ClothRoads Scarf of the Month: Traveling Blocks in Weaving

Natural dyes for silk are used to produce the range of colors used for weaving at the Living Crafts Centre.

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

The ClothRoads Scarf of the Month: The Indigo Spiral

Handwoven silk, indigo dyed, block printed spiral cloth

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

Seductive Silk Meets Jeweled Stripes

Handwoven striped silk scarf designed by Carol Cassidy

Being on a textile adventure in one of the most desirable weaving spots of the world, there’s simply no time to waste in seeking out handwoven, artisan-made silk scarves and other accessories. I didn’t have far to go from the Read the rest

Meet the Maker of the Indian Handwoven Silk Cloth

Handwoven, indigo-dyed, blockprinted silk

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

Ikat Weaving in Laos

My weft ikat weaving

I fell apart weaving in Laos. It really didn’t matter that I’d been weaving  more than half my life. When it came to weaving  weft ikat in fine silk (50 ends per inch) in the humid heat of Luang Prabang,  … Read the rest

Golden Buttons: The Vision of Amina Yabis

Silk buttons available at ClothRoads

In 1997, Amina Yabis was a mother of four young boys married to a schoolteacher, Si Mohammed, whose income was steady yet meager. The family lived in a three-room mud brick house in Sefrou, a small town near Fez in … Read the rest