Textiles and the Triplett Sisters

The history of Dutch Costume includes chintz. The costumes of the Netherlands vary by region, but the folk costumes have an explosion of colors and designs. Did I also mention that it includes wearing chintz? Bright beautiful bold prints, perfect for interior décor or quilts or clothes. Chintz that can’t be missed and should never be forgotten. The costume museum also preserved the stories told through the costumes worn. For example, the fisherman sweaters in which each village knitted a pattern common to the town. Then, when a man went overboard and washed up on shore, they knew in which village the man had resided. In Spakenburg, each woman makes her own the handmade bonnet, creating a self-invented pattern. The crocheting of these bonnets is very labor intensive requiring about a hundred hours to create a...

In an earlier blog, I mentioned that there was a Chintz exhibition at the Nantes Quilt Show we attended. We write about Chintz quite a bit because we love it, so I thought I would make do with the few shots in the earlier blog post. However, this week we ran onto an amazing array of reproduction fabrics, which reminded me of the fabrics of Provence. So, I decided I wasn’t done with the Nantes Quilt Show. Several people from the Association of Tresors, Patrimoine etoffes of Marseille gave a presentation on the quilts and costumes of the 18th and 19th century Provence. The organization was nice enough to provide an exhibition of the clothing as well as wear authentic clothing. Although I can’t imagine trying to go about daily tasks dressed in these outfits, not...

Besides exploring all the wonders in the American Museums, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that many museums of the world have also granted open access. Especially since the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which was one of the first museums to allow access, started in 2011. The curators of the museum made this decision after finding 10,000 low quality scans online for one of the Vermeers in the collection. The Rijksmuseum offers more 208,000 images online at no cost, click here to search their collections. The LACMA, the National Gallery of Arts and the Yale University Gallery followed suit quickly. Since then the J. Paul Getty Museum and the British Library have also opened their collections. To find out if a museum has open access, simply check their website for a logo which shows open...

“We are Africans NOT because we are born in Africa but because Africa is born in us.” The first time I saw that quote with an image of the African continent posted on my sister’s page, I was surprised. After all, we grew up in Kansas. However, Kay Triplett spent about 10 years of her non-textile career living, working, or being connected to Africa. Kay’s living in Africa is the reason I learned how to dye adire or indigo resist. She learned to love the people, the culture, and the artists. Being a textile lover, she particularly learned to love the African textiles, which she personally collected. She helped struggling African artists by supporting their art through purchases. She took lessons from experts in the field to learn the craft and purchased treasures from art centers...

The hallway that leads to the Colonial Williamsburg Exhibition “Printed Fashions: Textiles for Clothing and Home” was lined with images from a sample book. This sample book is also featured in the display case in the exhibition. Hundreds of fabric samples provide the viewer with a wider perspective on the printed textiles available to consumers. The folding swatch book unfurls to 8 feet and contains 430 different samples of cotton and cotton/linen fabric. The book was the printed goods of Thomas Smith of Manchester, England. However, the firm went bankrupt in 1788. The book provides us with specifics on fabric available for clothing prior to 1788. In the case of Annie Hayslip’s book, it tells the story on one family and friends. It provides a glimpse into what fabrics were available to them and use for...