8.29.2011

IKAT

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A few last shots from the Textile Museum of Canada, these are from the Central Asian ikat exhibit, Bukhara. Some beautiful examples of ikat-weave and embroidered silk robes, hangings and coverlets from a fascinating place and time.

Ikat weaving was something I always wanted to try in school when I had easy access to a loom, alas it's another of those projects I never got around to. The process of these fabrics is so interesting, time consuming. One would truly have to plan in advance (never my strong suit) or else be content allowing happy accidents to happen.

Maybe some day again I'll have a loom and the space and time to use it?? One can dream.....

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8.23.2011

FABRIC OF LIFE

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R and I visited Toronto this past weekend for a quick 4th anniversary trip, and so he could participate in Zine Dream on Sunday afternoon. While he was working I took myself to the Textile Museum of Canada, which for me is a pretty ideal use of two hours.

Special highlights included items from the museum's collection of Islamic African artifacts - textiles from a place I yearn to visit more than just about anywhere else in the world. I hope I might have the privilege to see Africa sooner rather than later.

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Stunning, inspiring.

8.08.2011

SUMMER NIGHTS

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If you're stuck in the city anyway, and it's 30 degrees outside and worse inside, and you can't imagine one more sweaty stuffy night in that damn bedroom. If it's a Friday and you've been eating baguette & St Andre cheese & garlic paté in the park and drinking tall boys too but not quite ready for the adventure to end. And you happen to own an air mattress and a nice little Lord Fauntleroy lamp and you're both reading fantasy novels and the cat's feeling adventurous. If there's no rain in the forecast and the bugs aren't all that bad, if you're three stories above the world but still have a leafy canopy above your heads.

There's not much of anything better than balcony slumber parties.

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Best sleep we've had all summer.