Weaving Coiled Telephone Wire Baskets

This video shows how a South African woman lifted herself out of poverty by weaving coiled telephone wire baskets. This demonstrates the ingenuity of an urban dweller taking materials at hand and crafting a traditional object which would have been made out of leaves. Her works have been displayed at the Smithsonian, in New Orleans, and at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market this year July 12-13, 2008.

Where Would You Wear That?

Where Would You Wear That?
The Mary Baskett Collection
June 2 to August 12, 2007

Examine the work of several of the most forward-looking fashion designers of the twentieth century through this exhibition of more than fifteen pieces designed by Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, and other avant-garde Japanese designers over the past thirty years. This innovative, multimedia installation at the Cincinnati Art Museum showcases designers who have changed the way we look at clothing.


Listen to Mary Baskett share how she started collecting garments by these three designers.

Project Gutenberg: Beeton's Book of Needlework

Project Gutenberg's Beeton's Book of Needlework, by Isabella Beeton

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Mapping the World's Textile Museums

Click on image.

Created by Liz Plummer of Dreaming Spirals, the map is developing into a great resource for textile enthusiasts. If you know of a museum not listed, contact Liz. Just look in her blog's sidebar for her email link

Felting a Rug

Wonder what is involved in felting? Nicole Chazaud of Festive Fibers takes you through the long, physical process of making a full-size 8x5-foot dining room rug. It starts with creating the design using ideas, images and colors from the customer's home, dyeing the wool, laying out the pattern, then rolling the rug to felt it. Many layers of wool are needed, 6-inches worth in this case and because an amazing amount of shrinking and compression takes place, the rug actually starts out 25% larger than the finished product.

The page takes a few minutes to fully load the animated photographs of the process, more if you have dial-up but it's worth the wait.

Bayeux Tapestry: The Movie

The Bayeux Tapestry (French: Tapisserie de Bayeux) as you have never seen it. Technically, it is not a tapestry in the traditional meaning of the word, that is, woven. Rather, it is embroidered and it is long. 20 in by 230 feet, depicting the events leading up to, as well as, the Norman invasion of England in 1066. The Tapestry is annotated in Latin but in this YouTube video, the annotations have been translated into English. Also, it starts about halfway through the original work at the appearence of Halley's Comet and concludes at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Still, fun to watch.

The Elder Storytelling Place: The Frugal Crafter

For a long time Ronni Bennett of Time Goes By: What It’s Really Like to Get Older, has been impressed with the storytelling talent of elderbloggers and has decided it is a a worthy idea to collect elder stories. She says experts say it is important to collect and organize our stories for ourselves as we get older - it helps give meaning to the lives we have lived. So, in April of this year she launched a new blog: The Elder Storytelling Place, a natural adjunct to her main blog. The stories are short, limited to 750 words or less, and the subjects varied.

What does this have to do with fiber, you ask? Directly, not a whole lot, but I like both blogs and many of us are getting older. To get you started, I thought The Frugal Crafter, a story about a knitter, an appropriate introduction.

And while we are on the subject, figcincinnati members, why don't some of you consider submitting your own story or stories? Although the stories can be about anything, it would be fun to read about your textile adventures. Anyone over 50 is eligible. If you are featured, let me know and I will post a link. Click here for the rest of the rules.