Linda returned this week from further adventures in Mexico, another book in the offing. When you’ve been to a place so many times, you amass quite a collection of stories (and huipils!). Here’s an oldie but a goody from Linda’s travels in Chiapas. Enjoy! —Karen Handmade in Chiapas, Mexico As Maya huipils go, those […]
29
Jun
Jun
Another wonderful experience at the Weave a Real Peace conference earlier this month was the opportunity to meet kindred spirits. Aaron Burmeister is one of those people. He welcomed us to Decorah with warmth and affable cheer. He contributed significantly to the meeting by organizing our Seed Savers tour and sharing a meaningful presentation about […]
06
Oct
Oct
This week’s post is crafted by Joshua Hirschstein and Maren Beck, authors of our brand new book Silk Weaver’s of Hill Tribe Laos. They offer a special view into the world of Lao weaving and ask some hard questions about the future of traditional textiles. Thanks, Josh and Maren! Upon walking into a hill tribe […]
31
Mar
Mar
Alfonso Huerta, the amazingly talented illustrator of our most recent book, Maya Gods & Monsters, shares a behind-the-scenes view of how the book–and the gods–came to be. Maya Magic About five years ago, I was vacationing on a beautiful lagoon in the southern part of the Yucatan with Carol Karasik, the author of Maya Gods & Monsters, […]
10
Mar
Mar
AUTHOR CAROL KARASIK IS OUR GUEST BLOGGER THIS WEEK, GIVING SPECIAL INSIGHT INTO HER NEW BOOK: Myths and Tales and Textiles Thrums Books has a glorious reputation for publishing beautiful books on textiles from ancient cultures throughout the world. In a striking departure, they decided to bring out Maya Gods and Monsters: Supernatural Stories from the […]
03
Mar
Mar
Textile Fiestas of Mexico author Sheri Brautigam writes to us while shopping at some of her favorite markets, on-the-road, in Mexico: Besides the exciting festivals and ferias of Mexico, there are wonderful local markets to experience every week, so don’t miss out. Back in Mexico this winter I visited two that have become my favorites […]
24
Feb
Feb
Carolus karasikii This is an unusual species with only one known member. Carolus karasikii, commonly known as Carol Karasik, can be found in the jungles of eastern Chiapas, the cobbled streets of San Cristóbal, the deserts of the American southwest, the rural villages of Southeast Asia, or the libraries of Washington, D.C. Her plumage is […]
17
Feb
Feb
Craft Chores I call my mom, affectionately, “The Closer.” Over the last several years she’s been the recipient of this friend’s or that’s unfinished craft project. Sometimes the assignment is from a friend who has passed away (not to be morbid, but at 86, these things happen), whose children want their mom’s handiwork finished but […]
28
Oct
Oct
When I was growing up in Oklahoma in the 1950s, I had a music teacher, Miss Sadlo, whose father had emigrated from Czechoslovakia early in the century. She had grown up in the nearby little town of Prague (which we Okies pronounced “Prayg”), founded and largely populated by her fellow countrymen from Bohemia. Miss Sadlo […]
07
Oct
Oct
Enjoy this guest post from Textile Fiestas of Mexico author Sheri Brautigam. Imagine a 6-month time-frame to write a textile travel guide to Mexico. Challenging and a bit scary, but I decided it was definitely possible. After all, I had been documenting textiles for about ten years in Mexico and was a frequent visitor to […]
