One of my favorite things to teach is how to work with natural dyes. For this summer’s spinning and dyeing course, my students and I are working with a variety of natural dye sources: leaves, roots, stems, bark, berries, flowers, insects (more on them in a future post!), and mushrooms.
If you would like to try this at home, I recommend a few basic books to get yourself started. Get a book or two first, take time to read up on the ingredients you will need, and then begin your search for supplies. The first book I recommend is Natural Dyeing by Jackie Crook (2007). I use it as one of the required textbooks for my course because it contains simple step-by-step recipes for mordanting fiber and for dyeing your fiber using a variety of readily available natural dyestuffs.
For your supplies, I recommend three sources. Again, I recommend that you read a few books on natural dyeing to familiarize yourself with the basic steps and ingredients before you begin your search for mordants and dyestuffs. The first two suppliers on the list below may not be ideal for readers outside of North America, but if you have read up on the basics before shopping, you will know what to look for and how to find it.
Dharma Trading Company - They stock many of the natural dyestuffs for which there are recipes in Jackie Crook’s Natural Dyeing, in addition to some of the basic mordants. They are located in California.
Village Spinning and Weaving - Another California company, they stock some of the mordants and dyes that Dharma Tranding Company does not carry.
Your local farmer’s market, grocer, or your own back yard, or that of a friend. Yes, you can dye with fresh fruits and vegetables, and wild or cultivated plants that you gather yourself. When gathering in the wild, be sure to have permission from the property owner and gather plants “gently” so the plants can survive to provide more flowers, leaves, bark, or berries for you next year.
Do we have any readers with experience with natural dyes? If so, please leave a comment and let me know!
“WRITING WITH THREAD: TRADITIONAL TEXTILES OF SOUTHEWEST CHINESE
MINORITIES”
Through August 16
Museum of International Folk Art [Santa Fe, NM]
This exhibit features a rare collection of entire ensembles of women’s,
men’s and children’s ceremonial dress, baby carriers, quilt covers, festive
and religious vestments, silver jewelry, embroidered silk valences, and
wax-resist dyed curtains, plus a loom, weaving tools, and embroidery cases.
500+ objects represent 15 ethnic groups and nearly 100 subgroups in China.
“LE COSTUME POPULAIRE RUSSE” (”Popular Russian Costume”)
Through August 30
Fondation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent in collaboration with the Ethnographic Museum of Russia [Paris, France]
A collection of 45 complete costumes and accessories dating from the 19th and early 20th century reveal the reality and creative force of the rural world. This anthology is illustrated by an original series of late 19th century photographs from the collections of the Ethnographic Museum of Russia.
Available for pre-order on Amazon, this UK publication should cross the pond shortly. If you aren’t already familiar with the work of these two authors, you really should be. Amy de la Haye is at the London College of Fashion and Valerie D Mendes is a fashion and textiles historian, formerly at the V & A. The pair wrote my favorite fashion history reference, Twentieth-Century Fashion, among many other valuable resources. Research on Lucile is not often published, though F.I.T. and Victoria Steele have explored her work. This book promises to shed new light on the subject.
2. Avedon Fashion 1944-2000 by Carol Squiers, Vincent Aletti, Philippe Garner, Willis Hartshorn, Richard Avedon (Hardcover - Jun 1, 2009).
This comprehensive catalog is meant as a companion to the exhibition on view at the International Center of Photography which opened in May 2009. I will have much more to say on the amazing Avedon after I see the new exhibition at the SF MOMA in a few weeks. Avedon is major, so is this book.
Jurgen Teller’s work has also been discussed in books such as Juergen Teller, Cindy Sherman, Marc Jacobs, Fashion at the Edge: Spectacle, Modernity, and Deathliness and Fashion: Photography of the Nineties. This one focuses specifically on his most current advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs. The Independent (of the UK) interviewed Teller about the new book yesterday. Like many of his predecessors in the fashion and commercial photography world (aka Edward Steichen), he claims to be an artist first, “I am very pleased to say today that I am a fashion photographer who does other things.”
I must admit that while I know nothing of the ‘religion of clothing’ and dandyism in the Congo, this book looks to be an interesting collection of photographs of ‘The Sapeurs’ (the Society for the Advancement of People of Elegance) and their style. More details and reviewers are included on the blog, History is made at night. Information on the Sapeurs specifically can be found at AfricaFeed, and the BBC Documentary The Importance of Being Elegant. Additional academic articles are available from Theory, Culture & Society, African Studies Review, and The Anthology of Globalization dating back as far as 1994. Linked to this topic is the music of Papa Wemba, who is said to have helped found the Sapeurs.
I used to subscribe to a word-of-the-day email service, my lazy version of reading the dictionary. Very slowly. Out of order. In any case, one week they had a theme of vocabulary related to textiles, but they focused on the non-textile definitions. I myself had not been aware of some of the secondary meanings to the following common fabrics. As the author of wordsmith.org writes, “There are numerous idioms: people are advised not to wash their dirty linen in public, even adults like to have their security blankets….”
lambdoidal tweed wool swatch
tweedy DEFINITION:
adjective:
1. Academic or scholarly.
2. Informal; casual; outdoorsy.
2. Made of or resembling tweed.
ETYMOLOGY:
After tweed, a coarse woolen fabric made in twill weave, preferred in casual wear, for example those in academia or in the country. The origin of the word tweed is not certain. It’s probably an alteration of Scots tweel, influenced by the river Tweed that flows along the border between England and Scotland.
USAGE:
“Ramrod-tall, blue-eyed and aquiline, with a high forehead swept clear of thin, fair hair, [William Hurt] even looked clever, like a tweedy young professor of letters on secondment to Hollywood.”
ETYMOLOGY:
Besides the fabric, the word flannel can refer to a washcloth, an undergarment, or trousers, but here we are interested in its metaphorical sense which apparently developed from the soft and smooth texture of the fabric. The origin of the word flannel remains fuzzy. Two possible derivations have been suggested: from Welsh gwlanen (woolen article) or from Old French flaine (a kind of coarse wool, blanket).
USAGE:
“Commissioned by the Blair economic team, the report is just what the doctor ordered. No flannel. No spin.”
Peter Koenig; Honeymoon With the Economy is Over For Blair; The Independent (London, UK); Nov 16, 1997.
churro wool blended with black llama fiber
wooly DEFINITION:
adjective:
1. Fuzzy; unclear; confused; vague; disorganized; rough.
2. Of or relating to wool.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Old English wull.
USAGE:
“Edward Scicluna: This woolly and opaque way of reporting and forecasting must stop.”
Charlot Zahra; Is Restarting the Excessive Deficit Procedure Justified? Business Today (Malta); May 13, 2009.
cotton bush
cotton DEFINITION:
verb intr.:
1. To become fond of; to get on well together.
2. To come to understand (in the phrase “to cotton to” or “cotton on to”).
ETYMOLOGY:
Via French and Italian from Arabic qutun (cotton). The idiomatic usage of the term as a verb refers to the mixing of another material, such as wool, with cotton and perhaps from the idea of cotton fiber clinging well to something.
USAGE:
“Marketers and retailers have already cottoned on to the fact that, since the entire culture is defiantly refusing to grow up, parents and children are all now approximately the same age. We’ve got the same music on our iPods.”
Karen von Hahn; I Like to Hang Out With My Teenager; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Sep 1, 2007.
polyester plush swatch
plushy DEFINITION:
adjective:
1. Characterized by luxury, extravagance, or ease.
2. Or or related to plush: soft and shaggy.
ETYMOLOGY:
From plush, a fabric of silk, rayon, cotton, or wool, having a long pile. From French pluche, a variant of peluche, from Latin pilus (hair).
USAGE:
“The warm, dark glow and plushy tone so typical of Central European orchestras from the late 19th century on seems steeped in the Staatskapelle’s bones.”
Wynne Delacoma; Staatskapelle Berlin at Symphony Center; Chicago Sun-Times; Dec 12, 2000.
“But since Hugo left university in June, he has not strolled into the sort of plushy job that supposedly awaits our hordes of upper-second graduates when they roar onto the job market.”
Rachel Johnson; Graduates Get Jobs — But No Pay; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 5, 2003.
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It’s a wonderful thing that familiar items permeate our language in such creative ways. And it makes perfect sense that clothes and fabrics and materials, which have developed in tandem with the human race and which conjure up such specific, tangible references for us all, integrate themselves into dialect unrelated to technical apparel conversations. I listed some slightly obscure words, but terms like “silky” and expressions like “pulling the wool over your eyes” act as more common reminders of the power of fabric.
Not sure if this is old…..Contact them if you’re interested.
Call for Papers:
Textile Museum Journal
The Textile Museum Journal invites submissions of manuscripts for its next issue. The Journal is devoted to the presentation of scholarship concerning the cultural, technical, historical, and aesthetic significance of textiles. It is international in scope with emphasis on geographic areas represented in The Textile Museum’s collections, which are drawn primarily from Near Eastern, Asian, African, and indigenous American cultures.
Authors are invited to submit manuscripts based on original research of a documentary, analytical, or interpretive nature. Acceptance of manuscripts for publication is based upon rigorous peer review. Articles should be both scholarly and accessible to a broad readership.
Paper topics–this is the call:
In the fire-proofing regulation there is represented the fire triangle. This triangle illustrates the rule that in order to ignite and burn, a fire requires three elements to be present at the same time: FUEL, COMBURENT and TRIGGER.
The idea that three conditions have to take place simultaneously was translated to the Stresa Congress 2010. Whereas the tri-stimulus triangle, borrowed from the CIE organization, represents the fundamental criteria building the present and the future of the colour-textile world: MENS, SALUS and NEGOTIA, concepts placed at the vertexes of the triangle.The Latin language was chosen for its universality and the spirit of the Congress is well expressed by the motto: OMNE TRINUM EST PERFECTUM.
It has to be explained that each word has several other related meanings: MENS (education, research, advanced technology, nanoscience, biotechnology, innovation, equipments, machineries, etc); SALUS (environment, safety, regulations, welfare, labelling, ecology, etc); NEGOTIA (installations, industry, marketing, costs, earnings, employments, international business, etc).
Hence the contributors are invited to bear in mind these guidelines while preparing their lectures. As an example: the design of an innovative textile product, industrially reproducible and economically feasible but with high impact on environment and human health, it has to be considered a losing strategy from the very beginning. These words could at first sight discourage some authors, so a more discerning reading is needed. For instance, if an innovative textile product (MENS) fully compatible with environment and health (SALUS) is initially affected by a high production cost (NEGOTIA), there is no reason to refrain from making a proposal, because everybody knows that production costs can be reduced in a relatively short time if the product is good. These examples should help the authors to remember the message conveyed by the three word slogan of the Meeting. So, do not hesitate to report any weakness in the present state of the art of research work in progress: what matters is to prove to be conscious of the meaning of that message.
The organizers have decided to allot a special end-of-day time frame in the meeting schedule to permit a free, open and quiet discussion of the papers particularly in respect of their coherence with the spirit of the Meeting. The Meeting should not be considered a superior, authoritative source of ready-to-use notions and data but a great opportunity to jointly bring new ideas and concepts to the sector in which we have been active for a large part of our lives.
ADJUNCT POSITIONS FOR 2009-10 (continued from earlier this week)
(This paragraph is a repeat for anyone who missed the post earlier this week–the jobs below are new though) It seems like lately there are a zillion adjunct and part time positions out there. I am sort of surprised, as from ewhat I’ve been hearing U’s were pulling these spots and making the full timers teach more classes. But, perhaps another way this is happening is that searches for full time positions are suspended and instead it’s cheaper to hire a few adjunct for now while the dust settles fro the economic meltdown. Anyway, I’ll be posting handfuls of adjunct positons throughout the next few weeks. I’ve done lots of adjunct teaching. Often it doesn’t pay great. But, it is a good way to pocket a few grand, update your resume, try out teaching a new type of course for you, and polish your lecture curriculum development skills. Also, I imagine for people without much in the way of teaching experience, it is a good route to get some on your CV before job hunting for full time positions. That way your CV grows, and, you get to test the waters to confirm you like teaching before diving into full time.
JOBS:
5.) Gibbs College of Boston-Fashion Merchandising
Required quals are a Bachelors degree in related field is required, plus 3-5 years of experience in the specific area of discipline. Master s degree is a plus. Required Skills are Fashion Trends, Sewing, Textile Design.
6.) International Academy of Design & Technology-Fashion Design & Merchandising
Need someone to teach Fashion Publicity and Promotion, Fashion Marketing, and Consumer Behavior, A Bachelor s degree in related field is required, plus 3-5 years of experience in the specific area of discipline. Masters degree is a plus. Required skills are college level online teaching experience, online teaching experience, delivery methods, principles, techniques, & methods of instruction.
7.) The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale-Fashion & Textile Design
Searching for industry professionals to teach as Instructors in our rapidly growing Fashion program. Candidates must have industry experience in fashion retailing, buying, visual merchandising, industry sewing & production, patternmaking & grading, tailoring, embellishing & fashion show production. Reqts include a Master’s Degree in Fashion or Fashion-related field.
9.) Savannah College of Art and Design-Fashion Marketing
Qualified candidates should have a terminal degree or its equivalent in fashion or a related field, as well as a broad knowledge of the fashion business. Excellent skills in wholesale, retailing, fashion marketing and management and professional recognition is essential. The successful candidate will be joining a highly creative, motivated, and exciting team that is creating the next generation of fashion buyers, product developers, retail & wholesale merchandisers and marketers. Strong skills in the areas of retailing, fashion marketing and management, design, concept, innovation, illustration, sketching, and CAD are highly desirable. College-level teaching experience in the classroom or through an online format and/or experience developing e-Learning courses is also desirable.
Singer Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields attend the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, where Jackson was nominated for several awards. February 28, 1984.
Michael Jackson’s status as a Pop Icon influenced mens fashion and style in general for several generations. The white glove, the red jacket and the moonwalk were all a part of many a teenagers path to adulthood. His unexpected passing is shocking and sad. From my perspective, the death of this young star is only surpassed by the death of Elvis in 1977.
To see more of Michael Jackson’s memorabilia (including fashion) that was going to be up for grabs in April, see the article in Rolling Stone. Booth Moore, fashion writer for the Los Angeles Times, put together a peice on his impact on fashion yesterday that is fairly comprehensive (see Michael Jackson: King of Style).
And we can’t forget the innocent, yet imminently stylish “Little” Michael Jackson.
Feel free to comment below with your thoughts on Michael Jackson’s influence on fashion.
“BIJOU ART DECO AND THE AVANT-GARDE”
Through July 12
Les Arts Decoratifs [Paris, France]
This exhibit is both a celebration of Art Deco jewelry and of the work of the jeweler and precious metalsmith Jean Despres (1889-1980). 180 of this artist’s works, inspired by Cubism and machinery, are being shown alongside works by the great names of French jewelry in the 1930s: Jean Fouquet, Gerard Sandoz, Raymond Templier, and also by architects (Robert Mallet Stevens), interior designers, (Jean Dunand) and silversmiths (Jean Puiforcat), all illustrating the formidable attraction jewelry exercised over the artists of the period.
“FASHION IN FILM: PERIOD COSTUMES FOR THE SCREEN”
Through August 9
Allentown Art Museum [Allentown, PA]
This exhibit showcases 36 period costumes worn by high-profile celebrities in film classics. The costumes span four centuries of style. The films in which the costumes were used include “Elizabeth,” “Evita,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Ever After,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Out of Africa,” and “Titanic,”among others. Mounted photo murals and posters from the films complete the show. Textiles chosen from the periods represented by the films will be included for comparison.
Things are a bit hectic for me this week. And so we will let history speak for itself:
Bianca Jagger, wearing a gold sequined outfit, with designer Valentino at Helmut Berger's 30th birthday "Bad Taste" party. (June 24, 1974 in Rome)
Sid Caesar Looking at Hats Undecidedly (June 24, 1951): To wear or not to wear a summer hat? That was the question. After due deliberation, Sid Caesar, master of pantomime and a man of a million moods, succumbed to the inevitable wifely demand. He bought a hat. There's a hat, it seems, for every face. But Sid Caesar reversed this. He had a face for every hat. Without further ado-here is Caesar, the mad hatter.
June 24, 1956, "Wimbledon, England: It was "ladies Day" at Wimbledon when these pictures were made, and fashion was keynote among players and spectators alike, U.S. champion Maureen (little Mo) Connolly makes a pretty picture in her scallop edged tennis skirt and wicker handbag, on her way to the center court for a match. Mrs. Vic Seixas, center, and Mrs. Tony Trabert, right, wives of the two well known seeded American net stars took the fashion spotlight for spectators as they arrived to watch the women's singles matches." Unfortunately, it looks like this caption doesn't match the photo from the source I originally obtained the image (Corbis). I do love her strawberry skirt though. Can anyone identify the women in the picture?
by Valerie D Mendes and Amy de la Haye
, among many other valuable resources. Research on Lucile is 
(
, 
and 
. This one focuses specifically on his most current advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs. The Independent (of the UK) interviewed Teller about the new book 
by Daniele Tamagni
