Crin de Caballo – Hair of the Horse There are many fibers used to create textiles, many are common, many are not.  The use of horsehair has a long history.  Probably the upholstery “stuffing” of your grandmother’s sofa was horsehair, now replaced with modern synthetics. Central Asians first domesticated horses around 3,000BCE.  The Moors brought…

An Unexpected Meeting Today I’m writing about history, not textile history, but human evolutionary history. Every once in a while, you meet someone truly by chance.  Last fall we were visiting friends in Asheville, NC. Visiting, and, of course, shopping in Historic Biltmore Village.  One of our favorite type of retail stores is a nature-related…

An Unexpected Meeting Today I’m writing about history, not textile history, but human evolutionary history. Every once in a while, you meet someone truly by chance.  Last fall we were visiting friends in Asheville, NC. Visiting, and, of course, shopping in Historic Biltmore Village.  One of our favorite type of retail stores is a nature-related…

Destination: the South Pacific Most visitors miss some of the most beautiful South Pacific islands of paradise for the simple reason that they are in the middle of a vast sea and, frankly, are not well known.  One lovely island nation is the Cook Islands. The “Cooks” are comprised of 15 islands with a total…

Destination: the South Pacific Most visitors miss some of the most beautiful South Pacific islands of paradise for the simple reason that they are in the middle of a vast sea and, frankly, are not well known.  One lovely island nation is the Cook Islands. The “Cooks” are comprised of 15 islands with a total…

Folley Cove Revisited Several years ago I wrote about a mid-19thC American cooperative, Folley Cove Designers from Cape Ann, Ma. ( 5/25/12) Recently I received correspondence from Christine Lundberg, an independent film producer.  Christine has produced a documentary on Virginia Lee Burton, her life and career, Virginia Lee Burton: A Sense of Place. Virginia (Jennie) Lee…