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Photo: Theresa May Obrien We’ve been on a rollercoaster ride here in my beloved city of Istanbul. A chaotic life has left me scattered, unable to write much, only make. But recently, an international women’s group asked me to reflect on the intersections of craft and culture, globalization and activism I’ve experienced in my 20 […] “I tell my customers – I am addicted to playing with colors, thank you for supporting my habit.” I met fellow color and fiber junkie Inese Liepina through a mutual designer friend in San Francisco, who introduced us via email on my birthday in 2010. Inese, raised in Chicago by parents […] A family visit… More from our spring 2013 Turkish Tulip Trip: Viransehir Probably the most challenging part of our trip this past spring was not climbing the peak of Nemrut Dagi, or walking around Diyarbakir as a group of very obviously foreign women, or negotiating the often horrendous traffic in Istanbul. It […] Visiting icons of decorative art can be overwhelming. It’s easy to fall into the ‘tourist trap’ of taking a million photos, but not really seeing the place while there. I document all the interesting details first, then take time to sit and let them all soak in…as best I can, knowing there are other visitors […] Where to start: the felted body Begin with a body of fiber art alchemy: naturally dyed wool and squares of bright silk in solid colors and ebru marbling. Then some cotton muslin worked in to keep the fibers stable. Shape and press and steam it – all by hand – until it conforms rather […] Bits + Pieces I frequently refer to myself as a “hybrid”. As an American mashup of multiple European nationalities, my ancestry is commonplace, centuries old and frankly boring compared to the ethnic combinations of others I know. A vintage embroidered + mirrored Indian bodice Yet in almost 14 years being an expat/immigrant, hybrid […] Original vintage Anatolian carpets Textile romantics cannot bear to throw anything away. Especially vintage fibers that have been handspun and dyed, then woven into a rug using the knowledge gained by tradition, communicating the patterns of a timeless heritage. The pride and talent of an anonymous Anatolian woman, someone we’ll never know, leaves a […]
Blue Mosque January 2012 The 1st of March, Abit’s birthday. An exceptionally snowy winter in Istanbul, spent designing new rugs and home décor, planning 2012 workshops and our spring craft trip east. Living in a visual world of patterns and images instead of words, writing and blogging were set aside for a time, […] The Universe works in mysterious ways. My spirit has been filled with a grateful energy since late Saturday evening, which found me sitting alone on the telephone in my dad’s California study, yet in the miraculous company of a diverse assortment of 9 like-minded women, showing me that connections such as these are […] |
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