TSA 15th Biennial Symposium- Savannah This year TSA partnered with SCAD-Savannah College of Art and Design- to present an exploration of the cultural crosscurrents that shape textile production and practice. More than 400 TSA members from 22 countries attended the 5 day symposium held in Savannah, Georgia.  From the opening reception at SCAD Museum of…

The Golden Skein – Celebrating 270 Years – DMC TENUI FILO MAGNUM TEXITUR OPUS – “From one fine thread a work of art is born” Familiar to every needle-worker are the initials DMC, which stands for Dollfus-Mieg and Company, manufacturers of fine threads and yarns. The company began as a fabric printing company run by…

It has been said  that “clothes maketh the man”.  Mark Twain is quoted as saying” Clothes make the man-Naked people have little or no power”. Hans Christian Anderson wrote of the Emperor’s New Clothes (to which we will return momentarily).  Polonius advised Laertes (Hamlet- William Shakespeare) “for apparel oft proclaims the man” So there appears…

What to Wear When You Play I happen to have a free week.  Believe me, that doesn’t happen often.  No meetings, no classes, no lunches with friends.  To my joy, this coincides with the first week of Olympic competition.  In our house, every TV (yes, we have more than one) is channeled onto sport.  While…

A Killer Green Gown These represent green shades popular in fashion.  They are not toxic pigments  This is the second excerpt from  Alison Matthews Davis” book, Fashion Victims.  The first excerpt, 5/28/16, recounted the health risks posed by the long skirts worn by fashionable women. The skirts dragged on the ground, through the filthy streets…

Another Reference for My Library If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know I have a great fondness for my reference library.  I love textile books almost as much as the textiles themselves.  I know historians are always searching for more reference materials and haunt libraries, bookstores and vintage shops for more…