site. One is basically to introduce member products and the other is for shopping. The main search will also include books authored by members, videos, and so on.

Do you like what you see? YOU can help us make TAFA the best it can be. Donate to our campaign.

Go to the IndieGoGo Fundraiser

We only have a couple of days left. Here is what you get with your donation:

All donors will be listed permanently on a page on our new website. You can see who has contributed so far by going here.
$10 Donation: Name on the site
$20 Donation: Name and link of choice on the site.
$50 Donation: Name, link and image on site.
$100 Donation: Name, link, image and gift. (See gifts listed.)
$215 Donation: Name, link, image and 18 months of advertising. (Less than $12 a month).

We still need to raise over $1,300, so any amount you can give will help us get closer to our goal.

The new site will still take a couple of months of work before we can launch it. Meanwhile, visit our member profiles at TAFA List and shop from our TAFA Market. You can also visit our Etsy member shops on our Team Blog.

Many thanks to all of you who have contributed and are making a wild and beautiful dream come true!

Visit the TAFA Market!

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List now has an online market!

2011-07-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Visit TAFA's Online Market!

We have been fundraising on IndieGoGo for the last 50 days to raise money for TAFA's new website. The goal is to create a site that can serve as a hub for our members (now at almost 300 from 23 countries), that is interactive, that showcases our products, announces workshops, and that has all kinds of bells and whistles which will serve the whole textile and fiber art community. Such a site costs money. We have been working with a local design group in Paducah who has quoted the cost at around $5,000, a low price for what we are getting ('cuz they like me and they like TAFA).

We have 11 days left to the fundraiser and are only halfway at our goal. We need all of you who can donate to jump in and do so now. Oh, and the TAFA Market? What's THAT about? Well, my feeling was that people needed a visual to see what our products would look like on an image-based search engine. So, Aynex Designs, a TAFA member, offered to set something up on Wordpress. She and I worked hard at it for two weeks and we ended up with something truly stunning!

Art Quilts on the TAFA Market

This is a temporary site intended to help give our fundraiser momentum, but also a great exercise in looking at categories, language and other design elements we will incorporate into the new site. We hope to have a prototype of the new landing page in the next few days. (The new site will look nothing like this one.) A group of TAFA members is meeting on facebook in a "think-tank" capacity, discussing the many ways we can set up categories, how they can break down, what they should be called, etc. When we talk about "textiles and fiber art", we are including ancient traditions and all kinds of experimental niches within the contemporary arena- how do we make sense of it all?


Accessories and Jewelry on the TAFA Market

For this temporary site, I tried to keep it simple. We have some of the major type categories (art quilts, weaving, felting, embroidery) and then a few function categories (accessories and jewelry, home interiors, tools and supplies, etc.). We were also able to create other groupings by using tags, such as "nature" or "jewelry-necklace", so that the images would show up in different ways.

Felting on the TAFA Market

Who is on the TAFA Market? I chose to reward members who have contributed time and or money to TAFA, both in the fundraiser and through this past year. We have come a long way and I am so grateful to all of the members who have supported this vision and me. It is easy for me to work on behalf of TAFA- just look at these products! They truly are the cream of the crop! Our growth process has been extremely democratic with member input and ideas shaping the vision all along. I did have this larger idea of TAFA's potential from the beginning, but there has been a core group of members who have dedicated time and energy to help me make it happen. (We're not there yet, so we do need YOU to jump in, too!) The products you see on the TAFA Market are a small percentage of what will be on the new site. We seriously aim to become THE destination for the textile and fiber art community.

Weaving on the TAFA Market

One of the things I am most proud of TAFA is its international representation. I have been on a crusade for a long time, insisting that "ethnic" and "contemporary" products need to share the same platform. My dream is finally coming true! On almost every page of the TAFA Market, you will see examples of work made by studio artists along side of work made by traditional communities from around the world. Why should the San Francisco weaver and the one in Laos be separated withing the Handmade Revolution? This is a huge beef I have with Etsy. They have aggressively barred fair trade groups and non-profits from having a collective presence on the site. I find this injurious and damaging on so many levels! The TAFA Market proves that co-existence is the right approach. We are in this world together. We learn from each other, we grow because of what the other does, and we have similar needs.

Supplies and Tools on the TAFA Market

Building the Supplies and Tools page was a fascinating process! We have so many member who are selling gorgeous yarns, fabrics, dyes and tools.... I think this in itself will be a huge contribution to the fiber arts/textile community. Access to so many small businesses who are harvesting their own materials, many with a commitment to environmental and humane practices. Absolutely wonderful!

Workshops on the TAFA Market

Finally, I added a page of workshops and it makes your jaw drop... TAFA's membership consists of mostly women in their 50's and 60's. This means that they are seasoned experts. Many, many are teachers and authors, leaders in our community. The new site will be able to showcase all of these talents and opportunities in wonderful ways. There will be a community calendar where you will be able to see all of the workshops being offered around the world. Members will be able to load their video tutorials, books, and other educational tools on the site. The collective knowledge represented here is endless!

I hope that this post motivates you to contribute financially to our vision. Donate whatever you can to our fundraiser on IndieGoGo. Donors are thanked on facebook, indiegogo and will have a permanent link on our site. For now, you can see who has donated and what gifts are available on this page. We are offering a great advertising deal, too. Donate $215 to the fundraiser and get an 18 month ad on TAFA. This will transfer over to the new site when it launches. You do not need to have a business to do this. You can advertise your favorite charity or site and you will know that you are supporting a great cause.

What will happen to this TAFA Market? The new site will still take a few months to build. Meanwhile, we can use this one to showcase our members. Click on an image on the market and it takes you to the member's shopping cart. Buy from them! Support these wonderful people who work so hard to excel at what they do! Share the link with others who may also like it. Spread the word about TAFA!

I am deeply appreciative of all the time Aynex spent in helping us set this up. Do you need a new website or graphic design services? Please contact her for any work you need done. She has a broad range of experience, her prices are reasonable, and she is just a great person. Aynex Designs

Together we can do great things!

Following the Bison Hair Trail by Doris Florig

2011-06-23T11:54:00.009-05:00

Bison by Doris Florig
"This guy has a lot of shedding to do..."

I have been looking for weeks and couldn’t find any bison hair. Each time I would see the herd, the bison looked shaggier and shaggier. I watched to see where they were spending their time and then I would go back and search the area: mainly, following their paths through thick, scrubby areas down by the streams. I knew that I should find the small clumps of hairs on eye level branches.

No, fibers don't grow on trees.
The bison hair gets caught on the trees as the herds pass through thickly wooded areas.

I started early May. The weather was warm enough to be outside searching for the hair but it was not consistent: there were a lot of ups and downs, freezing at night and sometimes warm during the day or snowy. I thought that the winter was over but now I think that the Bison knew more about what to expect then I. But, at last on May 26, I spotted a clump of fibers dangling from a fallen tree trunk. After that first sighting it was easy. I found fibers dangling from the branches just about every 10 – 15 feet apart.

You have to look closely to find the fibers.

I gathered with enthusiasm until I heard strange sound. Once I realized I was hearing snorting sounds, I decided that I better move on and come back another day.

" I think I should come back later..."

I have never been afraid of wildlife, assuming they are more afraid of me then I am of them. But, in the case of the bison, every year in Yellowstone Park someone gets seriously, injured by a charging bison. One time from my car, I saw a bison leisurely walking down the yellow line of the road. As he passed the car approaching in the opposite lane, he calmly bent down, hooked his horn under the wheel well and ripped the fender away from the car. Keeping that in mind, I closed my zip lock collecting bag, walked back to the van and headed back to Jackson Hole.

Gros Ventre Wilderness Map

I will be using the fiber to make a very large bison head felted sculpture so I will need a lot of fiber. Right now I am working on the foundation of the face. It will be made of wool. It will be several months before I get to the point of adding finishing touches with the real bison fibers. I will spend many hours returning to Gros Ventre National Forest gathering more bison fibers. It reminds me of collecting for natural dyes; the best part is being outdoors and learning about the environment. Spending time on the bison range is such an incredible experience.

The three dimensional portrait will be part of an exhibit known as the the Yellowstone to Yukon Tapestry Series by Doris Florig.

Doris Florig, weaver of the wild!

Doris Florig is currently teaching in the fiber department at Jackson Hole, WY at the Center for the Arts. To learn more about workshops and classes offered contact Doris: email.

Doris is a TAFA member although her member profile is still not posted. Visit her website.

Fiberarts Magazine Bites the Dust. Call to Action!!!

2011-06-18T12:56:00.001-05:00

TAFA Member, Luke Haynes, on the last issue of Fiberarts Magazine

My latest copy of Fiberarts Magazine arrived on Wednesday and I was absolutely thrilled to see Luke Haynes, a TAFA member on the cover! A few pages later, I saw that Lisa Call, another TAFA member, won an Award of Excellence at the prestigious Quilt National 2011. Woo hoo! Kudos to both of them! They deserve all of this and more as both work at producing a huge and consistent body of work that rocks our textile community!

Then, under News and Notes, I saw that our esteemed local art gallery, the Yeiser Art Center, announced the winners of the Fantastic Fibers show. I attended the opening night. The jurors, Freda Fairchild, Caryl Bryer Fallert (TAFA Member) and Judy Schwender (curator of the National Quilt Museum) are members of Paducah Fiber Artists, my local fiber art group.

Oh, then on page 32, Fiberarts had held a competition on artist studio spaces and Denise Labadie, yet another TAFA member, won the award for Best Organization/Storage. Wowzers! Fiberarts Magazine was turning into a place of familiar faces!

"Monastic Ruin at Glendalough" by Denise Labadie

With a shock, I read that this latest issue would also be the LAST ISSUE!!!!! From Editor Marci Rae McDade:

"FIBERARTS has been both an impactful magazine to the contemporary art community and a labor of lover for us here at Interweave. However, times change and the support for Fiberarts has not been strong enough over the past several years to continue keeping it in circulation. As a result, the Summer 2011 issue of Fiberarts will be the last one we publish. We at Interweave thank all of the subscribers, as well as the artists, writers, venues, and advertisers who have contributed to Fiberarts over the years."

?????!!!!!?????

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS of publishing and being a driving force in this community just goes down like that? Without a fight? Chat boards and forums have been discussing this in a rage. We are left hanging, with so many questions... Why did they not share with the community that they were struggling and that they might have to close? Why didn't they try combining an online version with the published one? How about making advertising rates cheaper so that more of us could purchase them? Why? Why? Why?

Lisa Call, winner of the Award of Excellence at Quilt National 2011 explores human-made structures of containment.

Surely, Interweave Press did not make this decision lightly. They most certainly examined other options. Still, this is a terrible loss to the serious reflection of and on trends, value, emerging and established artists and news within the textile and fiber arts community. Yes, there are other magazines, but none of them have the history and seasoned experience of this one, which emerged along with the people it represented at a time when textiles struggled for recognition as an art form.

What does this death of this important voice say about us as a group? Are we really not able to sustain the businesses that represent and inspire us?

This scares the $#*^@! out of me. As most of you know, TAFA has been fundraising for a new website. We are trying to raise $5,000. That is NOT a lot of money nowadays, but if you don't have it, it could be the same as 5 million. $1,500 has come in. All of it, except for one donation has come from TAFA members. Sure, they are the ones who will benefit the most from the site, but I have been surprised to my core that nobody else has contributed to our campaign. We have over 1700 followers on our facebook page. $2 bucks apiece would buy the new site.

I have spent money on facebook, google, project wonderful and google ads. Not one response. I am exhausted by the effort and from the lack of support. I know that when the new site is launched it will quickly become one of the major hubs for this community. We will not be and have no intention of becoming a replacement for Fiberarts Magazine. We have a different focus, but the same inspiration that that magazine offered will be there for everybody.

Caryl Bryer Fallert, juror for Fantastic Fibers

If a 35 year old institution can't make it, then how can emerging ones like TAFA hope to succeed? Yes, this is the worst economy since the Great Depression, yet there are still plenty of people spending money on luxury items. Are we, the artists and organizations that support and inspire fiber arts and textiles, not worth the investment? It's a pretty depressing scenario.

So, here we go:

CALL TO ACTION!!!!

(Yes, I am yelling in a loud voice, waving an embroidered banner...)

Pick a fiber arts or textile cause today and give it your vote of confidence with some cash.

Of course, I hope that you will want to support TAFA with its fundraiser, but it could be a group in your local community, another magazine you enjoy (may I suggest Hand/Eye or the Textile Blog?) Or, buy something from someone who is making textiles or fiber art. Connie Rose has a 50% off sale going on. Our TAFA members who have Etsy shops can be found in our Catalog of Shops. We are all people struggling to keep afloat. Support us!

Fiberarts Magazine may not have put out a call for help, but I am doing so now.

Alone, it's an uphill battle that may end up face down in the dust.

Together, we can do anything!

Impact of Crafts in Our Global Economy

2011-06-08T12:49:00.000-05:00

urbanknit

The 1970's saw a revival of crafts and hobbies that hearkened back to the pre-industrial revolution era. Crafts that demanded fine motor skills, used historic, often hand-made tools, and emphasized simple materials. All kinds of do-it-yourself kits hit the stores: macramé, paint-by-number, pottery wheels for kids, glass trimming tools, beading, sewing, embroidery, knitting, stained glass and so on.

Hobbies became entrenched into the middle class psyche. Niche interests developed communities where classes, guilds, and groups formed. This exposure led to increased value given to the arts, leading to specialized degrees at universities and the growth of galleries dedicated to specific interests.

Fabric of Life

The 1980's saw a partnership of understanding grow between non-profits, non-governmental agencies, foundations and others who were interested in the economic development potential that the arts could bring to distressed communities. I learned about fair trade in the late 1980's, finding the marriage of all of my interests: art, economic development, and entrepreneurship. For almost 25 years, I have been working in some capacity to promote both artists and economic development projects that use handicrafts as their tool for change.

Dye Verse

The middle class in the United States and Europe has been key to supporting efforts for promoting the arts, in all of its forms. In the last 10 years, we have seen a decreased ability from all sides (governmental, academic, and financial) to support the arts. Our economic crisis is not a joke. It is real and we are witnessing the death of the middle class. There have never been more millionaires in the United States than there are now, while poverty increases at a rapid rate.

Last night, I watched my nightly dose of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Jon Stewart had Fareed Zakaria on as a guest. A regular on the show, Zakaria is the editor of Newsweek International and I always enjoy his commentaries. Here is a clip of the interview where he talks about his new book, an examination of technology and globalization on the American worker.

The Daily Show - Fareed Zakaria
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Zakaria points out that the United States is in deep trouble because corporations have, in their global capacity, moved manufacturing and services out of the country to other places where they can access cheap labor and all of the enticements places with little or no regulation offer gold seekers. The argument is always that the American public is at fault, since they are the ones that demand cheap products. In a sense, that may be true. But, I believe that it is mostly so because there is less buying power now than ever before since World War II.

Fiber Arts Connection

Instead, Zakaria says that we should use Germany as a model. The most stable economy in Europe, they have weathered this recession and actually show growth, largely due to their exports.

I chewed on this for awhile and once again, saw how important craft production is in all of our local economies. Yet, this sector is undervalued socially and economically. Images of all of our TAFA members popped into my head: working in their studios, raising sheep, re-working designs, organizing villages, drawing, cutting, sewing, spinning, painting, dyeing, tying, ironing, tearing apart, putting back together...... endless amounts of work, dedication, inspiration, frustration, stubbornness, experimentation, failures, successes....

Cloverleaf Art and Fibre

We are now the one of the largest manufacturing bases of America and Europe. Each studio is like a small factory. Our demand for green supplies has brought a return to animal husbandry, indigenous plant crops, organic farming, and small mills.

Colin's Creatures

Here are some numbers:

By 2001, the Craft industry was contributing $14 billion a year to the US economy. Barbara Brabec's World
CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) Stats for 2010:

Top Ten Craft Segments by Sales

Woodworking/Wood Crafts $3.322 billion
Drawing $2.078 billion
Food Crafting $2.001 billion
Jewelry Making $1.446 billion
Scrapbooking & Memory Crafts $1.440 billion
Floral Decorating $1.303 billion
Crocheting $1.062 billion
Card Making $1.040 billion
Home Décor Crafts (Non-Sewing) $948 million
Wedding Crafts $803 million

Vietnam: Quantity. Vietnam has about 2790 craft villages of which over 20% of households participated in producing eleven major products groups such as lacquer, Porcelain, Embroidery, Bamboo and Rattan, Sea grass, Textile, Paper, Folk picture, Wood, Stone in the country
Export value: According to statistics, the products export value of craft villages reached USD 273.700.000 in 2000; increased to more than USD 850.000.000 in 2008; and reached USD 900.000.000 in 2009 with 100 countries worldwide on the market.
Value of quilt industry in the US economy (2010): 3.58 billion (Quilting in America)


Alison Yule Textiles

I could go on and on and find the numbers that show how important the art and craft industries are to our global economy. Yet, we, as a group, are seen as insignificant and not taken seriously. We are doing this for fun, because we don't want a "real" job, because we are weird or anti-establishment. Most of us are "called" to this unrewarding work (in society's eyes). We are compelled to do this.

There is a weeding out process that happens when the young crafter begins experimenting, thinking that this might be a good way to live life. Once they begin to seriously set themselves up for business, most drop out. It is hard work. Even with a degree, a tiny minority can find well-compensated work in an art or craft related field. Those who stick with it, find themselves needing to learn all kinds of skills that have nothing to do with the real work they want to produce or sell. They must become marketers, photographers, book keepers, and so on.

Kantara Crafts

The internet has completely revolutionized the marketing of crafts. In the past, individuals and small businesses looked to galleries, craft fairs and trade shows for representation. Now, everyone has the potential of creating a formidable presence online. What? The middle class is disappearing in the United States? Well, maybe the new Russian elite might want to buy a weaving... Websites and blogs have become increasingly user friendly. Social media connects people from around the world. In theory, this is the most democratic and revolutionary transformation business has had since the Industrial Revolution. The reality is much different.

Deborah Grayson Studios

The serious craft business has enough on its plate with the business of product design and production. For small operations, there is the often desperate attempt to get out there and see direct results through self-marketing. It's an exhausting process in an ever-changing environment.

This is the key strategy behind TAFA's mission: Markets for Members. TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List intends to alleviate some of this by bringing the serious fiber artist and small textile business together. It can help streamline the individual efforts into collective groups where members do not have to swim alone. Yes, members still need to learn some of these skills if they want to effectively create a decent presence online. But, they do not need to spend as much time on capturing an audience. That is what TAFA hopes to do for them, to get out their and market the group as a whole to the various niches that can support them: galleries, interior decorators, boutiques, collectors, museum shops, and shoppers.

Donna Lorraine Contractor

In order to do that, TAFA needs a new website, one that has all of the bells and whistles that will attract that kind of a crowd. This will cost $5,000. TAFA is currently a project of Rayela Art, my business. Even if we were structured as a non-profit, it is very hard to apply for funding for arts related projects in this climate of need. There are so many natural disasters globally, victims of war, families losing homes, people in need of homes.... It is my firm belief that we should be able to raise this money from those who understand both our importance and our potential.

We are currently fundraising on IndieGoGo for these funds. If you are financially able to support us in this way, we ask that you do so now, at this critical juncture. TAFA now has 287 members representing 23 countries. We intend on growing the membership into the thousands, becoming a hub for the whole textile and fiber arts community. Help us get there.

Our members are offering gifts as a thank you for donations on this page: Click.
But, the best perk we have is 18 months of advertising for $215.
That is less than $12 a month!

Once we reach our goal, it will still take three months for the design team to create the site. Ads that are current when that happens, will transfer over to the new site. Similar sites charge over $200 a week!

Types of ads that would do well on our site: health, bed and body, organic, spirituality, antiques, gardening, yoga supplies, other crafts, jewelry, and so on. We are mostly women between the ages of 35 and 65, both in our membership and in our facebook demographics where we have 1,700 fans.

Of course, all donations are welcome. Those who cannot donate can help by spreading the word. We thank you from the bottom of our artsy craftsy hearts!

Please feel free to ask questions about TAFA, our strategy, or the new site here. A dialogue on the economic impact of the art/craft industries would also be very interesting to me. So, don't be shy!

Great Rewards from our TAFA Members for our IndieGoGo Campaign!

2011-05-25T10:54:00.000-05:00

See our Campaign for a New Website for TAFA

Most of you know that TAFA has been growing into a gorgeous organization full of eye candy with top notch fiber artists, organizations, and projects from around the world. We now have 277 members from 23 countries and our Blogger platform has reached the limit of what it can do to show off these wonderful artists and products. So, we are working with a talented team of web designers who will give us the proper platform, search engine, and tools that we need to continue to grow and fulfill our mission of providing new markets for our members.

We launched our fundraiser on IndieGoGo a week ago and so far our members have contributed $805 towards our $5,000 goal. Members are also offering some great perks to those who donate. We would love to see more participation from the community at large and hope that you will show us a vote of confidence by helping us fund this new site. The best perk that we are offering comes in the form of an ad on our site. We currently have our ads on the left sidebar on TAFA's site. Ads that are current will transfer over to the new site when it is launched. If you don't own your own business, perhaps you would like to promote a favorite charity, community group, or business that you endorse. Our donors are also thanked publicly on IndieGoGo, facebook and on our fundraising page on TAFA.

Here are some of the other perks you can enjoy, generously offered by our TAFA members:

See our page on IndieGoGo for a full background on what we want for the website and for what perks we are offering our contributors. A few of them are shown here. If you would like to send in an amount that is different from the options available on IndieGoGo, you can use the donate button on TAFA. It's on the right sidebar, just below the Flickr slide show.

$100 Donation Perks- Member Gifts

Get thanked on our site with a link of your choice plus a photo. Plus, pick one of the following:

20% off in Rayela Art's shop on Etsy

20% off on Inside Outside Art on Etsy

20% off on Pamela Penning's shop on Etsy

20% off on The Loaded Trunk's shop

The Loaded Trunk. Click to visit the website.

Handmade postcard by Heather Lair:

A free six month ad from the Creative Chick Studios on Fiber Arts/Mixed Media.

20% off on ColourSpun's shop OR a free ad on both of her blogs for two months.

The blogs are ColourSpun and The News Thread.

Castilleja Cotton

For each $100 donation, Castilleja Cotton will give the donator a $10 gift certificate for items in our online store.

$500 Donation Perks- Member Gifts

Get thanked on our site, with a link and photo. Also get an ad for 18 months. Ad will transfer over to the new site. Plus, pick one of the following:

Art work by Creative Chick Studios

Matisse Minutes #2 $80.00

3” x 6.5”

Matisse Minute #12 $95.00

3 1/2” x 5 1/4”

Matisse Minutes #13 & #44 $80.00

5” x 6”

Two pounds of hand-dyed fabric, fiber and yarn from Pamela Penney Textile Arts. The collection will contain variegated hand-dyed cotton yarn similar to this item, as well as hand dyed wool yarn, fat-quarter hand dyed cotton fabrics and hand-dyed wool roving!! Beautiful one-of-a-kind hand-dyed materials perfect for the multi-media fiber artist.

$50 Gift Certificate from Afghan Tribal Arts

$50 Gift Certificate from Oshiwa Designs

Of course, the best gift you will get is that feel good knowledge that you have helped a wonderful group move forward to achieve their full potential. TAFA members are all small businesses, either individuals (mostly women) or projects working very hard to pursue hard earned dreams in a tough economy. Our new website will help us collectively as we can market ourselves to audiences who can support what we are doing.

Join us! We look forward to sharing our gifts with you!

TAFA's New Website Campaign Launched on IndieGoGo

2011-05-20T12:18:00.000-05:00

Those of you who follow this blog know about TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List. TAFA was launched in January on 2010 with the goal of helping its members find larger audiences and markets for their products. Our motto: Markets for Members. The membership has grown to 274 fiber artists and textile related businesses, representing 23 countries. As members are juried in and must have a professional presence on the web, TAFA offers a portfolio of the finest examples of traditional and contemporary fiber art/textiles online. We have been using Blogger as a platform to showcase our member profiles and have outgrown it. The main problem is that members who joined early on, always end up at the bottom of searches on the site and with member growth, a visitor to the site would have to go through several pages to find everyone who is listed.

TAFA is about People

So, we are campaigning to raise money for a new website. This new site will have a powerful search engine, generating image based results, all linking back to the member profile pages where the user could find all the places that member is on the web. TAFA serves as a hub, a place where the members can bring their information together, network with each other, take advantage of joint marketing efforts, and more effectively use their limited resources to access audiences that would be harder to reach if they were doing it alone.

TAFA is about Products and Talent

Handmade by People for People

We have contracted with a talented web design team in Paducah, Horizon Media Group, who will build the new site. They have quoted a price of around $5,000 which will give us the infrastructure and design that we need to move into our next phase. TAFA intends to grow and become THE destination for those interested in textiles and fiber art. Our niche centers on the studio artist and on small businesses who support handmade textiles. We also hope that other organizations, museums and related support people will join us, helping us to create a centralized, visual database of the handmade textile industry.

We are a part of the handmade revolution that has been growing worldwide. We believe that both traditional and contemporary methods and explorations of all Craft are essential for maintaining healthy, sustainable and environmentally conscious societies. Within that larger context, the handmade textile and fiber niche is a multi-billion dollar industry that has failed to unite cohesively with one voice. We are spread out all over the place, with quilters, weavers, surface designers, embroiderers, knitters, and all of the others staying within their peer groups. They are further broken down into interest groups that focus on contemporary, vintage, fair trade, and so on. Coming together on one platform creates a greater possibility of being found and of stepping out of these traditional boundaries into new arenas.

So, for example, an interior designer looking for something to hang up on a living room wall, would be able to look at a whole variety of offerings in one place instead of trying to track down possibilities within those specialized groups. The new website will certainly benefit the members and buyers looking for specific products, but it will also be a source of inspiration for emerging artists and businesses.

TAFA's members have actively supported TAFA's development over the past year. They have contributed money by sponsoring the site through ads, joined in on brainstorm sessions, formed a Team on Etsy, participated in our TAFA Market this past April and helped in countless ways. Many of us are financially stressed as this economic downturn has affected us worldwide. The arts always suffer when the world is in crisis. So, in an attempt to get this dream site funded, we have launched a campaign on IndieGoGo and ask that the community at large jump in and help us move forward.

What is IndieGoGo?

One of many such sites, IndieGoGo uses a crowdfunding philosophy to help "the little guy" access funding to make dreams come true. The idea is that if a person or group presents an appeal that catches the interest of donors who would like to contribute to independent causes, they can realistically take the steps to achieve those dreams. This has been especially helpful to artists who need capital launching their music, videos, movies and other techy endeavors. But, there are also many social causes and individual needs looking for funding on IndieGoGo and other similar sites. I saw one guy who is asking for money to get work done on his teeth. Why not? If you don't state the need, people won't know that it is there.

Some people do have disposable income and they are willing to share it if a cause catches their eye. While we are experiencing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we also have more millionaires worldwide than ever before in history.

So, we are hoping that some of those people with money will like what we are doing with TAFA and back us with enough donations to get this site going.

The bullet list:
(links, info and what you can do to help)

Goal: $5,000
Campaign ends: July 26, 2011
Visit TAFA's Campaign on IndieGoGo
Rewards and Thank you page on TAFA
Donate (every little bit helps)
Leave a comment on our IndieGoGo page. (activity on our campaign helps push us towards the front page)
Spread the campaign around. Email it to specific people you think would be interested in it, share it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Blog about it.
The money: IndieGoGo releases the money to us immediately when payments are made through Pay Pal. We will get credit card donations at the end of the campaign. They take 9% of the total, but will reimburse 5% if we reach our goal.
Extra funds? If we make more than our goal, we will add some extra features to the site and use the balance for marketing TAFA. We would like to reach the point where we can advertise in key places, join trade associations and implement programming that will benefit the members.

Our members have donated some gifts to potential donors and we are listing the donors on our TAFA site as well. But, the biggest gift that you will get from this is just feeling good about helping a great concept achieve fruition. I can take credit for TAFA being my brain child. The idea came out of my own history as a gallery owner looking for new work to show, from years of selling online, from my increased role as a technical assistance provider to my artist peers, and from seeing a niche out there that was begging to be filled.

I have had the privilege of meeting the members as they joined up and of seeing them blossom into various sub-groups within TAFA. As people, one could not ask for a more pleasant, kind, and smart group. Collectively, we have such a wealth of knowledge and talent... it humbles me on a daily basis. I cannot take credit for TAFA's potential and for its beauty. It is an amazing place and it is that because of its members. Individually, they contribute their own unique interest and expression, impacting their specialty with new interpretations of the old. I long to see them on this new site where they will be fully visible, easy to find, and truly accessible to the public. The new site will be beautiful! Help me get it out of my head and into reality.

-Rachel Biel

Textile Stamp Video and Oshiwa Namibia Project

2011-05-15T10:48:00.001-05:00

Vintage Textile Stamp from Afghanistan

John Hopper posted this beautiful video on facebook and I just had to share it with all of you:

The video does a great job in showing how the textile stamps themselves are works of art. Although created to be used as a tool, intricate designs demand excellent craftsmanship and an artistic eye. Textile stamps can be used to print on fabric or paper and they can be used to press into clay, soap and even cookie dough!

I am out of stock of the vintage Afghani stamps I have carried in the past (oh, there are a couple left in my Etsy shop), but I encourage you to explore Oshiwa's shop for their simple, but gorgeous African stamps. Oshiwa is a fair trade workshop in Namibia and I am their North American representative. They use wood grown in a sustainable forestry project and are in great need of your support. The shop is fully stocked, so come and take a look!

TAFA Market Video

2011-05-12T10:11:00.000-05:00

TAFA Market 2011, Paducah, Kentucky

Well, we did it! Our TAFA members came through as vendors and exhibitors, helping to create a wonderful market during the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, April 27-30. The show was beautiful and so fun to see everything live, things that I had only seen before on the web. We had members representing all five continents with both contemporary and traditional ethnic textiles, beads and crafts. TAFA members really made this event happen as together they paid for the space, expenses and helped with marketing costs. It was a sight to be seen!

Unfortunately, that week was also a time of major flooding in the region. The Quilt Show had to relocate out of the Convention Center and away from downtown. Attendance to the show was impacted by the flooding and many who would have traveled stayed home. See the video for images of our show and of the flooding.

All in all, we consider the TAFA Market to have been a wonderfully successful event. We had hoped to raise funds for our new website through the event, which didn't happen. However, we almost broke even and given the context, we are extremely grateful for that. Paducah has flood walls which protect the downtown area. They held and continue to hold the Ohio River at bay. Other cities and rural communities have not been spared as homes and farmland have been damaged or destroyed by historic flooding.

Many thanks to all of the TAFA members who participated and/or supported our TAFA Market!

Together, TAFA members do great things!

TAFA Market Focus: The Loaded Trunk

2011-04-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

A pile of ikat from The Loaded Trunk

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 a member exhibit and vendors. These are ways in which you can donate to support our efforts. This blog will feature the works and vendors during the time leading up to our show. You can see all of the TAFA Market posts in one place by clicking on this link.

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

The Loaded Trunk

Visit the Loaded Trunk's Member Profile on TAFA

Piles and piles of textiles! I close my eyes an can see it all in my head: those woven, sewn, dyed, and appliqued beauties from all over the world. I open my eyes and see many of them in my own home. Those of us who love them, are passionate about them. Roni Jaco, has loaded her trunks full of them and shares them on her website and soon in our TAFA Market.

I found The Loaded Trunk by accident, searching for something else. As I explored the site, I just knew that this site had to be represented on TAFA. Roni joined and since then, we have talked on the phone, she will be coming to Paducah next week, and I just know that there is one more friendship in the making.

Vintage Hmong textiles made into a fun bag by The Loaded Trunk.

Roni and I are both "MKs". In Roni's case that means "military kid" and in mine, "missionary kid". She grew up all over the world and I grew up in Brazil. A friend of mine here in Paducah, Paul Bilak, who also had a multi-cultural background, says that there is actually a term for us, "children of the 4th World", meaning that we have more in common with each other than any two kids who grew up in the same culture, even if we didn't grow up in the same country. It must be true because when I was in college, those of us who were the "displaced" Americans, huddled in with the international students, all kind of bonding in the face of this big, new culture. We might later diverge in our paths, but for that first experience, we knew each other even without really understanding the full context of our past histories.

Roni came to textiles and imports after years of working in the wine industry. She travels all over the world to find things that move her and that she can then share with others. The white girl with red hair surely makes an impression wherever she goes!

Roni Jaco selecting ralli quilts.

Buying in small quantities, Roni works hard to find the unique, well made, and interesting pieces. Many of the vintage textiles that have been so collectible are quickly disappearing as countries industrialize or are even ravaged by war. New textiles also encourage the continued production of ancient techniques. She has both.

Vintage Hmong belt accents a contemporary pillow, The Loaded Trunk.

Not sure how to display older textiles in your home? Roni incorporates remnants and textiles into finished pillows, throws and other functional items, all ready for use. She has a great eye for design and will also be bringing quite a bit of jewelry that she has made or designed:

Jewelry by The Loaded Trunk

So, if you are coming to Paducah for the Quilt Show and our TAFA Market, be prepared! I just have a feeling you might be leaving with a loaded trunk of your own!

TAFA Market Focus: Meg Hannan

2011-04-22T11:36:00.000-05:00

Meg Hannan

Visit Meg Hannan's Member Profile on TAFA

Fabric Jewels by Meg Hannan

Candy? Something from the deep sea? Meg Hannan's fabric jewels sure look edible or other worldly to me. I remember stumbling on her website and just feeling awed by these gorgeous pieces and was delighted when she joined TAFA. Now, Meg has sent a box full of her pins and earrings all the way from Seattle, Washington and I got to see them for the first time yesterday. Light and hard, they are even more beautiful in real life.

Embedded with beads, Fabric Jewels are uniquely Meg Hannan's creations.

How does she do it? Well, find a bunch of long scraps of cloth, yarn, strips of fabric, lay them all length wise on to a fabric that will contain them, sew it up, soak in resin, and then saw slices of them. Embed with beads and other decorative accents. Sounds easy enough, but I can guarantee you that it is not.

Similar techniques are used in making glass and femo clay. The technique is ancient, called Millefiori, from two Italian words meaning a thousand flowers. It has taken Meg 20 years to perfect her process, a careful craftsmanship easily seen when looking at her pieces.

Fabric Jewels earrings are lightweight and durable.

Meg often sells her work at quilt shows and I just know that these are going to fly out! She has them beautifully displayed on cards, making them perfect gifts for the artsy person in your life. Not coming to Paducah for our TAFA Market or the Quilt Show? Meg's Etsy shop is stocked with a great selection, so anyone can jump on over there and own a jewel for herself.

TAFA Market Focus: MarketPlace: Handwork of India

2011-04-21T11:56:00.001-05:00

Today's TAFA Market focus zooms in on:

MarketPlace: Handwork of India

Visit MarketPlace on TAFA

MarketPlace: Handwork of India. Fair Trade Fashion

I still remember the first conversation I had with Pushpika Freitas, the visionary director behind MarketPlace's success. We were at a fair trade conference out East somewhere. Maryland? Over 20 years ago, we were young, bright eyed and bushy tailed, full of dreams of how our ideas could make an impact somewhere, somehow. For Pushpika, those dreams centered on job creation in one of the largest slums of Mumbai, then called Bombai. Fast forward all those years and we are seasoned, less idealistic, but still at it, each working doggedly to make a change.

MarketPlace: Handwork of India's clothing is 100% cotton, dyed or block printed by hand and then accented with embroidery.

Pushpika's initial efforts focused on making quilts in India and selling them in the U.S. She soon realized that in order to really create jobs for a greater number of people, apparel offered more opportunities and a larger audience. MarketPlace, based in Evanston. Illinois (just north of Chicago) is the marketing arm of SHARE, based in Mumbai, India, produces the fabric and garments for sale. You can read the story of how MarketPlace developed on this page. The 1980's was a time where many non-profits, non-governmental organizations, churches and individuals, began to shape the fair trade movement, looking at how handicraft production and agricultural products could empower communities around the world. MarketPlace was one of the pioneers in this movement and has developed a model which can be replicated by other groups. Although MarketPlace has continued to make some items for the home (throws, pillows), its signature lines are the dresses, pants, and tops that any MarketPlace addict immediately recognizes from a mile away. Participating in TAFA's Market actually makes sense for MarketPlace and completes a full circle from quilts and back to the quilt audience.

MarketPlace: Handwork of India works with women in Mumbai as well as other communities in India. Some men are also employed. They also make a special effort to find special jobs for the handicapped.

Now that the fair trade movement has some decades under its belt, the question of impact and success is raised. How does one measure whether a project has really made a difference in a specific community. Pushpika and I visited this question once and I remember her expressing how difficult it is to deal with the issue in terms of monetary rewards. There are cultural and societal barriers that want to keep poor women in their place. A husband may feel threatened by a woman making more than him. Women have been provided with services that they might not otherwise access, such as loans for health care and home repairs. Pushpika said that the real measure will be seen in the next generation, in the children who are growing up with more opportunities, better sanitation, access to health care, and with mothers who are an integral part of something they can be proud of.

Visit MarketPlace: Handwork of India's website.

Working with apparel involves many challenges. MarketPlace sells through its mail order catalog and website, introducing two new lines every year, Spring and Fall. That means getting samples ready on time for photo shoots, producing the fabric (all hand printed, batiked or dyed), getting the garments made, and so on. There are always hurdles along the way. Yet, year after year, they have stuck to it.

MarketPlace made a conscious decision not to be trendy, per se. They have a distinctive look that has evolved over time. But, for those of us who love the MarketPlace clothing, there are also old favorites that will always be made, only in different colors and fabrics.

MarketPlace clothing is extremely comfortable and lasts a long time. They have also always kept the larger woman within their circle, offering sizes up to triple X. I'm a big Viking and love how my MarketPlace clothing fits me. Many of my things are getting threadbare after years of good service and I am looking forward to picking up some new pieces next week.

Reversible coats and jackets by MarketPlace: Handwork of India.

This apparel business has natural casualties in terms of unsold products. For some reason or another, beautiful garments like the ones in this post, remain unsold, taking up space. So, the good news for all you who will be coming to our TAFA Market is that you will get to buy the past season garments for half off!!! That is an incredible deal and we hope that Katherine, MarketPlace's staff person who will be here in Paducah will drive back home with an empty car.

I am so pleased to have MarketPlace as a TAFA Member and that they are making this effort to be a part of our show next week. Not only because of our long history as friends and peers, but because I really believe in what they are doing and because I can stand behind the product and say, "This is great. I wear it, love it, and want more."

I worked for MarketPlace for a stint many years back. We had this idea of trying to help local efforts in Chicago with product design and marketing. The challenges there were very different from the ones Pushpika has dealt with in India. But, that is a long story and a subject for another post. Meanwhile, we each move forward and hope that our efforts make this world a better place, one that has a foundation of beauty and mutual respect.

TAFA Market Focus: Plumfish Creations

2011-04-20T12:40:00.000-05:00

Plumfish Creations: Recycled Silk Remnants Made Beautiful!

Plumfish Creations

Visit Plumfish Creations on TAFA

An Australian Love of Silk and Color: Plumfish Creations

Rosemary Boyd wins the prize for being the TAFA member living the furthest away who will be in our show. On the other side of the world from me, her silk accessories are almost other worldly! I see them as a flight into fantasy, a dream world, where bold color and texture transforms the wearer into a piece of walking art!

Plumfish Creations makes silk into a garden of life!

Rosemary describes herself as rather reserved, "The accessories I make are sometimes said to be flamboyant and lively - an expression of a part of me, that is otherwise hidden beneath a conservative quiet exterior." Her work manifests the passion that is inside, that came manifest itself in anyone who wears her work. Want to be a wall flower, fading into the background? Then Plumfish Creations is not for you. Want to create a little stir in the air, have people take a second look, have an icebreaker at a party where you don't know anyone? Plumfish Creations will open those doors.

Lift up your spirits with Plumfish Creations!

Like so many other TAFA members, Rosemary's interest in fiber arts came through her grandmother. Now that I have been doing this for awhile, learning about each member as they join TAFA, over and over I see tribute being paid to mothers and grandmothers who patiently taught their daughters how to work the needle. Traditional stitches have morphed into contemporary interpretations, often leaving the original references behind. I cannot stress how important it is for kids to experiment with art, to let their imaginations flow, and to develop those fine motor skills that someday may actually lead to a career in art.

Wrap yourself in the creations of Rosemary Boyd!

Rosemary's Etsy shop is loaded with beautiful pieces, so if you are not coming to Paducah for our TAFA Market during the Quilt Show, you can purchase her work there.

TAFA Market Focus: Ekohaus

2011-04-19T16:54:00.000-05:00

EKOHAUS

Visit Ekohaus on TAFA!

Handmade wool slippers by EKOHAUS: Precious Sweet Milky White shoes / slippers with removable felted wool flower pins

Dovile Sirmulyte, one of our newer TAFA members, joined in March and jumped right in. She has sent the four pairs of her felted wool shoes for our TAFA Market, all the way from Lithuania! Dovile describes her shoes:

My felted shoes are made from 100% natural wool. For excellent performance of the wool, my shoes are very soft, lightweight and comfortable. In addition, wool naturally resists microbial proliferation, protects from bacteria and neutralizes odors. Since ancient times it was believed that the wool is similar to acupuncture: it has pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and body-enhancing properties.

I had a commercial pair that I wore all winter and do believe this is true about wool. They never stank and seemed to stay clean, even in a house with dogs...

EKOHAUS: Wool shoes with Eco value! Turquoise Blue White Wool Felted Flat Shoes

Dovile says that she became inspired to work with wool after she found her great-grandmother's spinning wheel and a chest full of wool in an attic. The genes kicked in, she started experimenting and now she has a beautiful line of hand-crafted wool shoes which she sells on Etsy, her blog and Bonanza.

The shoes are all hand made of felted wool according to ancient Lithuanian traditions using only natural sheep wool, hot water and natural soap. They are non slippery because the sole is covered with latex.

EKOHAUS Lithuanian Felted Slippers: Ladybird Pastel Red White shoes/slippers with removable felted wool flower pins

As I have gotten older, my feet have also gotten crankier, demanding comfortable footware. I have mukluks from Afghanistan that I also wear a lot in the cold weather. It is just wonderful to know that someone made these things by hand! I am curious to see these in real life and hope that just maybe, one of them is big enough for an old Viking with big feet! If not, I am sure that Dovile can make me a pair in my favorite colors, just my size. She does have a lot of offerings to pick from in her Etsy shop, so make sure you take a look there first before placing a special order.

EKOHAUS Shoes: Clear Minimalistic Style Peach Salmon and Gray Wool

It thrills me to see TAFA grow in its international representation, bringing so many talented people like Dovile together into one creative place. I honor her path, her exploration of her traditions, giving continuance to her great-grandmother's story and handwork, while she also personalizes it with a contemporary translation. She is young and has all of her eggs in a row. My hope is that all of us can support her as she grows in her vision. Shop EKOHAUS!

TAFA Market Focus: Jefferson Street Studios

2011-04-18T16:34:00.000-05:00

"Quilt Reflection I" by Robert Davis

Jefferson Street Studios

Visit Jefferson Street Studios on TAFA

"Limbo", Art Quilt by Helene Davis

Bob and Helene Davis are two of my favorite people in Paducah. I don't see them very often, but when I do, there is always a feeling of "home". Both are members of our Paducah Fiber Artists group and often host our meetings at their home and studio on Jefferson Street. We are all disappointed when Bob fails to make his expected chicken dish... And, I am constantly reminded of them in my home as they have been extremely generous to me over the years. When I first moved here, they gave me a couch which I use daily. I also have fabric, thread, books and other odds and ends they have given me.

Helene and Bob will each have two pieces in our TAFA Market show, all four shown here. Helene is way up there, if not at the top, of my list of favorite art quilters. She has mastered surface design, always coming up with unexpected results that ooh and aah us at our meetings. And, I love the way she quilts! Tight, close rows of machine stitching that make her quilts stiff, almost rug-like. Helene also works with clay, creating gorgeous pieces that compliment her textiles beautifully. I have found that many of us have had this marriage of interests, fabric and clay, which I find very interesting. I worked with clay before moving into fabric and like to think that clay actually taught me how to sew. I knew the basics and had done quite a bit of embroidery before my years with clay, but I learned how to see in a different way once I had done dimensional work.

"Missing" by Helene Davis using her dyed fabrics.

Bob and Helene purchased a late 1800's industrial building which they renovated into a drop-dead gorgeous home, studio and gallery. They have been our drop off site for packages arriving from our other TAFA members who are participating in the TAFA Market. The back of the space is Helene's dyeing and sewing studio, the middle area houses living quarters and the front is the gallery. Bob gets the monster garage. Both are avid gardener's and have landscaped the outside beautifully. They turned an eyesore into a must visit stop if you come to Paducah.

Inside the gallery at Jefferson Street Studios, Paducah, Kentucky.

If you are coming to Paducah for the AQS Show or for our TAFA Market, you must also stop by at Jefferson Street Studios. Helene's quilts will be available for sale, along with her hand-dyed fabric and consignment items from some of our Paducah Fiber Artist members.

Bob is the people person and eclectic in his endeavors. Coming from an engineering background, his quilts are precise and exercises in color and structure, where Helene's are organic and experimental. Bob also does a lot of photography around town and has worked on an ongoing project where he reduces images of people to line drawings. He has captured many of the local artists in this way and I hope that he someday publishes a book on them. He did the drawing at the left of me four years ago and I almost kissed him because he made me look so young!

Bob is another of those people who has worked with clay. He has made thousands of porcelain beads and has a display case of them at 212 Broadway, just around the corner from our TAFA Market. You will have to stop in there, too as HeART of Healing Gallery, another TAFA member, and myself also have permanent booths there. HeART of Healing specializes in vintage kimono and molas from Panama.

Jefferson Street Studios has started to show other artists in their gallery with excellent results. They are just outside of the LowerTown boundaries, the artist neighborhood in Paducah, and I believe that their presence will encourage other art related studios to move into that area. Take note: If you are coming to Paducah, you MUST visit Jefferson Street Studios. If you are not coming to Paducah but would like to purchase one of Bob or Helene's pieces pictured here, email me. We can ship it to you after the show.

"Quilt Reflection II" by Robert Davis

Jefferson Street Studios: 1149 Jefferson Street in Paducah, Kentucky.

TAFA Market Focus: Asian Art And Quilts

2011-04-17T00:58:00.001-05:00

"Yellow Birds Among the Cherry Blossoms", Detail, Art Quilt by Barbara Harms of Asian Art And Quilts

Asian Art And Quilts

Visit Asian Art And Quilts on TAFA

"Yellow Birds Among the Cherry Blossoms", Detail, Art Quilt by Barbara Harms of Asian Art And Quilts, 38"x21", (A similar one will be in the show), $400.

These birds on a blooming branch could be anywhere here in Paducah right now, except replace the cherry trees for dogwoods. They are everywhere and in full bloom right now, a shame because the blossoms will probably be gone by the time our TAFA Market and the Quilt Show take place at the end of the month.

Barbara Harms, the artist behind this beautiful quilt, excels at translating nature themes to fabric. Coming from a background in painting, she now uses fabric, dyes and stitches as her brush. She often uses silk, dyeing and painting backgrounds, appliqueing elements, and then finishing off with graceful quilting.

"Two Sunflowers", Detail, by Barbara Harms, 38"x22", $375

"Two Sunflowers" by Barbara Harms

Barbara captures movement so well in her pictorial pieces. You can almost envision growth, wind, sun, and warmth in the work. The translucent qualities of her dyes along with the detailed quilting, thread work, and appliqueing all come together into a snapshot of a moment, caught still in the action.

Barbara is prolific and has a shop full of choices on Etsy. Do take a look at the widget at the bottom of this post, click and visit. She will have several pieces in our TAFA Market, and I can't wait to see them in real life!

When Barbara speaks about her work, she says that color is her driving force. She explores many different styles and also likes to work with abstract designs, but color is her constant. I would add that her quilting also contributes greatly to the texture and feel of her pieces. I've seen many quilts that have good designs, but because they are not quilted well, the piece just looks unfinished and bare. Barbara's quilting is dense and completes the design. Solid.

Melting Rainbow is an example of Barbara's more abstract pieces. It's hard to see the details in these images, but if you look closely, you should be able to see that the quilting replicates the shapes of the appliqued pieces, creating an echo of form, repeated over and over.

The image on the left shows the full length of Melting Rainbow, while the one on the right is a detail. 42"x13.5", $275.

Barbara has been very active on our TAFA Team. We have a blog for our TAFA members who have shops on Etsy. She is a regular contributor to the blog and especially enjoys interviewing other art quilters. You will find most of her posts under the tag, "Art Quilts". I am especially grateful for her joyous enthusiasm!

Barbara, native of Las Vegas, lives in Oregon, a green state teeming with nature. I am sure that her inspiration comes from a full life brimming over with an interest in all that is around her. Barbara shows determination in teaching herself new technical skills, both in her art and in technology. It is a joy having her on board!

Here are a couple more quilts of Barb's which will be shown at our TAFA Market:

"Sunflower Garden" by Barbara Harms, 36"x 20.5", $375

"Under the Cherry Tree", by Barbara Harms, 35"x17", $350

If you are not coming to Paducah for our TAFA Market or the AQS Show, but would like to purchase one of Barb's pieces pictured here, email me. We can ship it to you after the show. Meanwhile, also explore Asian Art And Quilts on Etsy: