Archive for the 'World Textiles' Category

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Rubia: Mending Afghanistan One Stitch at a Time

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Rubia, an organization that has 501 (c) 3 status as a non-profit, is dedicated to increasing the literacy of the women of Afghanistan. They raise funds for education mainly through the sale of embroidered goods. A few years ago, we had the opportunity to write an article for The Quilter magazine, based on a meeting with Hafiza Malikbaba and Rachel Lehr, (one of the American founders of Rubia, a fluent linguist who knows all of the Afghan dialects).

small embroidered bag

Small bag or embroidered purse made by a member of the Rubia organization in Afghanistan. Photo taken at Rachel Lehr’s home.

Today, I received notice that Rubia is offering their annual calendar, priced at only $10. each ppd. This year, it features the photographs of Afghan children, taken by Rachel and others. The Internet site for Rubia is selling some very sweet-looking, lavender-filled, 5″ embroidered hearts made of either silk, wool, rayon, and cotton, in other words, whatever fibers were available to the women when making these objects.

Please take a minute to visit the Rubia site: http://www.rubiahandwork.org/special_sale.html

To read more about Afghanistan and Hafiza, please read our online file: http://www.quiltersmuse.com/afghanistan_embroideries.htm

This announcement is brought to you as a courtesy of Quilter’s Muse Publications

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Hmong “Happy Fisherman” Pants

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Currently, two Hmong “Happy Fisherman” Pants are offered on eBay by “zootube”

Hmong fisherman pants, example 1

This is auction #130344035302 Hmong fisherman pants

Hmong fisherman pants - example 2

This is auction #130340681357 Hmong fisherman pants example 2

Zach Fauth has been traveling in Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand for 10 years now, collecting and vending textiles. These two pairs of "Happy Fisherman" pants are completely handmade and hand loomed from cotton/hemp.

They feature both piecework and patchwork designs. One of the designs is "Elephant's Foot," rendered in cross-stitch. I have read that the colorful patchwork design, repeated on these objects, can represent the "altar" that is present in every Hmong home in southeast Asia.

For more information about the Hmong and their traditional needlework, please visit: Hmong Textile Art: The Tie That Binds A Culture by Patricia L. Cummings.

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Speaking of Molas – Here’s a Special One

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

Barbara Campbell, a quilt designer and friend who lives in New Jersey, found a mola to purchase at a garage sale a few years ago. Like one of the molas in my collection, it is framed. This one is double-framed under glass and its new owner states that “it appears to float on the kitchen wall.” Framing is certainly one way to help preserve textiles, and framing under glass is the most desirable situation, if a textile is to hang in a kitchen where, unseen grease and smoke from cooking can do long-term damage.

owl mola

Keep in mind that molas are always made in pairs, as nearly duplicates, as is possible to make, by the Kuna tribal women (and men) who produce them. Often, we see molas for sale that have uneven, or ragged edges. That is due to the fact that they have already “lived a life” as part of a now disassembled blouse (one mola panel on the lower front, and one on the lower back of the blouse). Often, flimsy, see-through fabrics of man-made fibers are used for the upper part of the blouse, as well as the sleeves.

The Kuna Indians have found it profitable to disassemble old and unwanted blouses and tourists do no seem to mind the fact that they are purchasing used goods. Of course, that is not always the situation.

Nonetheless, the artistry of the mola is desirable in terms of art and symbolism. Often, the Spanish words that appear on molas are misspelled because Spanish is NOT the native language of this native Indian tribe.

I have mentioned recently the links to files on my website, for more information. Rather than hunt them down again, I invite you to use the site navigation bar on our website, or else, scroll back to previous blogs about molas that contain the links.

Thank you, Barbara, for sharing yet another mola example with us. Molas are like Halloween candy corn. You can’t have just one. I can bet that you will catch the mola “bug,” Barbara, and before long, you will collect others!

You can visit Barbara’s two online sites: a website, “Love in Stitches,” and a blog, “Defining the Inner Muse.”

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in Art Quilts, World Textiles | 3 Comments »

Kuna Indians/Mola Makers Seen In Their Own Habitat: Archipelagos Off the Coast of Panama

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

This morning, I visited YouTube and just realized that there are quite a few videos of collected molas as well as movies of those who make them, on the archipelago sites off the coast of Panama. I enjoyed watching native Kuna Indian women, with their traditional nose rings and bare feet, making molas and wearing them. Molas are a traditional part of their everyday wear. It is only when tourists began visiting these people, in their remote corner of the universe, that a pattern of trading was established.

I have written extensively about the Kuna Indians and have enjoyed seeing an exhibit at the University of Connecticut, and many years later, one at Dartmouth College. We produced several articles for print publications. Currently, there are two related files on our website: Quilter’s Muse Publications: “A History of Molas,” “Molas and their Makers,” and others. Just key in the word “mola” into the site search feature on the front page of our website and you will be able to access all the articles in which molas are mentioned.”

back of mola blouse

This photo shows the back of a former mola (blouse). The geometric patterns of this piece are repeating designs, as you can see. It is amazing to see the extent of precision that mola-makers bring to their work.

My favorite musical video on YouTube, on this topic of the Kuna Indians, is called “Memorias de Kuna Yala.” Various villages are featured, as well as celebrations. One is called the “Conmemoracion de Revolcion Tule.” (I cannot put in the appropriate accents for Spanish, in this particular blog interface).

In the bloody Tule Rebellion of 1925, all whites were killed or expelled from Kuna territory. It is interesting to note that the Kuna flag consists of three color bands: a solid yellow fabric with a black swastika flanked by two solid red colors. Clearly, their swastika is not linked to Hitler’s Germany. For more information about the history of the swastika symbol, please visit our website file on that topic.

The names of other YouTube videos that I viewed are:

1) Mola Art from the Republic of Panama
2) Mola Arts and Crafts of Panama
3) Kuna Yala montage
4) Mola Art from Panama
5) The Spirit of the Mola
6) San Blas Indians
7) Kuna Dance

One website that features molas is: www.molaartandcraft.com

I hope that you enjoy this information as much as I did!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in Art, World Textiles | Comments Off

Egyptian Wall Hanging

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Egyptian wall hanging

Today, a reader sent us this image of an Egyptian wall hanging. The person has owned this for fifty years and is now wondering how old it might be, and seeks any other information about it.

If anyone here is an Egyptologist and would like to comment, please write either a direct comment to this e-mail, or write to me privately at: pat@quiltersmuse.com and I’ll pass along the message.

We always enjoy seeing other people’s textiles and certainly answer any questions, as we can.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in Reader Questions, World Textiles | Comments Off

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