Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

Located in Amsterdam, it isn’t a surprise that the museum is known for the best collection of Dutch art in the world. However, with more than 8,000 artefacts on display in 80 wings...it is almost too much eye candy to be seen in one day. Kay and I were quite determined and mapped out a plan of attack. First we inquired about the textiles on display to be sure we’d included all of those. The attendant couldn’t think of many textiles on display, but dutifully marked a few spots. (We later learned, it wasn’t that they didn’t have wonderful textiles, just in relation to the vastness of the collections, it was a smaller percentage.) Understanding that the textiles might be limited, we began taking photos of art with early examples of clothing. Ten statues at the...

  Although initially our focus was drawn to the amazing quilts in the gallery, the other textiles displayed couldn’t be ignored, especially with an indigo resist taking up a large part of the display. This amazing linen textile was made in Berks County, Pennsylvania approximately 1780 – 1830. Hanging beside the indigo resist was dress fabric from the Coromandal Coast, 1775-1800. The design was created by hand instead of being block printed. The fabric bears the mark on the back of United East India Company. Additional fabrics, including one printed by Bromley Hall in this Banyan held my attention. Needlework on display was also an important contribution to the collections. Both men and women were employed in professional workshops creating amazing clothing and furnishings. A sample of whitework from New York was also included. All of...

According to the amazing costume designer Edith Head, “You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” The brand new American colonists were trying to figure out what they wanted in life and what the fashion of the new country was going to be. A satirical newspaper article first appearing in the 1760’s and republished for many years even after the revolution asked the question “What is Fashion?” The answer of course was, “an agreeable tyrant” an oxymoron if ever there was. Thus the title of the current exhibition was born: “An Agreeable Tyrant: Fashion After the Revolution.” The exhibition running through April 29, 2017 examines fashion for both men and women from 1780 to 1825. For those familiar with the Daughters of the American Revolution building, this exhibition will have a...

The Triplett Sisters had an adventure in DC, with much to see. We went to a wonderful exhibition “Bingata! Only in Okinwa” at The George Washington Textile Museum. Our arrival was timed perfectly to participate in a tour by Curator Lee Talbot. (The exhibit was so wonderful we went back again!) I’m writing about it immediately because…IT CLOSES JANUARY 30, 2017. So, if you live in the DC area or can get to the DC area in the next few days, the exhibit is worth the effort. Bingata is a technique which uses pigments and dyes to create wonderful multicolored fabrics. It can be done either freehand or with paper stencils. These techniques have been used for more than 300 years in the Ryukyu Kingdom (now the Okinawa Prefecture in Japan). This area because of maritime...

This year Colonial Williamsburg is offering a conference on “Printed Fashions: Textiles for Clothing and the Home, March 26-28, 2107. Every year the CW team puts together interesting symposiums, but this year the guest speaker line up is amazing! Many of the presenters are coming from across the pond, so it’s the perfect opportunity to learn from British experts without going overseas. Rosemary Crill, now retired from the Victoria and Albert Museum, is still an honorary research associate. She will be discussing, “When Print Meets Pen: Block-printing and Hand-drawing in Indian Cotton Textiles.” Other presenters from overseas include John Styles, honorary senior research fellow, Victoria and Albert Museum, Bridget Long, visiting research fellow in history, University of Hertfordshire, and Philip Sykas, research associate from Manchester School of Art. Colonial Williamsburg have also included some talented Americans...