the MAIWA JOURNAL: August 2013

Friday, August 30, 2013 7 comments

Thursday, August 29, 2013 No comments

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes
What they are and how to use them

This post gives three additional recipes to make an organic indigo vat. See the previous posts About the Organic Indigo Vat (for essential background information) and The Fruit Vat (for procedure).

The Date Vat

For a vat of about 15 to 20 litres

75 g powdered indigo
90 g sodium carbonate
300 g chopped dates (no pits) or sweet date paste
250 g lime (calx)

Prepare as with the fruit vat.

This is a good vat to prepare over a three-day period. Allow the vat to reduce and come to the correct pH slowly. Remember that sugar reduces the pH so you must keep testing the pH and adding lime.

The Fructose Vat

For a vat of about 15 to 20 litres

20 g powdered indigo
60 g fructose
40 g lime (calx)

Prepare as with the fruit vat.

The Henna Vat

This is an easy vat to make. The method is the same as the Fruit Vat, but instead of boiling fruit you boil plant material that is rich in antioxidants. These are dyes that contain flavonoïds, for example, henna, madder or osage. Remember that these materials are used as reducing agents, not as colourants. If you have a strong henna vat (for example) and have finished dyeing, you can use the half-exhausted vat for this recipe.

For a vat of about 15 to 20 litres

75 g powdered indigo
150 g henna (200 g of madder or osage)
50 g lime (calx)

The procedure is the same regardless of the dyestuff used.

Prepare as with the fruit vat.

Boil the henna for a few minutes and filter. Then boil again in order to extract the full potential of the plant. Combine the two batches of liquid together in the vat. Add 75 g indigo and more boiling water. Add the lime. Heat to a temperature of 120° F / 50°C. This vat will give better results if used the next day. When you are ready to dye you must first check the pH. If it is low, correct it by adding some lime. Then warm the vat to 120° F / 50°C - stirring gently from time to time. This vat can be used until exhausted, or it can be combined with a fruit vat.

These organic vats were originally developed by French dye chemist and botanist, Michel Garcia. Michel has been teaching and lecturing at the Maiwa Textile Symposium since 2009. He has worked with Maiwa in India as a dye specialist, most notably at the 2011 Maiwa Masterclass. Michel and Maiwa founder Charllotte Kwon meet on a regular basis to conduct natural dye research, explore recipes and test procedures. Together they are always looking for techniques that give the most exquisite colours - made to outlast the fibres they adorn.

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes

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Monday, August 26, 2013 1 comments

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes
What they are and how to use them

This post give the recipe and procedure to make an organic indigo vat. See the previous post About the Organic Indigo Vat for essential background information.

The Fruit Vat

Sweet fruits, rich in sugars, make excellent reducing agents. Over-ripe fruits which a greengrocer would throw away are best and may usually be purchased quite cheaply. The waste from jam production, peels, and rotten bits are also good.

Know your fruit

We have tested a lot of fruit. Here is what we have found: Pears work well - apples do not. Fruit stones, seeds, and pits, often contain tannin that may cause uneven dyeing or marks. Bananas are excellent but must always be peeled. Mangos and peaches work well (take out the pits) plums are not good. Grapes work well - white varieties have less tannin in the skin. Fresh figs can also be used. Remember that the purpose of the fruit is to act as a reducing agent, not to provide a colourant.

In Maiwa’s studio we have found that fruit which have ripened on the vine or tree are remarkably better.

For a vat of about 15 to 20 litres

50 g powdered indigo
1 kg over-ripe fruit
30 g lime (calx)

In a saucepan, mash the fruit a little and boil in water for a few minutes.

Fill a stainless steel vat 3/4 full with hot water.

Filter the juice from the boiled fruits and put in the dye vat. Keep the mash. You may need it to restart or adjust the vat. If you have decided to dye with a basket, you may put all the boiled mash directly into the vat.

Add hydrated indigo to the large vat. The quantity of indigo depends on the depth of shade. But for 15 liters, 50 g will give beautiful dark blues. Add the lime (calx).

The coppery surface of a reduced indigo vat.
If you draw your finger across the top,
the trail in the sheen should not rejoin by itself.

Stir the vat gently. Do not whip it. You do not want air in the liquid. Wait for a few minutes. Then stir again. Repeat this three or four times. The vat will form a bronzy surface and some blue bubbles will appear. The bubbles need to become dark blue and the vat should be a yellow green. There should not be too much sediment in the body of the vat (it should have settled).

Heat until the liquid reaches 120° F / 50°C. You may then turn off the heat. Dip the fabric or yarn you intend to dye. Immerse for 15-30 minutes (up to 60 minutes for wool).

Rinse in cool water. This will expose the indigo to the oxygen that is in the water while also removing particles of dye matter.

The blue flower on top of the vat.
For a reduced vat it should be a deep navy blue - not a lighter cobalt shade.

A reduced indigo vat.
Note the green tinge to the body of the vat.

Hang in the air in order to oxidize the indigo. It will turn from greeny-yellow to blue. Make certain this process is complete before dipping again.

A final rinse can be done with neutral soap in water. Vinegar should be added (1/2 cup per bucket) for wool.

When you are ready to dye again, check the pH of the vat. The sugar from the fruit neutralizes the action of the lime. So if necessary, carefully add more lime – a teaspoon is suitable. Check the temperature. Reheat the vat.

The Secret of a Starter Solution

Sometimes it is easier to get your vat working in a small container and then transfer the contents of the small container to the full-size vat. The contents of the small vat is known as a “starter solution.” In a concentrated form the indigo tends to reduce more quickly and completely. Use the hot liquid from the boiled mash (in the case of fruit), all the indigo and half the lime in the starter solution. Add the remaining lime to the filled large vat. Once the starter has reduced it can be added to the big vat. The starter solution needs to be warm in order to reduce. Sometimes a starter solution can also be used to kick-start or revive a dormant vat.

Next up - three more organic vats ...

These organic vats were originally developed by French dye chemist and botanist, Michel Garcia. Michel has been teaching and lecturing at the Maiwa Textile Symposium since 2009. He has worked with Maiwa in India as a dye specialist, most notably at the 2011 Maiwa Masterclass. Michel and Maiwa founder Charllotte Kwon meet on a regular basis to conduct natural dye research, explore recipes and test procedures. Together they are always looking for techniques that give the most exquisite colours - made to outlast the fibres they adorn.

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes

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Thursday, August 22, 2013 6 comments

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes
What they are and how to use them

These organic vats were originally developed by French dye chemist and botanist, Michel Garcia. Michel has been teaching and lecturing at the Maiwa Textile Symposium since 2009. He has worked with Maiwa in India as a dye specialist, most notably at the 2011 Maiwa Masterclass. Michel and Maiwa founder Charllotte Kwon meet on a regular basis to conduct natural dye research, explore recipes and test procedures. Together they are always looking for techniques that give the most exquisite colours - made to outlast the fibres they adorn.

Let's consider each of these three things ...

Indigo

Natural indigo is obtained through a non-toxic fermentation of the indigo plant. It is an extract derived from plants. Depending on the variety of indigo available locally, some artisans will make a dye vat directly from the plant leaves. When buying indigo extract, it may be purchased as lumps (which require grinding) or as a fine powder.

Indigo being extracted from plants in south India.

Indigo in paste form being cut into squares.

Dried indigo. Sometimes called a cake or rock.

A Reducing Agent

In many parts of the world chemicals are used to quickly prepare an indigo vat. Sodium hydrosulfite or thiourea dioxide are both commonly used as reducing agents.

A reducing agent removes the oxygen from a solution. In doing this, the reducing agent also takes the oxygen from the indigo molecule. With the oxygen removed, indigo becomes soluble in water at room temperature.

A reducing agent is necessary to make an indigo solution. Without it the powdered indigo is suspended in water but not actually dissolved.

What is the difference between a suspension and a solution? A fish is suspended in the ocean. But salt is dissolved in the ocean.

A fish. Suspended - but not dissolved.

You can see the fish (which remains distinct) you cannot see the salt (which has dissolved by being broken down into separate components). Many natural substances will behave as reducing agents. These absorb oxygen and are known as antioxidants. In the indigo vat we can use natural sugars from fruits, medicinal plants, and even other dye-plants, as reducing agents.

Some fruits that make excellent reducing agents.

A Base

Chemically speaking, a base is the opposite of an acid. A base is a substance that will allow the action of any reducing agent. Some bases are rather unpleasant; for example ammonia and caustic soda, while others are weak; such as soda ash and potassium carbonate. Weak bases are not very toxic - but by themselves they are inefficient.

The recommended base for an indigo vat is ordinary lime (calcium hydroxide) also known as “calx” or hydrated lime. Do not confuse it with “quick lime” (calcium oxide) which is much more corrosive, or chalk (calcium carbonate) which will not work. Ordinary lime is available at Maiwa or at a building supply store.

Calcium hydroxide, ordinary lime, hydrated lime, calx
- many names for the same thing.
The recommended base for the organic indigo vat.

About these Indigo Vats

We suggest that you take the recipes that follow only as a guide. Adapt them to use materials that are plentiful and inexpensive where you are located. As with all natural dye recipes you may find yourself adjusting amounts to suit your particular dyeing situation. These vats give the best results when made the day before you dye with them.

Hydrating Indigo

Indigo powder always needs to be hydrated before being added to your vat. Sometimes alcohol is used to do this, but we have found a quick and efficient way to hydrate your indigo with marbles.

Simply fill a strong plastic container 2/3 full of marbles or smooth, round stones. Add indigo powder and cover the marbles with warm water. Shake vigorously for one minute. The indigo is now hydrated. Pour the hydrated indigo into the vat while using the lid to keep the marbles in the jar. Swirl a little bit of water in the jar to wash the rest of the indigo out and into your vat.

Dyeing with a Basket

When using an organic vat, rather than filtering the liquid you may use a basket to keep the yarns or cloth away from the sediment. This is particularly important with the ferrous vat as the iron may cause dots or stains. Stir the vat, wait for the sediment to settle, then use a basket.

The proper pH is 9 - 9.5 for wool and 11-11.5 for cotton. You may test the pH of the vat with a test strip. If it is too low carefully add some more lime. If it is too high, then add some more fruit juice and wait a little, the pH will decrease.

The addition of more fruit juice from time to time is recommended to keep the vat reduced. Remember, the action of dyeing will introduce oxygen into the vat.

Some fruits are more acidic than others. If using very acidic fruit add more lime at the beginning until the pH is correct.

Shades

The first shades obtained from your vat will be strongest. You will increase the depth of shades by dipping more times. For very pale shades it is best to make a vat with less indigo and dip more often than to dip once in a stronger vat.

Exhausted Vats and Revived Vats

These vats may be revived until the amount of sediment becomes problematic. There is an art to reviving an indigo vat (check the pH, adjust, bring it up to temperature) and it can be satisfying to do so, but at some point it will be necessary to abandon the vat and make a fresh start.

Disposal

If whisked, lime will very quickly absorb the carbonic acid of the air (CO2) and be neutralized. The lime will then be transformed into calcium carbonate (chalk or limestone) a non-toxic substance which can be poured down domestic drains. Both liquid and sediment of these vats may be used as compost.

Variations

Mixing two organic reducing agents, such as henna and fructose, gives a strong indigo vat.
Michel Garcia suggests that individuals do their own experiments. Clear glass pots of about one liter make excellent test vats. Try different combinations or experiment with local plants and fruits.

Up next - The Fruit Vat recipe.

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes

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Monday, August 19, 2013 20 comments

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes
What they are and how to use them

Natural indigo is obtained from indigo bearing plants, the most significant one being indigofera tinctoria. This shrub grows wild and is cultivated in tropical areas throughout the world.

The plant produces a colourless glucose based-substance called indican which is a precursor to indigo dye. When the plant matter is fermented an enzyme is produced which, together with oxygen, facilitates the transformation of indican to indigotin (the dyeing component of indigo).

Synthetic indigo was first created in 1880 by Adolph von Bayer. It is chemically identical to natural indigo (but without the additional elements from the plants and the extraction process). Synthetic indigo can be made more cheaply than natural indigo, is more uniform in its concentration and dyes more evenly. Yet many artisans attribute a character and depth to natural indigo which is lacking in the synthetic version. The discerning eyes of a textile collectors also favour natural indigo.

Indigotin (indigo powder) is insoluble in water. To use it for dyeing it must be chemically reduced to a water soluble form known as indigo white. When fiber is added to an indigo vat (which is an amber or yellowish-green colour) and then removed, a molecular combination occurs. The indigo white oxidizes back to the insoluble blue form, where it remains in relative permanence.

The same recipes that are used for indigo may be used for woad. Simply substitute woad powder for indigo powder.

White scarves are the perfect starting point for a blue project.

Recipe for Vatted Indigo

Lye-Thiourea Vat and Lye-Hydros Vat

This is the easiest recipe. Maiwa chooses thiourea for it’s studio as it has a longer shelf-life and keeps well. The thiourea vat is more forgiving than some of the other vats. This recipe is designed to dye approximately 1 pound (450 g) of cotton, silk, hemp, ramie, rayon, or linen a medium blue (or 2 pounds of fibre (900 g) a light blue). The same amount of indigo will dye twice as much wool to the same intensity.

This recipe can be doubled, halved, or made in any size so long as the proportions are kept constant.

Supplies Needed:
- indigo
- thiourea dioxide or sodium hydrosulphite (sodium hydrosulphite cannot be shipped in the post)
- lye (sodium or potassium hydroxide)
- synthrapol soap and soda ash (for cotton)
- orvus paste and vinegar (for wool and silk).

Equipment Needed:
- A large bucket or plastic garbage can
- quart wide mouth mason jar
- quart pot (stainless steel, enamel, or pyrex),
- measuring spoons
- wooden rod or stick for stirring
- rubber gloves.

Some notes before beginning

Although synthetic and natural indigo are chemically identical, less synthetic indigo is usually needed in a recipe because it has a higher concentration of indigotin.
Indigo dyeing is rewarding; but it does require proper instruction, experience, commitment, and comprehension of what is going on in the indigo vat.
Deep shades of indigo are best produced by successive dippings in a weak to moderate bath rather than by making a strong bath.
Fabric preparation or scouring is vital. It is paramount that the fibre be free from grease, wax, pectic substances, and oil.
If attempting to overdye with indigo, use indigo last as indigo can be stripped out by other processes.
Indigo can dye all natural fibres and give shades from the palest blue to an almost purple black. The colour achieved depends on the type of vat, the level of indigotin, and the number of dips.
There are many types of indigo vat that have been developed throughout the ages. Each has advantages and disadvantages and every dyer develops a preference. There is the zinc-lime vat, the ferrous sulfate vat, and a whole range of natural fermentation vats.

Scour the cloth.
See our full instructions here:

Proper scouring is absolutely essential to good dyeing. Improperly scoured items do not dye level, the dye does not penetrate well and the dyed item will have poor rubfastness.

Scour test. One piece of fabric torn in two. Left no scouring.
Right scoured.

Preparation of Stock Solution

Caution: a mask should be worn to avoid inhaling any powders; especially lye, thiourea dioxide, or sodium hydrosulfite.

1. Fill a quart size wide mouth mason jar with hot water. Dissolve 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of lye.

2. Add 2 teaspoons of fine synthetic indigo powder, or 2 - 4 teaspoons finely ground natural indigo and stir for 2 minutes.(if you have natural indigo in lumps use a mortar and pestle to grind it to a fine powder before adding.)

3. Add 1 teaspoon of thiourea dioxide or 2 teaspoons of sodium hydrosulfite and stir for about a minute.

If reduction of the indigo starts properly, the colour of the surface of the liquid should change to a purplish violet with at coppery sheen. Place a lid on the jar and set aside in a warm room (or place in a pan of warm water) for about 60 minutes. The solution will change from an opaque blue to a translucent brown-yellow as it reduces. Check the stock solution to see if it is ready by dribbling some solution on the side of a white cup. Note the change from clear yellow to opaque blue as the indigo is reintroduced to the oxygen in the air. At this point the stock solution may be used or kept up to a week. If kept longer the solution may need to be revived. Heat gently to about 50°C (120°F) and add some more reducing agent (thiourea or hydrosulfite) and stir well.

Tips

If the stock does not reduce after 60 minutes it may do so if left overnight.
The solution does not have to be absolutely clear. A cloudy solution usually means the indigo was not ground finely enough.
Be careful not to heat the stock solution above 140°F (60°C). Indigo in its reduced form will be destroyed by excessive heat.

Preparing indigo in Laos.

Preparation of the Vat

1. Put 5 gallons of hot water 110-140°F (45 - 60°C), in a plastic pail or garbage can.

2. Add 1/8 teaspoon of lye into the water and stir until dissolved. This makes the vat slightly alkaline so that the reduced indigo from the stock solution does not re oxidize when added.

3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of detergent (Synthrapol or Ivory liquid). This will help the indigo penetrate the fiber and will break up oxidized indigo on the surface of the vat.

4. Add 1 teaspoon of thiourea dioxide or 2 teaspoons of sodium hydrodulfite and stir gently until dissolved. Cover the vat and allow it to reduce for about 15 minutes.

5. Carefully lower the jar of stock solution into the vat and pour out the contents (avoid pouring from above as this adds oxygen). Use all the stock solution for cotton or half for the same weight of wool.

6. Stir gently and allow 30-60 minutes for the vat to turn yellowish green.

Dyeing

Wool should be wetted out prior to dyeing. Cotton, linen and silk may be added either wet or dry for different effects.

1. Add the fabric to the vat carefully, avoid splashing.

2. Wearing rubber gloves, work the fabric through the vat gently, allowing 10 - 30 minutes for this first dip.

3. Squeeze the fiber out underneath the surface as much as possible and gently lift out of the vat. Open the fiber to allow the air to get at the fibre. The colour change from yellow to blue never ceases to fascinate dyers and observers.

4. The fibre may be redipped any number of times to achieve the desired shade. Allow 30 minutes of oxidation (avoid hanging in direct sun) before redipping.

5. If a pale clear shade of blue is desired, reduce the immersion time to about 1 minute. Have a basin of warm water ready and when you take the fibre out of the indigo vat place immediately in the water for 30 - 60 minutes.

6. After the final dip allow the fibre to oxydize 24 hours before rinsing and washing.

7. Final washing is very important to neutralize the pH. Rinse very thoroughly. Wash with a gentle pH neutral soap. Rinse well and dry. Silk and wool benefit from an additional rinse with a small amount of vinegar and water before drying.

Indigo adire oniko a traditional patterning from Africa.

Disposal or Storage

When the indigo vat is exhausted it will loose it’s greeny-yellow shade and cloth dipped into the vat will no longer hold a blue colour after washing. At this point the thiourea (or hydrosulphite) is spent. The vat now is chemically inactive but still has a high pH. It may also still contain indigo. The pH can be brought back down through the addition of vinegar and the vat can be disposed of by pouring down the household drain.

If the vat is not exhausted it cannot be disposed of this way. There are two options, continue dying to exhaust the vat or let it exhaust itself by standing over time.

If storage space is available, consider storing the vat. A vat may still contains valuable indigo (or woad). An exhausted vat may be revived through the addition of small amounts of thiourea (or hydrosulphite) and indigo (or woad). A completely exhausted vat may be also be reactivated through heating and the addition of a second batch of stock solution.

This information is also in our Indigo and Woad Datasheet.

Next up - Organic Indigo Vats.

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes

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Wednesday, August 14, 2013 6 comments

2013 Lecture Series

Maiwa Textile Symposium

Seats are available in all lectures

MICHEL GARCIA
There's a Plant I'd Like You to Meet

Thursday, September 12, 2103
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)
$15

GET TICKETS to Michel Garcia

In 2013, Michel Garcia returns from France to report on new discoveries in the world of natural dyes and techniques.

Michel has spent recent years travelling the world and attempting to unravel the secrets of indigenous dye knowledge. Many strange practices produce unusual colours. He will share stories and the fruits of his research in this lecture. Among the highlights are biomordants: plants which accumulate alum in their leaves. This development is one of the most exciting to hit the world of natural dyes.

Well versed in both botany and chemistry, a curious investigator of dyestuff and dye procedures, Mr. Garcia has been asked to troubleshoot and fine-tune natural dye works all over the world.

A French national born in Morocco, Michel Garcia was nineteen when he first discovered natural dyes. Since then he has followed his love of both plants and pigments. In 1998 he formed the association Couleur Garance (Madder Colour). The association hoped to connect young ecologically sensitive artisans with the substantial expertise of an older generation of dyers. Under his direction, Couleur Garance produced over twenty monographs on natural dyes and dye plants.

This talk will be fascinating both for experts and those who are new to natural dyes.

ADRIENNE SLOANE
Unravelling Political Knitting

Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)
$15

GET TICKETS to Adrienne Sloane

From the famous tricoteuse Mme. Defarge (in A Tale of Two Cities) to contemporary yarn bombers, knitters have long been incorporating the political into their stitches.

As artists, sculptural knitters are offering a visceral response to such contemporary issues as war, climate change, and species preservation. At the same time these makers are bringing knitting back into the public sphere.

This presentation will begin with a look at the historic origins of political knitting and move through the varied responses to wartime in America. Adrienne will include an overview of current trends with particular attention to recent youth-driven knit activism: yarn bombing or yarn graffiti. These politically motivated installations attempt to beautify public spaces while adding a touch of the handmade to industrialized environments.

Adrienne will also present a survey of her own imagery and explain the challenge and success of using sculptural knitting to speak to political issues.

Adrienne Sloane, a Boston-based artist, has exhibited nationally for over 20 years. Her work has been published in Fiberarts Magazine, American Craft, the Surface Design Journal, the Crafts Report, and Fiberarts Design Book Six. With a degree in anthropology, she has married her passion for textiles with one for travel by consulting on knitting projects in Peru and Bolivia. Knitting both by hand and by machine, she is mindful of the historical context of her medium. www.adriennesloane.com

INDIA FLINT
The Peripatetic Alchemist - Travels With a Dyepot

Thursday, September 19, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)
$15

GET TICKETS to India Flint

In 2008, with the publication of her first book, Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles, India Flint brought a radical new perspective to an ancient practice. She rethought the entire dye process. Her book forcefully and eloquently champions ecologically sustainable plant-based printing processes to give colour to cloth. When it first arrived on the scene, Eco Colour was both an eye-opener and a game-changer.

While India Flint’s practice is focussed firmly on the use of plant dyes, it embraces cloth, paper, and felt and is expressed in works for the wall as well as pieces for the body including costume for contemporary dance theatre. She is known for the highly distinctive ecoprint and has made a commitment to using bio-regional colour—meaning that dyes are extracted from windfall plants wherever she happens to be. Join India Flint for an hour of storytelling and slides. India has also hinted that at the end of the lecture she may have something of a surprise up her eucalyptus-patterned sleeve.

India joins us from Australia.

JASON POLLEN
Song of the Cloth

Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)
$15

GET TICKETS to Jason Pollen

This lecture is a joyful dance through the world of fibre art and surface design: a deep dive into sources of inspiration that have motivated artists and designers through the ages.

Join Jason Pollen and discover the musicality inherent in the visual language of textiles. Sequences and rhythm are the fundamentals; the mark, colour, and thread are the unique components. Listen to the pulse and flow, the harmony and cacophony of fibre-focused work.

Jason exhibits his fabric constructions internationally. He has designed textiles for dozens of fashion and home furnishings firms and regularly collaborates as scenic designer for the Kansas City Ballet. He was named Fellow by the American Crafts Council in 2006 and is President Emeritus of the Surface Design Association.

Jason received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in painting at the City College of New York. He was on the faculties of the Royal College of Art in London, Parsons School of Design, and Pratt Institute before serving as chair of the fibre department at Kansas City Art Institute. Jason now lives in Kansas City.

JOHN GILLOW
African Textiles

Thursday, September 26, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)
$15

GET TICKETS to John Gillow

Every year John travels to different parts of Africa to collect and research traditional textiles. In the west, in Nigeria and the Francophone countries, are the superlative indigo dyed textiles, made with stitched and paste resist. Nearby are the stunning stripweaves of Ghana and its neighbours. In Central Africa, he finds Ndop indigo cloth, beadwork, and the fantastic head-wear of Cameroon as well as the classically abstract Kuba raffia weavings and embroidery. In the north are fine weavings in wool and silk, exquisite costumes, and intricate metal-thread work.

His vast collection and knowledge appear in the book African Textiles: Colour and Creativity Across a Continent published by Thames and Hudson. John joins us from his home in Cambridge, UK.

JOHN GILLOW
Islamic Textiles

Saturday, September 28, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)
$15

GET TICKETS to John Gillow

John Gillow, author, lecturer, traveller, and collector, has spent more than 40 years in the Islamic world. The fruits of his research are well displayed in his latest book, Textiles of the Islamic World, published by Thames and Hudson. John joins us from his home in Cambridge, UK.

John will give a broad survey of the textiles produced throughout history, putting them in their social and geographic context. In this wide-ranging lecture he will cover not only what are considered to be the classic textiles of Turkey, Persia, Central Asia, and India but also those of the lesser known outposts of the Muslim world: North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt), the Balkans (particularly Albania), and Syria. He will also touch on Palestine, Iraq, south Arabia, Afghanistan, Indonesia and the Philippines, and sub-Saharan Africa.

BRYAN WHITEHEAD
Down the Mountain - Indigo and Silk Farming in a Japanese Village

Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)

$15

GET TICKETS to Bryan Whitehead

Originally from Vancouver, Bryan Whitehead now lives in a small mountain village in Japan. On the shady side of the slope in a house perched on a ledge reached only by a narrow twisting road, Bryan has a small silk and indigo farm. With traditional tools he reels the silk before spinning and weaving on an antique loom.

In his lecture, Bryan will explain how he comes to lead this quiet, magical life.

His story begins with his arrival in 1989, just in time to witness the last years of the traditional silk farming in the area. As an amateur cultural anthropologist, he spent the better part of twenty years learning from local Japanese farmers. They taught him the skills of silk farming, cocoon thread reeling, kimono weaving, natural dyeing, and the various indigo processes. Now he is the last silk farmer in the area.

“I try to look around my surroundings very closely, and I attempt to recreate sort of an emotional landscape of the colours, lighting, and textures in the silk I produce myself.”

Bryan is now sharing the cultural knowledge he so carefully collected. His ancient farmhouse is well known in Japan as a centre for the workshops he gives on these subjects. Some of Bryan Whitehead’s recent work will be available for sale at his lecture.

AKEMI NAKANO COHN
Journeys and Traces - Art and Life through Katagami

Tuesday October 15, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)

$15

GET TICKETS to Akemi Nakano Cohn

At first there were shoji. The white, rice-paper room dividers. Akemi recalls growing up in a traditional Japanese family in Yokohama, Japan, where images were formed on the shoji as trees and birds cast their shadows on the white paper.

It was the beginning of her life in art.

For ten years Akemi studied Katazome – a traditional rice paste resist printing technique – under Master Haru Izumi. Then, in 1985, she emigrated to the United States. The cultural shift inspired new work and new ways of working.

Always thoughtful and contemplative, Akemi has said, “When using katagami cut-out stencil paper, I remark on the empty shape left behind after cutting. This ‘negative space’ indicates the trace of its existence. Negative space is evidence of a memory. My work is an attempt to understand memory through this process and inner observation. I am interested in observing a condition of adaptation and memory among plants, animals, and humans in their environment.”

Like completing a circle, her art work has returned to the traditional Japanese Katazome that she learned in her early career. She is returning to her origins, but with a richer, more mature vision.

Akemi has pursued an extensive series of international exhibitions and commissions. She is a master of the Nassen technique, which adds a dye to the rice paste to create both colour and resist simultaneously. She joins us from her home in Chicago.

RACHEL MEGINNES
The Plainweave Thread

Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)

$15

GET TICKETS to Rachel Meginnes

Rachel Meginnes believes that even the most simple methods offer infinite possibilities.

Her fascination with textiles began in high school and she trained as a weaver. Although no longer working directly at the loom, Rachel has kept many of her weaving processes alive in her current studio practice. As a dedicated maker, she accepts and encourages a need to work hands-on with her materials and enjoys the solitude that comes from producing such methodical work. Her original love for the plainweave structure has never ceased. Indeed, ideas inspired by the pure simplicity of plainweave have become something of a philosophy that runs throughout her work.

Join artist Rachel Meginnes in a thorough investigation of artistic process and her own personal growth as a maker in the world of fibre arts.

As a traditionally trained artist who has moved towards non-traditional processes and materials, Rachel will discuss her path from craftsperson to designer to artist. See her process evolve through a series of slides illustrating the history of her work.

Rachel is currently a resident artist at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. She has traveled throughout the world studying textiles. Rachel earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Fibers at the University of Washington in 2005.

LORRAINE ROY
The Sylvan Spirit

Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
7:45 (doors open at 7:30)

$15

GET TICKETS to Lorraine Roy

Sometimes a tree is so much more than just a tree.

Join Lorraine Roy for a figurative walk in the woods: a survey of the ways that trees offer inspiration in both life and art. Her years of research into cultural, symbolic, and spiritual aspects will show how different cultures, present and past, have created a rich mythology around this arboreal object.

This living image is also fundamental to Lorraine’s own practice of layered fabric collage. From the beginning of her career, trees have provided both motif and motivation. Formally trained in agriculture and horticulture, Lorraine draws from a number of sources in her designing: biology, botany, environmental research, mythology, early and modern culture, literature, and spiritual writings.

This lecture will be illustrated with images from her own extensive body of work. Lorraine will also explain her artistic process whereby she is able to collage fabrics and threads in a painterly way.

Lorraine joins us from Ontario.

THREADS
Off the Road in Bangladesh
with Charllotte Kwon

Thursday October 24, 2013
Net Loft: Granville Is. Vancouver BC
$10

GET TICKETS to Threads

Inspired by the 2012 visit of Living Blue to Vancouver, in 2013 the Maiwa Foundation was on the road again. Charllotte Kwon and a group of Maiwa staff landed in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and from there embarked on an epic journey through the tropical delta. What they saw astounded them: Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations on earth and yet there is an open optimism that the future will be better.

Join Charllotte as she retells the story of her 2013 visit. Inspired by Muhammad Yunus and his call to rethink the capitalist system in terms of social enterprise, Charllotte outlines the situation in Bangladesh and Maiwa’s reason for being there. Expect adventure, indigo, artistry, and textiles. The talk will be richly illustrated with still photographs and video clips.

An exhibition of textiles will be staged in the Net Loft.

To support the work of the foundation, the store will be open after the talk. Take advantage of a special 20% off everything in the store. All sales during this night go directly to the Maiwa Foundation.

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