Opera on Granville Island from Michael Sider on Vimeo.

Wool shawls woven in Bhujodi village, Vishram Valji Vankar in the background.

HAND/EYE has done it again. This time with an entire issue dedicated to colour. We are especially proud of this issue because we were able to contribute to it. Maiwa editor, Tim McLaughlin has written an article on Lac red. Tim takes the reader through the harvest and history of lac and ends up at Bhujodi, a village in India's Kutch desert, where master weaver Shamji Vishram Vankar is behind the revival of lac and other natural dyes.

Regular readers will recognize Shamji as the weaver of a magnificent Masterworks exhibition piece.

Among the other contributors in the issue are Marta Turok - writing about Mexico's shellfish purple, Adam Levin - writing about Kente, the royal Ashanti cloth of west Africa, Marcella Echavarria - interviewing Gasali Adeyemo about Nigerian Indigo and Abigail Doan - writing about Beth Nielsen. Though it features natural colour, the issue also explores emerald mining in Zambia, the use of white in the ecstatic Candomblé religion of Brazil, and the role of red in Macedonian traditional dress. As with previous issues of HAND/EYE #6 is lushly illustrated with beautiful photography.

The magazine is available in our online store for $12.95 cdn. You can also flip through it in Maiwa Supply.

These are just some of the things that have come into our warehouse space at Maiwa East. Above - marble figures salvaged from building demonlition. Each one has its own face and makes a nice heavy book-end. 49.95 each.

We receive containers on a regular basis holding old furniture, carved doors & thresholds, teak cabinets, coffee tables, book cases, engraved water urns, ironwork chairs and tables, furniture handpainted by the renowned Abhi Shakar and Jetu Singh, and many other items both large and small.


A selection of old and handmade scissors. Some of these items have seen a lifetime of use in the hands of tailors. Some have been cleverly forged by the village smith. Quirky and beautiful at the same time. $19.95 each.


Two-door teak cabinet. Aprox 5' high x 33" wide x 14" deep. A fine addidtion to any room, the clear glass on the upper doors lets you show off your books or textiles, while the solid lower doors alows you to store less showy items. $599.00

Two-door teak cabinet. Aprox 3' 6' high x 30" wide x 18" deep. This wooden cabinet has an ornate rail at the top and is quite deep. Perfect for storing blankets or larger items. $399.00


Marble disks. We've been told that these were traditionally used as a kind of press to put a pattern in mango pulp. The ones shown here are the perfect size for a large candle or bottle of wine. Available in a variety of patterns. $19.95 each.

Available online.

It has been an exceptionally long, wet, monsoon in the Kutch Desert - where our Ajrakh is made. This is a good thing. As you can see on the left, the reservoir of the ancient walled-city of Bhuj is full. The desert is in bloom. People have prospered. But, sadly, you can't blockprint during the monsoon.

So our Ajrakh order was delayed until the rains stopped. But now the order is finished, shipped, unpacked, and in the store - and what a glorious spectacle it is!

A line of bedding that fills your room with the exquisite delights of India. You will also enjoy the feeling of organic cotton, dyed naturally in a rich beautiful palette. Hand printed by the master craftspeope who have practiced the art for generations.

For more details about organic certification and to see this sensual line of bedding please visit our Granville Island Store, located in the Net Loft, Granville Island, Vancouver.

100% Certified Organic Cotton. Hand blockprinted and naturally dyed by master craftspeople.

Wooden Ajrakh Printing Block

Natural dyes and an organic indigo vat means the waste water goes directly to irrigate the tomatoes

Ismailbhai wades through a lush crop of fennel.

Ajrakh bedding - a pattern to suit every taste.

It was a transcendent evening indeed. Wrapture: Unstitched and Enfolded was our slow clothes fashion show. Here are some photos that highlight the evening and Charllotte's words that set the stage.

China Pettway speaks about quilts as art and as bedcovers.

Louisiana speaks about faith and what goes into a quilt.

Revil Mosely speaks with the audience about how the quilts are made.

Matt Arnett took the group through an historic introduction to the Gee's Bend Area and a slideshow of the many places the quilts have been showcased.

The quilters of Gee's Bend take questions from the audience and speak about their work.