Why is it every time I think of an indigo vat, the lyrics “Can’t you smell that smell?” pop out of my mouth? Assuredly, Lynyrd Skynyrd was not referring to indigo in his song. But here I was at the … Read the rest
ClothRoads Scarf of the Month: Traveling Blocks in Weaving
May 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
What better combination is there than naturally-dyed silk and a simple weaving structure? If you’ve been following my ClothRoads scarf of the month, you’ve probably noticed a trend—I like simple, yet intriguing, hand woven structures. Ones that beg for a … Read the rest
All by Hand: Block Printing Cloth at Anokhi
March 21, 2013 by 1 Comment
It was an exquisite day for a journey to the centuries-old, preeminent region of woodblock makers and printers–blue skies, clear air, rich vegetation surrounding us as our van climbed up the switch-backed road outside Jaipur, India. Lake Sagar below was … Read the rest
The ClothRoads Scarf of the Month: The Indigo Spiral
March 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
This I know–one cannot have too many scarves. And since the launch of ClothRoads, my drawers are brimming. I have a few cold-weather scarves—handmade, of course, but the others tend towards the “statement-making” variety. I’m often asked what compels me … Read the rest
Call the Search Off: Guatemalan Organic Handspun Cotton Cloth Found
October 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When traveling to cloth-weaving villages, there’s generally one “something” that I’m intrigued by or in search for. Three years ago, it was the seemingly rare handspun cotton and handwoven cloth made from the organic natural cotton beige color “ixcaco”, the … Read the rest
The Alchemy of Indigo
September 7, 2012 by 1 Comment
The smell wafts up from the handwoven, indigo-dyed cotton cloth as I’m ironing it. It’s an unmistakable odor—a little sweet, a little pungent. If you’ve dyed with indigo, you know this smell and you understand the magical, transformative process of … Read the rest
Ikat Maestros: Indonesian Textile Artisans
June 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
“I remembered what my father always said: ‘Never leave the land of your great grandfathers, and develop it for a good cause,” Alfonsa Horeng recalls. “That local wisdom was what convinced me to leave my career in the big … Read the rest
Wild Silk Creates a Strong Bond
May 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
“While one silk thread is strong, many woven together are stronger.”
This is a fomba, or proverb, uniting the many people involved in the production of exquisite wild silk, handwoven products from the island nation of Madagascar, located off … Read the rest
No Dry Cleaning Needed: Here’s How to Wash Handwoven Cloth
April 19, 2012 by 3 Comments
“Is it necessary to dry clean handwoven cloth?” “Is special detergent necessary?” These are very common “care” questions we are asked about our cloth and products. After I wrote my blog on the Indian handwoven and naturally dyed silk fabric… Read the rest
Meet the Maker of the Indian Handwoven Silk Cloth
April 6, 2012 by 4 Comments
Sometimes one is lucky enough to meet the maker—I’m talking artisan-made cloth here.
I’m in an elevator in corn country Nebraska in steps an exuberant woman wearing the almost exact replica of a handwoven, naturally dyed silk scarf that I … Read the rest
