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the MAIWA BLOG



We were deeply saddened to receive the news that Henri Lambert has recently died of a sudden heart attack.

Henri together with is wife Denise was instrumental in leading a revival of woad dye. Henri, who became enamored with the shades of European blue derived from woad, devoted his life to learning the chemistry and science of this dye. The spirit of exploration and a deep curiosity motivated him. Together with Denise the couple was able to use woad in unimaginable ways - in everything from Henri's eyeglass frames to the paint that adorned the Lambert's car.

Only a few months ago, in October of 2009, Henri was in Vancouver with Denise giving a lecture and a workshop. Maiwa carries woad dye from the Lambert's shop, Bleu de Lectoure, and some of the unique woad products that Henri helped create. Many will recall the impact of the subtle shades of blue that graced the stage this fall during the Lambert's presentation at the Slow Clothes Fashion Show. We greatly enjoyed the Lambert's enthusiasm and commitment. We loved Henri's generous spirit and gentle humour.

In addition to his talents as a scientist, researcher and entrepreneur, Henri was a skilled artist. Many of his canvases hang in the gallery/shop in Lectoure and we had the good luck to see them during our visit in 2007.

The natural dye and textile communities have suffered a great and irreplaceable loss with the passing of Herni Lambert. We extend our sympathies to Denise and wish her strength during this difficult time.

Comments are welcome.

Friday, February 26, 2010 5 comments
Last month we were in India's Kutch desert visiting the Khatris. They were very keen to show us the improvements that they have already made to the new land to get it ready for Ajrakh production. Many of you will recall that last year the Maiwa Foundation held a series of auctions and fundraisers to facilitate the land purchase. The new land became necessary due to the falling water tables and water contamination.

Two major structures are now complete. The first is a series of tanks which permit the water to be used four times before it is let out to irrigate the fields. Water use and conservation is of prime importance here.



The second structure is a wood fired dye kiln. The design permits very large copper pots to be raised to the correct temperature for dyeing. It minimizes fuel use and eliminates many of the problems associated with the open kettle method of heating. The dyer will climb the steps and monitor the works from above.



Wednesday, February 24, 2010 No comments

Maiwa is very proud to be a part of this incredible book.

Granville Island by Karen Johnson (with forward by Peter Braune) contains close to one hundred portraits of the people who make the Island happen. The full colour, large format edition has just recently arrived in our store. Flipping through it gives one a very strong idea about what a special place Granville Island is.

If you love Granville Island this book is a must-have, and if you are just finding out about the Island this book is an open door to the many craftspeople, creators and artists working in the heart of Vancouver's most unique community.

Follow the link to www.granvilleislandbook.ca for more infomation.


Sunday, February 21, 2010 No comments
Getting around Granville Island during the Olympics is not a problem. Despite early concerns over crowds for special events there have been plenty of empty parking places on the island and ... no congestion.

Worried about the temporary parking fees? We'll take care of it.
From now until March 1, 2010 we are offering to pay for your 2 hour parking when you make a purchase of $50 or more (before taxes) at Maiwa or Maiwa Supply on Granville Island.
To sweeten the deal even more we'll offer you a free glass of Chai at our Maiwa Store.


The Details:
Customers will receive an instant discount of $6 when they purchase goods totaling $50 or more before taxes. There is no need to bring a parking receipt. Offer valid until March 1st, 2010 when parking returns to normal. Offer valid only at the Granville Island stores: Maiwa and Maiwa Supply.



Thursday, February 18, 2010 2 comments

Europe has a large and accessible collection of tapestries. One great advantage of almost all tapestries on exhibit in museum and church collections is that they were made before the advent of synthetic dyes. The most notable craft houses, the flemish tapestry makers which flourished between the 15th and 18th centuries, precede William Perkin's synthesis of mauve in 1856 by a good margin. Many tapestries have only been subjected to modern conservation (light and climate control) in recent times, having hung (sometimes for hundreds of years) enduring exposure to daylight and weather. As such they give an excellent example of the longevity of natural colour over time. Colours will change over time, however, it is important to note that the changes are far from what is often claimed by some critics of natural dyes, and some synthetic dye makers.

The idea of looking to ancient examples of dyes to check colours is not new. William Morris, for example, writing before synthetic dyes had the more subtle nature they have today has said of natural dyes:

"Like all dyes, they are not eternal; the sun in lighting them and beautifying them consumes them; yet gradually, and for the most part kindly, as (to use my example for the last time in this paper) you will see if you look at the Gothic tapestries in the drawing-room at Hampton Court. These colours in fading still remain beautiful, and never, even after long wear, pass into nothingness, through that stage of livid ugliness which distinguishes the commercial dyes as nuisances, even more than their short and by no means merry life."

Moreover fastness is subject to the dye knowledge of the craftsperson and this is a matter of skill, intuition, and learning. Morris again:

"The art of dyeing, I am bound to say, is a difficult one, needing for its practice a good craftsman, with plenty of experience. Matching a colour by means of it is an agreeable but somewhat anxious game to play."

These photos were taken by us recently in Gothic Wing of the Alcazar in Seville, Spain. The tapestries are massive, measuring about 15 feet by 20 feet in size. The works are from Brussels c. 1554 and celebrate Emperor Charles V's 1535 victory in Tunis over the Turks.

A note about colour balance.

These tapestries are hung in a room which is open to the air. Sunlight enters from large doorways and upper windows. The works are also illuminated by incandescent lights. The walls of the room are a saturated yellow. In terms of colour balance for looking at the pieces we have blue light from the sun, yellow light from the artificial illumination and another warm yellow light from the reflections of the walls. Colour will change with time of day, cloud cover and many other factors. All this shows up in the photos here. The last photo was taken with a wide angle lens and shows one of the entire works, the wall and the gallery railing.

An additional complication to colour balance is that these images are presently being viewed by you on your own computer screen. Your screen will have its on unique colour profile. How to avoid all this colour and light trickery? Well we must say that Seville is really quite a lovely place to visit ...





Friday, February 12, 2010 2 comments
Assam: Land of the Golden Silk - Part 6
(Our 2008 visit to Assam in search of three types of silk.)



We've been lucky in Assam. Chandan has found us a number of locations where the Eri moth is in different stages of its development. This has all been arranged by him, but as we pull into a compound or drive down a village street, we have no idea what we are going to find. Previously we encountered the eggs - just at the point of hatching. Now we've been shown the caterpillars in their final stages as they are about to spin. The worms pictured here are happily munching on a collection of castor leaves. Some of them have a faint blue tint. We're guessing that the colour difference is between male and female. For full details of the Eri lifecycle we recommend Michael Cook's well illustrated photo essay.

These worms were kept in the most simple conditions. A woven basket held an inverted collection of branches tied together at the stem. It made a substantial collection of food that would last a few days.

And finally we saw the adults. The one shown at the top of the post has been out of the cocoon about twenty-four hours. These moths (like all moths) generally don't live long in the adult stage, only a few days. As adults their sole drive is to emerge from the cocoon, mate and lay eggs.




NEXT >>

Sunday, February 07, 2010 No comments
Our latest video podcast just went up.

Part 2 - Presentation, Question and Answer
Michel Garcia


Michel Garcia is a practicing chemist and botanist specializing in natural dyes and dye plants. He is the founder of Couleur Garance, and the Botanical Garden of Dye Plants, set in the Château de Lauris, terraced and adorned with ponds and fountains dating from the eighteenth century. The conservatory garden was envisioned as a resource for natural dye research and an oportunity to edify the public about organic colour.

Recorded at the 2009 Maiwa Textile Symposium on October 16, 2009
Posted February 2010

Here is the original post for Michel Garcia's lecture. In 2009 he also taught a workshop; Secrets from the Dye Garden: Extracts and Printing.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 No comments
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      • In Memorium - Henri Lambert
      • Dhamadka - The New Land
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