Last week, publisher Linda Ligon transported us to the highlands of Bolivia and Peru. This week, I’m taking us on a journey to Morocco. After my first visit there with author Susan Schaefer Davis, I described it as a place of “Layers and layers of flavor, color, and light, distilled into a single joy.” I […]
10
Apr
Apr
If life hadn’t taken an unexpected pivot, we would be in China right now with a group of friends. This very day, we would have been visiting a village that specializes in folded embroidery (my favorite kind), and we would be on our way to a workshop in that technique and others at the Sun […]
08
Nov
Nov
I returned a couple of weeks ago from the third ClothRoads & Thrums Books Textile Arts of Morocco Tour with author Susan Schaefer Davis. To wander just a few of the 15,000 alleyways of medieval Fes, to breathe in the mounds of Marrakesh spice, or drive along the edges of the High Atlas Mountains is […]
18
Oct
Oct
I’ve been traveling for the last week with Women Artisans of Morocco: Their Stories, Their Lives author Susan Schaefer Davis. We’ve been visiting many of the artisans featured in her book on our third ClothRoads/Thrums Books textile tour. Susan has been leading our small group of textile travelers through the mountains and markets of this […]
23
Aug
Aug
Women Artisans of Morocco author Susan Schaefer Davis shares some great examples of how our books and her tours are improving the lives of women artisans in Morocco. Thanks, Susan! While working on my book on Moroccan artisans, it was obvious that the women I spoke with hoped that being in a book would increase […]
28
Jun
Jun
Weave a Real Peace (WARP) held its annual gathering in Washington D.C. last week. It was terrific. For the uninitiated, WARP is a networking group of crafters, academics, entrepreneurs, and anyone (including book publishers!) who value the importance of textiles in communities around the world. The annual meeting is an important time to connect with old […]
12
Apr
Apr
Springtime always feels like a whirlwind at Thrums Books. We have new Spring books hitting the shelves while we’re sending our new fall books to the printer. It’s when we win awards (!) and plot our future fun. Check out what’s new in the world of Thrums Books and find out what’s on deck for […]
22
Mar
Mar
Travels You may have glimpsed photos from our Facebook or Instagram pages over the last couple of weeks, documenting our travels around southwestern China. Our days were filled meeting batik artists, embroidery artists, weavers, indigo dyers–many whose families have worked these textile traditions for several generations. They were happy to share their stories, their skills, […]
11
Jan
Jan
Fadma Wadal lives 5,300 miles away from me. She’s six years younger than I am; when I was graduating from high school, she was getting married. Do the math: she was only twelve years old. I went away to college; she waited for puberty and soon had her first child. I personalize this because our […]
28
Dec
Dec
Recently, Facebook showed me a little video it had produced to summarize the high points of my life in 2018. So thoughtful of them. They did manage to include some fun trips and moments with special friends, though they omitted a son’s wedding and a couple of other major milestones. Made me wonder what […]
