Uncontacted Tribes

Awá child, Amazon, photo by Survival International

A friend sent me a link to Survival International's website, Uncontacted Tribes.    These are tribes that still have no contact with the rest of us, considered "civilized" by some.  Many live in forested areas that have encroaching development on their periphery.  Quite a few are down to just a few surviving people.  For example, the Akuntsu of the Amazon in Brazil only have six people left.  The rest of their tribe was slaughtered by developers of a major roadway that went through their land in Rondonia, a Brazilian state in the Northwest, just South of the Amazon.

Can you imagine being left with only five other people who understand your language, your way of life?

Survival International describes a bit of the Akuntsu life:  "The Akuntsu make wooden flutes which 
are used in dances and rituals. They wear arm bands and anklets made of
 palm fibre. Shell necklaces have been replaced by necklaces of bright 
plastic which the Akuntsu cut from the
 pesticide containers left as litter by the ranchers. 
They paint their bodies with urucum (annatto dye) for ceremonies."  Learn more about these survivors on their page:  Akuntsu

Survival International has a list of tribes who are threatened around the world, each with pages describing their story, how they are threatened and what can be done for them.  A couple have even made a come back!

The last issue of National Geographic had an awful story about what is going on in the Congo.  One of the most fertile areas in Africa and held as a conservation area for wildlife, people have been destroying the forest and wildlife in order to survive.  This is also where refugees from the Rwandan genocide have fled to and they want the land.  Armed guerrillas fight the rangers for control of the forest|:

I don't know why I even read or watch these reports.  It is so discouraging and sad.  I remember that back in High School, late 1970's, we were told, "If this doesn't stop, this will happen..."  Cause and effect.  The 7 billionth child was just born.  Where are we going? 

It doesn't help to close my eyes.  I know it is all happening.  The beauty of our planet being run over by our own lifestyle along with the greed, guns, and guerrillas of a failed social system.  Yes, it's depressing.  But, I do believe that every little thing we do in our own corner of the world can create a positive reaction that will stop some of this destruction.  Keep your corner healthy and teach your neighbor how to do it, too!

Here is a Shipibo textile from Medicine Hunter which reminds me how we are all woven together and our paths cross, whether we see it or not:

Shipibo Ayahuasca Textile

The Shipibo people are native to the Peruvian Amazon. Traditionally, the women create these beautiful hand embroidered textiles depicting visions experienced in ceremony with Ayahuasca Shaman.

Uncontacted Tribes

Doris Florig: Weaver on a Boat, Explorer of Traditions

"Grand Isle Corn" by Doris Florig

Searching for the Ruins of an Indigo Plantation

By Doris Florig

Six years ago, each time I told  friends that my husband, Dennis, and I had decided to spend our winters on our cruising sail boat, the first thing they all said was, “so I guess you will have to give up weaving”.  Well, I knew that was not a possibility. I knew I could adjust to nomadic style looms, but, I had no idea that my knowledge of weaving would grow with such diversity. Weaving has given me the key to open the doors to connect with new people, their culture and history.

Doris learning about mud dyeing from a Carib Amerindian in Dominica.

Dennis checking the sail trim.

Most recently, while sailing the Eastern Caribbean chain, we sailed to the island of Maria-Galante, Guadeloupe. Before arriving, I looked through a French publication by the Conseil General De La Guadeloupe. It showed a photo of ruins of 17th century indigo processing vats. My experience with natural dyeing is extensive but lacking in any exposure to Indigo. I knew that this was to be the beginning of what would develop into an intensive study of INDIGO. We rented a car and set out on a quest to broaden my knowledge of the history and the processing of Indigo. 

It wasn’t as easy as I thought. Somehow I guess I was thinking there would be something very oblivious like a sign saying “Historic Site”. We found the general area, but not the site.  I approached an elderly French women on the roadside. Knowing that neither of us spoke the same language, I approached her with the photo of the ruins and a map. Well, the map was of no help. I had forgotten that people, who don’t travel, can’t relate to maps. The photo was of some help, but we didn’t connect until I pointed to the blue on her dress and said INDIGO.  I detected a slight smile and twinkle in her eye that indicated she understood. She pointed towards the sea.  So, downhill I went and quickly discovered a field with a small low stone structure, possibly an old barn. Ignoring the oxen scattered about the field, I headed toward the structure not knowing what to expect.

The oxen didn't bother Dennis.

It took a while but eventually, I realized that it could be nothing other than the foundation for the production of Indigo.

Indigo vat ruins in Guadeloupe.

The stone ruins formed three very distinct shapes approximately 12 x 12 feet which indicated to me that these were the walls of the vats. The first vat was for fermenting the indigo for a period of 24 hours. The second vat would have been used for the churning process and the third vat used for draining the fluid from the sludge used to make the dye.  The whole thing was a mystery until I saw the openings for the draining process. That was a dead give-away, I had indeed discovered the ruins from a 17th century Indigo Plantation. I felt like an amateur archeologist. The discovery of this foundation is now the beginning of my quest to fully understand and experience the process of dyeing with indigo.

Dennis discovered the remains of an old cauldron. We think it was original equipment used in  the processing.

At the next island, Domonica, we visited a Carib Reservation. They knew no history of Indigo dyeing but Dennis and I were convinced that they were cooking their Cassava bread on a broken historic cauldron.

Doris Florig is a weaver/fiber artist. She will teach natural dye classes in Jackson Hole this summer. On Aug 6 and 7, 2011 she will present a natural dye lecture and a demonstration in Fargo, North Dakota.

Visit Doris Florig's website.

Doris, in the saloon,settled into weaving her winter tapestry project, THE GATES OF NAHANNI.  The original painting for this cartoon was done by Dwayne Harty supported by the Yellowstone Yukon Conservation Project directed by Harvey Locke.

Doris Florig: Weaver on a Boat, Explorer of Traditions

The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Cultural Textiles

 

TAFA Team member, Catherine Bayar, sells vintage textiles, knits and is setting up a workshop for women in Istanbul, Turkey.

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was launched in February, 2010.  As it has grown, now to over 200 members, so have the members who have Etsy shops.  About half of us use Etsy as our retail platform.  We decided to organize as an Etsy Team (a program Etsy has for sellers to organize under themes or locations) and set up a blog where we can talk about what is important to us and where we can show off our shops.  The blog has eight pages of shops, divided into themes and serves as our Team Shops Catalog.  Although many of us sell things that do not fit neatly into those categories, most of us do have a focus.  I am introducing each of those categories here, hoping that this will encourage you to go over there and shop, shop, shop, until you drop!  These eight pages have over 100 shops, filled with wonderful eye candy that will surely delight anyone who appreciates all the many techniques and traditions that are found in the needle and textile arts. 

Today's focus:  Cultural Textiles

 

 Afghan Tribal Arts sells vintage textiles and beads from Afghanistan and the region.  

Many of the beads are hand-carved semi-precious stones which support artisans who have been living in refugee camps for decades.

 

 

Although I love all kinds of textiles and the techniques that go with them, I have to say that my passion lies with cultural textiles, especially embroidery from Central Asia.  I quilt and embroider and sew and make all kinds of stuff, but when I see these embroideries, touch them, and think of all of the work that goes into them, my mind goes into sensory overload.  That is part of the attraction for me: the skill, the use of basic materials to create something beautiful, the textures and images created in and through fabric and thread...  The other magnet is the knowledge that these pieces come from communities where crafts are central to the cultures they represent.  They bring with them centuries of stories, of traditions, of symbolism.  They are pictures of people, most of whom face terrible difficulties in our modern world.  War, famine, global warming, deforestation, pesticide use, land grabbing, aids, and so many other devastating perils threaten communities that we have called "ethnic" or "tribal" in the past.  Along with their displacement and poverty goes their knowledge and ability to produce the textiles and crafts that tell their stories.

 

 

 Valerie Hearder, a quilter, started African Threads to help women in South Africa find new markets for their embroidery and other crafts.  She has introduced contemporary images, like the Michael Jackson icon above, along maintaining traditional ones.

 

 

An understanding dawned on development leaders in the 1970's that crafts had potential as an economic development tool.  There was a handmade revolution back then, too, with the hippie movement and all of the do-it-yourself projects that were starting to roll out to market through kits.  Remember all the macrame projects?  Cutting glass?  There is a parallel that remains true today:  people who have exposure to making things themselves appreciate handmade things from around the world.  Other reasons for interest in cultural crafts have to do with travel, support for causes, empathy, and so on.  So, way back then, the Peace Corps taught the Otavalo Indians how to knit sweaters using Scandinavian designs, other development groups began looking at how crafts could employ the people they were working, churches saw that they could also do this and the concept of fair trade came into being.  Thirty years later we continue to see efforts all over the world, formally and informally, of using craft production as a means to both preserve cultural traditions and village structures through and economic development focus.  Many of these models have brought relief closer to home.  Alabama Chanin, for example, has successfully created a business which employs women in Alabama to make gorgeous handmade clothing using sustainable practices and materials.  All of our TAFA Team members who are working with cultural textiles also have social missions which encourage economic development in the communities they represent.

 

 Indira Govindan of dharmakarmaarts is an artist who is inspired by her Indian ancestry.  ALL of the proceeds of her Etsy sales go to support a handicapped project in India.

When I started TAFA, I made the conscious choice of giving both cultural and contemporary textiles and fiber art the same importance in sharing a common platform.  One of the challenges we face when working with these textiles is that they have been perceived as less valuable than contemporary work.  A weaver in Guatemala is called a producer or artisan while a weaver in Santa Fe is referred to as a fiber artist.  All of this translates into dollars.  As these traditions disappear, we will end up having a handfull of masters or living cultural treasures and then cheap imitations that are churned out by sweat shops or machines.  Already, the places in the world where carpets are still produced have dwindled to a handful of countries.  As they industrialize and destroy traditional nomadic or village life, the need for and ability to maintain production disappears.

 MayaMam is a new effort working with a weaving group in Guatemala.

All of us who sell online have to master many skills in order to present our goods successfully: we have to become great photographers, product designers, learn how to practice good customer service, learn about shipping to places around the world, and so on.  Our Team has many levels of expertise and we have implemented a mentor program where experienced sellers can guide the newbie ones.  Yet, none of us can move forward without support from a willing customer base, you!  Whether these textiles are purchased for their beauty or for the good that they do, there is a necessary bond that connects the maker to the seller to the buyer.  There has been a strong bias on Etsy against cultural crafts because most of us who sell them are not making the product.  Yet, the makers, in these cases, are often illiterate, have no access to computers, are living in terrible conditions and they need us as a bridge to bring their work to market.

 Dr. Christi Bonds Garrett of HeArt of Healing has one of the largest mola collections in the MidWest.  As an art quilter, she also loves vintage japanese kimono which can be cut up and used in new pieces.  As a practitioner of Integrative Medicine, Christi is especially interested in the Kuna medicinal traditions and how they are documented in their molas.  The above mola shows a Kuna woman working on a weaving while she smokes her pipe.

I find it interesting how many of us in our Team who work with cultural textiles also make our own work.  This cultural exchange is not new.  Picasso, Gauguin and many others were influenced by tribal or ethnic work that made their way to Europe.  The Moors changed the art of Southern Spain and Portugal.  With all of the technological exchanges we have in our world today, we see global fusion happening in all areas of life: crafts, food, music and even in the choices we make for marriage partners and social circles.  It's a fascinating time in history.  There is a constant choice we make in what to assimilate and what gets lost in the translation.  This is where the preservation of vintage textiles are so important.  We can keep them as references to the past while we explore new ways to relate to the present and future.

My shop, Rayela, has vintage textiles from around the world and remnants which can be incorporated into new pieces.  A special love I have: ralli quilts from India and Pakistan.

Interest in cultural textiles often leads to increased knowledge about the people who made them which can then foster actual connections.  Several of our members offer cultural tours specializing in textile production.  Valerie Hearder is taking a group to South Africa in 2011.  Fiona Wright (Glitzandpieces on Etsy) sells vintage saris and textiles on Etsy, but spends most of her time on workshops and leading her cultural tours around India.

 Wouldn't a cultural tour with Fiona be something to remember forever?

It's a beautiful world and we bring some of it to you through our Cultural Textiles.  Do not hesitate to contact the shops for more information on what they are doing.  We are a social group, anxious to make connections and friendships along the way!

Click here to visit our Cultural Textiles in our TAFA Team Catalog of Shops.

And, while you are there, click on the other tabs to see our other Team member shops.  We aim to be the best in textiles and fiber art on Etsy!

The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Cultural Textiles

Chiapas: A Revolution, Some Sheep, and Centuries of Weaving

From Arthur Frederick Community Builders, an organization dedicated to small-scale community development. They have projects in Chiapas.


A decade ago, Chiapas was in the news alot. Not for the abundance of craft production that goes on there, but because of the charismatic leader, El Subcomandante Marcos, the masked poet revolutionary who speaks for the poor in Mexico's most neglected state. I hadn't heard anything in a long time from that part of the world, so I decided to do some internet surfing. Sure, there is plenty, but much of it is over two years old, has broken links, or focuses on coffee production. Chiapas borders Guatemala and the Mayan descendants who live there are experts in many craft techniques. I focus in on the textiles because that is what I do: look for threads! The lack of current information surprised me, but given that other parts of the world are in even more desperate blood baths, perhaps interest has dwindled recently.

To put you in the fiber context, here are a couple of examples of traditional Mayan huipils (woven blouses) from Sna Jolobil, a non-profit working with indigenous women in Chiapas for over thirty years:

Galley image from Sna Jolobil, woven brocade huipil.

Galley image from Sna Jolobil, embroidered brocade huipil.

If you are familiar with Guatemalan textiles, you will see how close they are in style. Although Chiapas has many different non-Spanish speaking Indigenous groups, most descend from the Maya and thus have similar customs.

Map by Jenna Hall for Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation.

The largest of these groups is Tzotzil, agrarian and sheep herders by tradition. Unesco has an extensive description of the importance of sheep to these people. Wool products account for 36% of the family's income, completely in the domain of the women. The wool from this area is thick, long and rich, easily recognizable once you have seen it and felt it. Sheep are not eaten, in fact, they are considered sacred, as soul mates. Here is a snippet from Grain which carried an interesting article about the importance of these sheep:

"First of all, sheep are part of the culture of the Tzotzils; since they are sacred animals protected by the local religion, it is forbidden to hurt, to kill or to eat them. Secondly, they are also the exclusive responsibility of women, who take every decision over any issue related to these animals and also keep and manage any money derived from their sheep. The Tzotzils believe that every person has an ‘animal companion’ who suffers the same fate as his or her soul mate. When a person is ill or dies so does his or her animal companion. Even when most animal companions are wild animals, it is recognised that sheep can be the secondary soul mates of shamans and healers, and this is the reason for not hurting or killing them. However, it is only sheep that are sacred, and cows, horses or pigs are just domestic animals for the Tzotzils, who raise them, kill them, eat them, or sell them as needed.

The importance of sheep is related to the traditional clothing of the Tzotzils. Clothes for ceremonial or daily use are made out of wool and any visitor to the villages or to the local markets will find men in their heavy black coats or their sleeveless white jackets. Women wear their black woollen skirts and their richly embroidered brown blouses, and they cover themselves with black shawls. Children’s clothes, blankets and bedspreads are woven to blend fleeces of different colours, to create an infinite number of grey and brown shades. These woollen clothes are quite heavy and a hairy finish is highly regarded; they are also waterproof and last a very long time: two or three years of daily use."

Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation update on weavers and their sheep in Chiapas.

Unfortunately, even though Chiapas is one of the wealthiest states in Mexico in terms of natural resources, the people who live there see little benefit. Hydroelectric power generated in Chiapas powers much of Mexico City. Instead, they are among the poorest of the poor in Mexico. Chris Arsenault wrote an essay in 2005, reflecting on the then ten-year old resistance movement that had sprung up in Chiapas:

"70 percent of Chiapas's dwellings are overcrowded, 51 percent have earthen floors and more than 35 percent lack drainage or electricity, even though Chiapas produces 60 percent of the hydro electric power used in Mexico City. These objective realities, along with 500 years of cultural destruction and humiliation for Mexico's (and Canada's) indigenous, created the conditions for rebellion."

The revolt was led by El Subcomandante Marcos, a figure who, like Che Guevara, has captured the romantic dreams of the oppressed and turned them into poetic action. Although we never see his face, he speaks with a directness that is infectuous. How can he not be the most beautiful man under that mask?



Wikipedia has an interesting story on who this Marcos might be, so hop on over if you want to know more (AFTER you finish with my story!!!!)

A member of Mujures por la dignidad (women for dignity) a 1,000 member Zapatista cooperative, weaving art-crafts.
Photo: James Daria

In the same article, Arsenault attributes the growth of women's textile cooperatives to the rebellion without mentioning that many other non-governmental and non-profit organizations have been in the area for decades. I did not see any clear evidence in my surfing that the handsome masked man has greatly improved the conditions of the poor in Chiapas. Instead, I did see that Lucia and Ernestina, in the photo on the left, and others like them, have benefitted from these other organizations who have helped them improve their farming techniques, given them access to larger markets and to financial opportunity through micro-credit approaches. The video below is one such example:



I consider myself a pacifist (or, maybe I am just a coward). I have absolutely no idea if I would remain such if I had been born into a society where my life chances were so minimal, but I like to think that economic development is a much better way to go than through violence. And, I also will support any effort where communities can engage in handicraft and textile production in order to better their lives. This, I will do to the end of my days. With some access to credit, a hard working woman can buy some land. She can feed her children and have her sheep soul mates. Clinics and schools and infrastructure will come as they pool their resources. Above all, she will have her dignity.

Visit my other blog, Artezano Links for more resources on the handicrafts in Chiapas.

Chiapas: A Revolution, Some Sheep, and Centuries of Weaving

For the Love of Indigo: Miao Tradition in Blue

Contemporary Miao Batik Indigo Cloth, $30

If you had to pick one main background color to show off all the other colors in the rainbow, what would it be? The Miao have picked indigo, and I have to agree with them: the deep blue enhances and compliments all of their rich textile traditions perfectly. Many other cultures have used indigo dyes around the world for centuries. But, while this labor intensive technique slowly dies out in many places, the Miao continue to use it today, still preferring the old ways to commercial alternatives available on the market.

Miao Indigo Cotton Cloths on Etsy
I just listed a few Miao indigo batik and tie-dyed cloths on Etsy. Click on the photos to take you to the listings. If these have been sold, search the store as I try to keep them in stock. (I also often carry embroidered Miao textile remnants. Search the store using the keyword, "Miao") These cloths use traditional techniques, but are contemporary pieces aimed at export for the Western market. Intended as tablecloths, they are perfect center pieces for quilts. The soft cloth and their designs lend themselves to easy quilting.

Miao Indigo Tie-dyed Cloth with Embroidered Accents, $30

The Miao tend to live in remote mountain areas with limited agricultural use, thus making a living through their textile productions has become their main form of sustenance. Their traditional techniques involve batik or tie-dye, a long process, using indigo and other natural dyes, then layers of applique and embroidery. These cloths are a simplified version of what they would make for themselves, allowing us to enjoy their beauty at an affordable price. As the Miao become more savvy about the value of their work, their costumes increasingly command higher prices, allowing many of them to access better health care, education, and other resources.

Who are the Miao?

Miao Woman from Peace on Earth

Gina Corrigan has written a couple of books on the Miao living in Guizhou Province, China, home to the largest concentration of Miao.

Books mentioned in this article:

In Miao Textiles from China, she describes how the Miao, the largest ethnic minority in China, are thought to have arrived into Guizhou as migrants from the Yellow River basin around 5,000 years ago. Their history has been fraught with persecution by the Han majority, poverty, discrimination, and migration, including flight into Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. (The Hmong are ethnically Miao, retaining similar textile traditions and oral history.) The Miao are divided into four main dialect groups and many subgroups, dialects so different that they often cannot understand each other. Yet, their textiles are their common language and indigo the color of cultural coherence.

Indigo wreaths and butterflies.

Indigo Central to Miao Cultural Expression
Of indigo, Corrigan has much to say, starting with:
"The most common dye in Guizhou is vegetable indigo, usually made by women, which is used on all base fabrics. ... In September the leaves are collected and soaked in barrels of water for anything from four days to two weeks, depending on the ambient temperature. Once fermented, the leaves are taken out and lime is beaten in to introduce oxygen. After several days, the indigo pigment precipitates to the bottom. The water is then drained off and the dark blue indigo paste scooped out into baskets lined with leaves. If sealed, this can be kept all winter, and some families make indigo paste to sell at market.
Domestic dyeing is also usually done by the women, who reconstitute the indigo paste with ash and water in a wooden dye vat, found in most Miao households. Rice wine is added to encourage fermentation, which gradually reduces oxygen in the vat. The dyer tastes the vat every morning to see if it is right for dyeing. Both hand-woven and bought fabrics are dyed, normally in the warmer months of September and October. They are dipped and aired many times to build up the dark blue colour, sometimes for as long as twenty-four days." (pages 13,14)

David Newbegin has a wonderful collection of photos he took in Guizhou, not necessarily about the Miao. Many are of people in their daily tasks and routines or dance performances while others show the gorgeous landscape of the region. I encourage you to visit his collection, but here are some of his photos with Newbegin's captions specifically related to indigo dyeing:

A Dong lady dyeing cloth, which the Zhaoxing villagers weave themselves, with indigo solution. The cloth is dipped and aired many times to build up the darker colour.

Various shades of indigo dyed cloth being aired along the river frontage in the Dong village of Zhaoxing in Guizhou Province. The cloth is dyed many times to produce a darker blue colour. Also rice straw ash and pigs blood is added to the indigo solution to produce a black or brown colour.

Miao lady in Biasha (Basha) village in Guizhou Province applying the finishing touches to another dress. The women wearing pleated skirts with white insets are married.

My little source book for Chinese crafts, Arts and Crafts of China (pictured in the Amazon slide show above), offers a bit more technical information on the art of dyeing indigo:
"Today, it remains almost exclusively the minority peoples who preserve the traditions of planting and cultivation to assure a steady supply of natural vegetable dyes. The ubiquitous lancao (indigo) in widespread use throughout China is especially popular among China's sourthern minority peoples, such as the Miao and Buoyei. Although synthetic indigo has been used in China since the early twentieth century, natural indigo remains the preferred choice among many minorities.
Mordant dyes are especially popular for the rich, permanent colours produced when bonding occurs between the fibre and dye compounds. This may result from soluble matter being released naturally by the plant during boiling, as is the case with tannic acid released during the boiling of sumac or gall nuts, or from the addition of special mordant substances in the preliminary or post-dyeing baths. The most common chinese mordants are alum and potash, which are obtained by boiling hemp or rice straw. Their use in varying amounts allows a broader range of tonalities to develop amont textiles submerged in the same dye." (page 15)

I found a video on YouTube that shows some of the dyeing process:

Miao ethnic people dyeing cloth with indigo colouring - 2007

When I think about it, I realize that I, too, pretty much live in indigo.... blue jeans, my daily wear, the older the better! Maybe that is why I am so attracted to the Miao language of blue, or maybe it is simply because it is so beautifully rendered.

Miao Indigo Butterfly Batik

For the Love of Indigo: Miao Tradition in Blue

Folkwear Patterns: 30 Years of Ethnic Inspiration

I saw my first Folkwear Patterns in an ethnic shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota over twenty years ago. "Wow!", I thought, wishing I could buy what a college pocket could not afford... Since then, I have acquired several of the patterns and actually made a couple of them into garments. I also had the immense pleasure of meeting owner Kate Matthews on a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, several years ago.

Folkwear Patterns are a standard for anyone interested in costume design, world culture or ethnic wear. Like me, you might remember the first time you saw the patterns, or, perhaps this is your first encounter. Sometimes we may think that everyone already knows about an incredible resource such as this one, but there is always a new generation coming up or new interests emerging that call us to bring up the old standards.

Folkwear Patterns take their inspiration from clothing worn throughout various parts of the world as well as historical time periods. Thematic categories divide these into the following: Americas, Asian, Caravan, Children, Frontier, Old Europe, Retro, Romantic, Accessories. The patterns serve theater and performance groups well, but most are also functional for today's eclectic fashion taste. Choice of fabrics can make all the difference in making a piece look dated or contemporary. Let me start with a pattern that I have actually made into something wearable, which also happens to be a big favorite with Folkwear customers:












#107 Afghani Nomad Dress
This comfortable dress is easy to make and wonderful to use up favorite fabric pieces. I made mine out of silk that I had reclaimed from other dresses. Worn out long ago... This is one example of a dress that can look very ethnic or quite contemporary depending on fabric choices and colors. It is also a great piece to incorporate authentic remnants from other cultures, such as the ones I sell in my Etsy store. Here are a couple of examples of the dress:


Another pattern I own, but have not sewn yet, is also a big favorite:
#112 Japanese Field Clothing

I love roomy jackets and loose pants. But, if I remember correctly, one of the reasons why I have never made this pattern is that the version I have is on the small size. I'm a big Viking type and many of the older Folkwear pattern versions were too small for me. They have re-worked many of them to reflect our unfortunate reality of being overweight in America. But, make sure you check the dimensions carefully before you buy a pattern or cut it up. Most are easily enlarged- it just takes some patience.

#114 Chinese Jacket

This Chinese jacket is based on a formal court robe from the Ming Dynasty. Another wonderful example of how contemporary a garment can be with today's fabric selection. Folkwear also sells the closures in their Accessories section. The jacket is a perfect piece for silks or velvets.

Perfomers and theater groups all over the world use Folkwear as a costume resource. Although many of the patterns can be adapted for belly dance costumes, Folkwear offers one that is specifically for them.

#144 Tribal Style Belly Dancer
Here is another opportunity to use embroidery and textile remnants! The pattern includes instructions for the choli, bra, pants, skirt, scarf and belt. All of which could be used with other outfits as well.


Some of the culture specific patterns can challenge the beginner's sewing or embroidery skills. For the experienced, they offer an opportunity to show off needle work. The #125 Huichol Wardrobe collection's simple garments beg to be covered in embroidery. See my Huichol Yarn Paintings: Visions Destroyed by Poison for lots of images of the Huichol in their native dress. They have no fear of covering their canvas with with every color under the sun!

#103 Roumanian Blouse offers a similar opportunity to make the most of your embroidery skills. I think it is so interesting how cultures around the world overlap in so many ways in their dress and other customs, yet translate them into something uniquely theirs! And, in our multi-cultural and always changing environment today, what was hip in the 1970's, back when Folkwear started, has come and gone in the mainstream several times, making these pieces timeless.
Folkwear's historical patterns are lots of fun! The #201 Prairie Dress can be worn with or without an apron. I think I have seen this pattern here in Kentucky where many touristy businesses have their employees dress up in old timey wear.

Of course, the glamorous side of history (or, her story?) cannot be ignored! The #264 Monte Carlo Dress is something I would definitely wear if a moment of glamor popped up around here! I hear it crying for bead work, lots of it! And, don't forget, Halloween is coming up. If you are planning on going to a costume party, let Folkwear help you be the star! So many options to choose from! Dress them up or down, but use them!

My friend, Catherine, from Bazaar Bayar just listed a few collars that are perfect for Folkwear patterns. She does not have a consistent source for them, so once they are snatched up, they will be gone. (Better go get them quickly!)

In celebration of Folkwear's 30th anniversary, they have published a 20 page booklet based on the Bethany Dress which was featured as a fold-out poster in their early years.

#011 Bethany Dress

Folkwear has been around a long time now, quietly providing all of us a wonderful service. Even if you don't buy anything from them right now, why not visit their site and send them some Happy Birthday wishes? Let's hope they will be around for another thirty years!

Note: All of the photos and drawings (except for Catherine's collar) are from Folkwear's website. This post just highlights a few of their patterns. Visit them to see the whole collection.

Related Costume Books Available on Amazon!

Folkwear Patterns: 30 Years of Ethnic Inspiration