Stanley Bulbach –

About a month ago there was a lot of media attention (articles in The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine, an interview on The Colbert Show, etc.) about a new book by Mathew Crawford called Shop Class As Soul Craft. I haven’t read the book but what I’ve gleaned of Crawford’s argument appeals to me:  it’s that hand-work (in his case motorcycle repair)  should be recognized as genuinely useful and intellectually challenging work and not “less than” the work happening in office buildings.  Coinciding with economic hard times I imagine it’s a heartening – and even liberating – thesis to many re-evaluating the trajectory of their worklife. Others, like Manhattan based carpet weaver Stanley Bulbach already seem quite comfortable living and working as intellectual craftsmen, and in Bulbach’s case vigorously so. His website features his own handwoven carpets, links to numerous articles he’s written about fiber arts, and extensive reviews of books covering a wide range of art-related topics. Regardless of their individual philosophies, both Crawford and Bulbach embody an idea everyone should be able to get behind, office buildings or not: whatever you do, do it passionately!

Above, a detail of Bulbach’s prayer carpet titled “Sumac Auspices”.

Otomi Color –

Jacaranda sells a wonderfully graphic and colorful assortment of fabric created by Otomi Indians in Mexico. Matisse must have been channeling a bit of this when he began his paper cut-outs.

Via Katy Elliott.

Mariska Karasz –

Titled “Skein” this print dates to 1952 and was designed by Mariska Karasz, a woman “among the pioneers of modern fiber arts in the 20th century.” I love its self referential / meta nature and also how wacky and off-kilter the whole composition is. I’m also surprised she did it for F. Schumacher as the company today seems rather staid and traditional (not that that’s a bad thing!).

Rosie Lee Tomkins –

Since my previous post featured a quilt with an unknown maker, here’s another impressive quilt with a known maker, Rosie Lee Tomkins. She’s a new name for me but is apparently quite well known. Here’s an article about her life, 1936-2006.

International Quilt Study Center –

I relish the New York Times‘ seasonal publication of their design magazine and was treated to their Spring 2008 issue this past Sunday. Inside, the image above accompanied a brief write-up by Stacie Stukin about the University of Nebraska’s International Quilt Study Center and Museum. It houses “the world’s only graduate program in quilt studies and the world’s largest collection of quilts.” Wow! Unfortunately nothing was included to describe this chevron stripe quilt so I can’t offer anything about date, origin or artist — except to say that it’s incredibly striking and timeless. Click here for the Museum’s website — maybe you’ll have better luck than me finding the image in their database.

Update: Thanks Megg for your comment and for finding the quilt on the site!
Zig Zag Result #: 1906
Quiltmaker: Maker unknown
Geographical Origin: Possibly made in Pennsylvania, United States
Date: Circa 1880-1900

Tammis Keefe –

Here’s another textile designer discovery for my files: Tammis Keefe. From what I’ve seen on-line, she produced a plethora of thematic (and quite whimsical) textile designs during the 1950’s, illustrating such subjects as: dragonflies, cats, santas, acrobats, lion trainers, chairs, bottle collections, etc.! While I didn’t know her name before this week, her patterns seem intimately familiar. I don’t know if this is a function of the direct scope of her own work or whether a slew of copy-cats were inspired by her designs. There seem to be a sizable array of Tammis Keefe hankies available for purchase, both on Ebay and at Ruby Lane. She also produced patterns for scarves and tea towels.

Molas –

The New York Times website has an article in their travel section today about the San Blas Islands in Panama and the accompanying photos show some beautiful examples of the local “mola” textile tradition. Here’s the NYT’s subtitle for the top image, above: “A Kuna Indian woman at work on an intricately patterned mola. Molas, layered lengths of fabric intricately cut and sewn into various colors and designs, serve as blouses for Kuna women and prized souvenirs for tourists.” Below that, I’m including an image of a Mola shirt from the “Art of Being Kuna” exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian.