"In accord with UBC’s commitment to 'prepare students to become exceptional global citizens, and promote the values of a civil and sustainable society', this course focuses on technology in the context of poverty and development."The Maiwa Foundation proposed three problems that would benefit from specialized engineering knowledge. A key part of the problems was the context in which solutions would be workable and appropriate. In this post we will outline the problems. In a later post we will follow up with some thoughts from this year's poster session.
We came across this book more than a year ago when we were doing research for a presentation on natural fibers and slow clothes. Beautiful Sheep: Portraits of Champion Breeds is written by Kathryn Dun - and she has done an excellent job -but it is the portraits themselves which fascinated us. There is such diversity of character in the breeds, and we can see how some would have been encouraged for the fibres in their coats. Specific qualities that would make the wool good for hand-spinning or dyeing. In some cases, a renewed interest in hand spinning and knitting is all that has kept certain breeds from extinction. 
the possibilities of discharge – the removal of colour from dyed cloth. Using both commercial fabrics and cloth dyed specifically for discharge, the student will selectively remove and replace colour, gaining an in-depth understanding of both thiox and bleach discharge processes.
Felt is one of the oldest known forms of manipulated fibre. Felting appears coincidental with animal husbandry and produces a range of items from clothing and toys to sculpture, tents, and even industrial tools. Often an art and tradition of nomadic peoples, felting is making a worldwide resurgence and is gaining recognition.
This very popular workshop has expanded to three full days. Here students will obtain a comprehensive understanding of resists: what advantage each might have, what effects can be obtained, and what the proper techniques are for manipulating fabric, colour, and resist. This course is an ideal introduction to resist as a vital element of surface design.
Canvas is for artists, and an unstretched canvas is an open invitation for the surface designer to begin exploration. Using combinations of mixed-media, fabric paints, and succulent colour palettes, students will engage the canvas surface through altered art techniques, image transfer, collage, and deconstruction. 
Fair Isle is a tiny isolated island off the coast of Scotland. Fair Isle knitting is a distinctive form of circular, stranded-colour knitting inspired by the seaside, meadows, moorlands, and skies of this distant place. The art of Fair Isle knitting is marked by rich colours and varied geometric designs.
The new issue of Wild Fibers has just hit the stands. This one contains the story of the Maiwa Foundation's experiences in Ethiopia conducting workshops in the Sabahar silk garden. The Foundation was able to share some of its natural dye knowledge through Charllotte Kwon, who spent two weeks working in the Sabahar dye-room reviewing procedures and recipes and teaching new techniques. We also made a trip into rural Africa where we encountered Saturday markets and memorably dangerous roads.
This issue also contains a cover story on Robari shepards. We carry the embroidery of highly skilled Robari women who we work with through the KMVS cooperative. We've added this issue to our online store and you can get a copy here.
"The first time I watched someone pull up fabric strips through a backing, I knew instantly that this was the craft for me. The serenity of that moment stays with me today, and 14 years later my passion for hand hooked rugs continues to grow and flourish. I often think back to Canada in the mid-1800s and to the men and women for whom making a hooked rug was a matter of thrift. For many it would be their only opportunity for creative expression, and I believe they would laugh to hear me call their rugs art or sustainable. They were making rugs to warm their beds and keep out cold winter drafts. They didn’t hook rugs to last a hundred years and yet they left us a legacy rich in history and storytelling."
In this exploratory three-day workshop, students dive into the exciting and magical world of felt. The workshop will use both ancient and contemporary techniques and is suitable for both beginning and experienced felters looking to refine their skills and expand their creative vision.
We met with Sandra in the fall as she came through Vancouver. She had a sample of the book with her and it was nothing short of stunning. It is a comprehensive work filled with wonderfully detailed photos and writing. With the book completed Sandra was making plans to revisit the villages where she had conducted her research to present the weavers with a copy of the book. To quote Sandra,"In the summer of 2010, I will be returning to North Sumatra, to visit all of the villages and the weavers that I met during my fieldwork for Legacy in cloth, Batak textiles of Indonesia. I have fulfilled my obligations to museums and archives who have requested a copy of Legacy for copyright purposes. I feel this obligation even more strongly towards the weavers, however, even though they gave their knowledge to me freely and with no counter-demands. They have a right to the full compendium of information that I have gathered and to see their pictures published in the book!"
You can learn more about both Sandra and her work on her website www.bataktextiles.com and her blog bataktextiles.blogspot.com. Sandra's website gives considerable detail about her studies in indonesia and what motivates her enthusiasm for both anthropology and weaving. Her work is an inspiration to us. We feel her book has raised the bar for publications in the textile arts. Comments are welcome.
