..I'm also expanding my knowledge (never a bad thing I believe!)
Always interested in other cultures, especially those with a rich textile heritage..
..I've come across these....
Please have a look - it's well worth it!
How can anyone not be bowled over by the hand craft here?!
As I've said previously, most of what I've done in recent times has been "stan" inspired....
The textiles that come out of these countries still have the ability to stop me in my tracks and gape like some kind of smitten fool...
...but I'm discovering new countries too. I'd never even HEARD of Chuvashia until I came across it in Sheila Paine's books that document her search for a particular kind of Amulet.
(The Afghan Amulet; The Golden Horde; The Linen Goddess)
I'm the sort to "have a nose around"...and found the videos above. WOW!! or what?!
There's also a site - www.chuvashculture.org that has a number of galleries showing embroidery and many other things too, plus lots of info. Here are some piccies from there...
What is it about this kind of embroidery that fascinates me?
Maybe it is because some embroidery patterns/designs/motifs are deemed to have "magical" or "talismanic" properties.
Certainly there seems to be a "commom thread" in some of the motifs, and these are found repeated on embroidered, felted and woven textiles all over Central Asia and parts of Europe.
This fact grabs my imagination.
I'm going to follow the threads and see where they lead me....
