Threads of Life, We’ve all grown up thinking of sewing and embroidery as women’s work: another unpaid and thankless chore. Darning socks, sewing on buttons, embroidering a child’s dress with a motif. But occasionally, we read something that gives us pause and allows us to look at our preconceived notions afresh. I was lucky to spot Threads of Life: A history of the world through the Eye of a Needle at my local bookstore. (more…)
The Beautiful Indienne, A Textile Story of Switzerland
I discussed my recent textile-related reads with a friend when she mentioned the book ‘Indiennes – Material For A Thousand Stories“. The exhibition at the Landesmuseum Zürich published this book in conjugation with their presentation.
The name ‘Indienne’ made me curious as I have not heard of it before in relation to the calico textiles that were traded between India and Europe. I grabbed my copy right away and just finished reading it. The book examines what happened next to the beautifully printed and painted cotton story after they left the Indian shores, arrived in Europe and created a veritable storm of buying enthusiasm in Europe. (more…)
