Old World Craft & Techniques

[SomethingElse]

Kuba Cloth: Playing with Geometry - Kuba cloth, the magnificent embroidered and applique fabric of the Kuba people, is the best-known example of the ancient African tradition of raffia cloth weaving.

A Trend-Setting Art Form
Weaving, embroidery, appliqué; and other textile techniques have long been staples of African artistry. In the past, European nobility displayed raffia cloth in curio cabinets as prime examples of African artistry. More recently, the masterful abstract patterning displayed in Kuba cloth served as a source of inspiration to artists such as Klee, Picasso, and Braque. Matisse was such a fan that he displayed pieces of his extensive Kuba cloth collection on the walls of his studio.

Symbols in the After-Life
The ceremonial occasions and court rituals that embroidered raffia cloth were originally produced for are rare events today.The survival of raffia weaving and embroidery techniques is tied to the importance these cloths play in today's funeral celebrations. The Kuba believe that high quality, correctly patterned raffia dress is key to being recognized by clan ancestors in the land of the dead, so families accumulate the cloths and pass them down through the generations.

Creating Kuba Cloth
The basic unit of Kuba weaving is the undecorated square of plain raffia cloth, the mbal, woven by men on an upright single-heddle loom. Although men sometimes decorate the cloth they weave, only women produce the most laborious and prestigious type of cloth decoration, cut-pile embroidery.

It takes about a month of regular work for a woman to complete a small square of kuba embroidery using a laborious technique that includes dying, detailed needlework and clipping individual tufts. Except for novices, designs are created as the crafter proceeds, usually elaborating a new combination from the more than 200 familiar patterns known designs, most which are identified by name. The same patterns are used on other Kuba art forms, including wood sculpture, metalworking, mat making, and women's body scarification.

Although the regular interlacing on the background cloth promotes a regular and symmetrical design, Kuba artists favor an improvisational, fluid effect that plays with deliberate asymmetries and pattern variation, creating the exquisite workmanship that distinguishes this native art form.

Below: Ensemble, late 19th century, African (Kuba peoples). Raffia fiber, harvested from the palm leaf, is used in almost all Kuba textiles and is a powerful emblem of security and continuity, symbolizing the bond of the living to each other as well as to the deceased. The intricately pieced checkerboard pattern and large size of this skirt reveal the prominent social status of the wearer.

africanconservancy.org . metmuseum.org

 

[SomethingElse]

Temari

While an ancient Japanese Temari is said to be originating from Kemari (kickball type game) and originally coming from China and made from deer hide during the Asuka period, Temari (hand ball) called Onna Mari were used by women in the royal court castle to show off and compete with their kagari (stitching skills) to gain the attention and favor of their favorite princes. The temari used to be made with kakagari (using silk threads) among the upper class, but when cotton threads became readily available in modern times, regular/common people began making them using cotton thread. Temari made in this way spread to many areas of Japan and each area established its own recognizable style. Temari is a traditional, highly artistic culture and skill in that each design shows the unique characteristics of the maker's free ideas and creativity.

You can find step by step instructions and examples and all sorts of fun information at the source. I know what I'm going to make for holiday ornaments this year...

www.temarikai.com

 

[ChrissyM]

those are cool!

looks so labor intensive..
i wouldn't have the patience
or maybe i would

very cool idea for some custom-made ornaments though, like you said

 

[gius]

They're very cool, those balls
and you know, the thread used is continuous
So like the red lines you see in the last one, they have been wrapped all over the ball... it's not just a red line stitched on top...
Quite complex, I have to say

Love your posts, SomethingElse

 

[gius]

Dyeing with Turmeric

Turmeric has been used as a dye (and spice) for hundreds of years. Popular in many parts of Asia, especially India. You can see Buddhist monks wearing robes in this yellow colour-- this is what they use to dye the robes.

dept.kent.edu
It's prone to fading, due to its instability to light and alkali conditions, but it remains a popular dye even till now because of the intensity of the yellow it can produce.
In India, after dyeing, it can be dipped in a rinse acid bath of lemon juice or mango skins to help make it fast to the fabric. Also pomegranate rind is used along dyeing because the tannin in the rind helps fix the colour onto the fabric as well...

For those who don't know, turmeric is part of the ginger family
My friend and I recently dyed some wool, linen, raw silk, nylon and hemp in turmeric. I posted it here http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f105/natural-clothing-dyes-44118-2.html#post3549027
We made two sets: one with a mordant and one without
You actually don't need a mordant for this but we wanted to test it to see if there was any change; and our yellow shades did get a bit darker with the mordant

 

[gandrasta]

Tribal Cloth Enthusiasts

Some might so precious whilst others being forgoten. Designers, artists, even football players seem to cling these heritage for once in a while. Let's show our glorious cloth designs and technics from all over the World!

 

[gandrasta]

On the Shade: these are Tenun (weave) and Ikat Cloth from Indonesia. From the most intricated double Ikat, Gringsing to pixelated games-like sarong from Nusa Tenggara. enjoy!

source: member's own collection

 

[gius]

Hello gandrasta
I hope you are settling in well at tFS ...

I combined your thread with this one
It's about handcrafts from different countries, techniques... Can be fabrics, woodwork, anything
Please do a search next time, before starting a new thread

You might also be interested in these threads:
Ethnic Fashion
contemporary Textile Design
and Repeating Patterns in Wallpapers/textiles

Cheers!

 

[gandrasta]

Dear giuseppe.. huge thx . and thx too for your comment on my blog

 

[gius]

You're welcome ^

What is the last fabric? It looks like shiny denim...
and there are bright blue threads floating on top of it...

 

[gandrasta]

You're welcome ^

What is the last fabric? It looks like shiny denim...
and there are bright blue threads floating on top of it...

It's Sarong Hitam Bulukumba (Black Bulukumban Sarong). This special weaving savvy involves rich indigofera dye, deep cow's/bulls' blood to imobilized blue-black color on the cotton threads, and shell scrubing to chintz-like effect. The bright blue part are weaving stillation using indigo dyed threads (without blood fermenting).

The sarong only worn by male at its origin (Bulukumba, South Sulawesi Island). Some believe the sarong gives them wealth and power to avoids black magic (absorb it.. ? hahaha). Nowdays, this kind of sarong is hard to find, since Bulukumban people going to industrial area and neglecting their old tradition. Well it hapens everywhere, bytheway

 

[gius]

Oh! It's like the same fabric made in China... by the Miao people They also use indigo and it's shiny. I handled it once --it feels like paper

What is weaving stillation ?

So the blood is to stabilize the indigo... How do you stabilize the chintz effect? Won't it disappear if you wash it? Sounds interesting!

 

[gandrasta]

Yes it crisp and delicate. weaving stillation, umm i don't know hoe to explain this one, coz in Indonesian they called 'stilasi'. It could be mixed of weaving techniques-perhaps. The only thing I did to keep the chintz effect is keep it away from water lol

Oh! It's like the same fabric made in China... by the Miao people They also use indigo and it's shiny. I handled it once --it feels like paper

What is weaving stillation ?

So the blood is to stabilize the indigo... How do you stabilize the chintz effect? Won't it disappear if you wash it? Sounds interesting!

 

[gius]

great blog about indigo dye and its use ...
has recipes too

magic of light, mystery of shadows
http://indigodye.blogspot.com/

 

[javs52]

just saw this interesting video about Hermes bags...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oTtvhqA-KM

 

[gius]

Fringe-maker in Galway, Ireland
May 1913

bbc.co.uk |

 

[gius]

braid

..the famous Madame Pouzieux
and her work for Chanel haute couture.
Mention of her starts approx 1:50