I am a lover of textiles..especially ones that are hand-made by women in countries where the method is taught to younger women by the older women and truly not only a skill but an art form. There are many women’s co-ops that have started up around the world and thanks to the mentors that help market these goods like Aid To Artisans and retailers that buy these goods like ABC Home and even West Elm, these women have an incentive to continue their artwork. These textiles are unique to a culture or group of people within a small region of a country. The Temoayan blankets are hand-knotted virgin wool blankets woven on wooden looms. They are made by women in Temoaya, Mexico about 53 miles west of Mexico City. These blankets represent a fusion of ancient Persian carpet-making techniques.
Moroccan wedding blankets or Handira, are hand woven from sheep’s wool in Berber villages in the Atlas Mountians. They are for the prospective bride and believed to have talismanic powers to protect the couple from the evil eye.
Mexican coverlets made of Otomi cloth are hand appliqued colorful pieces crafted by the Otomi women taking inspiration from wall paintings in the cliffs of their region.
Indian appliqued coverlets from Rajasthan are similar but usually geometric appliques of white on white cotton.
Suzani textiles are named after the Persian word for “needle”. The were traditionally made for a woman’s dowry. They can take over two years to complete these beautiful pieces from Uzbekistan.
Also from India are kantha stitched quilts pieced from old saris. This type of stitching is typical of the women in the Bengal region of India.
Of course I have to add some hand-blocked textiles from India which we are mostly familiar with through John Robshaw and Les Indiennes.
