Sommaire pour Spring 2021 de PieceWork

As an editor, I choose a theme for each issue, select authors and articles, and later begin editing the individual pieces. However, as all of the articles and projects begin fitting into place, they add new context to one another when seated side by side. Unexpected themes develop, and there are similarities in approaches, interests, or turns of phrase among authors. Eventually, when these pieces come together, it feels a bit like having a dinner party with people you may know very well, but your guests are only just meeting each other for the first time. The thread running through this issue—the theme that comes forward time and again—is of modern makers reaching to the past, connecting with needleworkers, and bringing those stories forward, illuminating needlework’s Hidden Histories. Even more…

Karin Bergöö Larsson (1859–1928) was an exuberant and intrepid fiber artist who knit, spun, sewed, wove, and embroidered, most often in her singular, nontraditional manner. Her vision as a trained painter translated into the composition of extraordinary embroidered pieces that featured uncomplicated stitches elevated by her keen sense of color. Her needle art was a focal point in many of the famous paintings by her husband, Carl Larsson (1853–1919). This knitted bag is a tribute to Karin Larsson’s timeless aesthetic. It is based upon an embroidered length of black linen strewn with appliquéd vibrant linen circles. She embroidered the linen in unique combinations of only four stitches used to great effect: chain stitch, lazy daisy, French knots, and straight stitch. The unfinished piece is still on display at the Larsson…

This garment is made of pure silk chiffon and embroidered in gold zari thread with a front panel in orange and side panels in fuchsia, green, and orange. The garment has wide sleeves and an elongated tail at the back. This style is known as the thawb imyaza or myaza or mufah’ah. The thawb mufah’ah is a well-known style in most of the Gulf countries except Oman with its distinct colors and design. The colored sections are known as fuhuh (plural) or fah (singular). This is one version of the nashil garments, distinguished by the multicolored panels of silk separated by rows of zari embroidery. This dress is considered one of the most distinguished and beautiful traditional garments in the Gulf region. In the front, the garment has a badna…

ARIZONA Fiber Creek Suite 123 1046 Willow Creek Rd Prescott, AZ 86301 (928) 717-1774 fibercreekprescott.com CALIFORNIA Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles 2982 Adeline St Berkeley, CA 94703 510-843-7290 lacis.com Babetta's Yarn & Gifts 4400 San Juan Ave #20 Fair Oaks, CA 95628 (916) 965-6043 babettasyarnandgifts.com Dharma Trading Co 1604 4th Street San Rafael, CA 94901 (435) 456-1211 dharmatrading.com Needlecraft Cottage 870 Grand Ave San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 272-8185 needlecraftcottagesd.com Cardigans Yarn and Fiber 3030 State St Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 569-0531 cardigansyarnandfiber.com COLORADO LambShoppe 3512 E 12TH AVE Denver, CO 80206 (303) 322-2223 thelambshoppe.com Lambspun of Colorado 1101 E Lincoln Ave Fort Collins, CO 80524 (800) 558-5262 lambspun.com Shuttles Spindles & Skeins 760 S 43rd St. Boulder, CO 80305 (303) 499 4822 shuttlesspindlesandskeins.com FLORIDA A Good Yarn…

Woolen Threads A rainbow of colorfast hues awaits your next needlework project. Weeks Dye Works’ Crewel Wool comes in 25 shades—from subtle to vibrant—dyed using environmentally responsible methods. In addition, each over-dyed skein matches colors found in the cotton-floss and sewing-thread lines. weeksdyeworks.com Stable Stitching The Clemes & Clemes Stitching Stand adjusts so you can work seated or standing, and the fully collapsible design folds easily to stow away when not in use. The stand accommodates classic hoops up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick or plastic snap frames, and it is available with 8- or 11-inch (20.3- or 27.9-cm) clamps for holding 6- to 11-inch (15.2-to 27.9-cm) frames. clemes.com Nature’s Palette Stitch your next embroidery project on a one-of-a-kind piece of fabric. HasbeenCraft sources antique French linen and hemp…

For adult children whose parents now reside in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities, cleaning out one’s family home becomes a rite of passage. Beginning the process is often the most difficult first step. However, this test of courage must be met at some point in almost every child’s life. For me, it was a lesson I never expected. My mother, Louise, left her home under unfortunate health circumstances in 2017. Her hasty exit, failing health, and requirement of skilled care prompted my siblings and me to make arrangements immediately. Knowing a return to her home was no longer possible, my sister and I knew it was time to begin the arduous process of cleaning out the family home. Since my mother was of the generation that threw nothing away, this…

Unlined and fairly crudely hand-stitched, a historic quilt made up of small patches of brightly colored woolen cloth—the kind used to make military uniforms—came into my personal textile collection in 2010. The scarlet, black, buff, navy, and cream patches measure 0.67 inch (2.2 cm) and are sewn together to form different geometric patterns in a 5 × 5 block design. The quilt as it came to me in Australia does not have an edge treatment and is square, measuring 53.2 inches (135 cm) on each side. When I purchased the 160-year-old quilt, there was a note attached that read, “Made by wounded soldiers from the Crimean War, who being destitute cut up their uniforms and made them into rugs which were sold to benefit the men.” This quilt was probably…

Dr. Reem el Mutwalli’s love and lifelong infatuation with textiles, and in particular Emirati women’s dress, started at a young age. Growing up surrounded by the women of the United Arab Emirates’ ruling family, Reem understood that she had a unique insight into the mostly enclosed lifestyle of Emirati women. Born in Iraq, Reem came to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1968—the same year oil was discovered—as a young girl of five, when her father started working as an economic consultant to then crown prince, now the ruler of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It was from his father, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, that Reem learned the importance of wearing traditional dress as part of everyday life and not as…

After teaching myself to cross-stitch, I began to stitch antique reproduction samplers. I researched and dreamed of owning my own antique sampler. I had admired many antique samplers and needlework pieces from afar in museums, antiques fairs, and more. The samplers I admired seemed inaccessible and too precious to touch in their pristine, conserved condition. For several years, I watched many auction sites selling antique samplers week in and week out, and I read anything I could find on the subject. Finally, I purchased my first sampler in May 2014 and the second soon after. Three questions guided my sampler search: “Did I like the sampler?” “Could I afford to pay the asking price?” “Would I be happy with this price if I found out that I had made a…

Custom Shawls for the Curious and Creative Knitter Kate Atherley and Kim McBrien Evans New York: Abrams Books, 2020. Softbound, 192 pages, $27.50. ISBN 9781419743979. Little Women Knits Joanna Johnson Loveland, Colorado: Slate Falls Press, 2020. Softbound, 48 pages, $15.95. ISBN 9780578238654. Textiles Transformed: Thread and Thrift with Reclaimed Textiles Mandy Pattullo London, England: Pavilion Books, 2020. Hardbound, 128 pages, $29.95. ISBN 9781849945806. The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World Virginia Postrel New York: Basic Books, 2020. Hardbound, 320 pages, $30. ISBN 9781541617605. The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women’s Lives, 1660–1900 Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2020. Softbound, 264 pages, $25. ISBN 9780300253740.…

Susan J. Jerome, Collections Manager, University of Rhode Island Historic Textile and Costume Collection Tell us about your duties and work at the Historic Textile and Costume Collection, University of Rhode Island. The University of Rhode Island Historic Textile and Costume Collection (HTCC) contains about 25,000 pieces, including clothing, accessories, household textiles, textile fragments, photographs, books, magazines, and textile-manufacturing equipment. My basic responsibility is to keep track of everything and to find as many ways as I can to make the collection accessible to students, faculty, researchers, and those interested in clothing and textile history. My tasks are diverse: editing and entering information onto the collection’s website, helping install exhibits, writing labels, assisting faculty and students, and researching artifacts. Faculty members use objects from the HTCC in a variety of…

Thawb: Robe. A wide garment that covers and hides the body. It can be made of linen, cotton, wool, fur, or silk, and is worn by both men and women. Nashil: From the verb nashala, meaning to grab. Translates to cloth dyed in bright colors. Zari: Originally a two-syllable Persian word, Zar-dozi—zar meaning gold, and dozi meaning stitching. It is a complex embroidery with metal thread on silk, satin, or velvet and may include pearls, beads, and precious stones. Zari originated in India more than 2,000 years ago and has since spread across most of Asia and the countries previously under Ottoman rule. It was introduced to the Gulf countries from either Iran or India. A common mistake in the Gulf region is to refer to any gold-colored embroidery…