Avery strange system of nomenclature is used in Indian languages to describe products per their size. A small version of the item discussed ends with “i” and its larger variant with an “a.” For example, kichdi is a simple rice-pulse meal, while its c

For Mom, nothing was more joy-filled than her time spent sewing. She was an incredible seamstress who could make magic out of the simplest materials. She was naturally skilled, was constantly developing her craft, and never stopped producing some of

Most of us know George Washington Carver (about 1864–1943) as the famous African American agronomist from Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) who spent his career working to improve the lives of poor Southern farmers. But as a young man, Car

Over the 47 years that George Washington Carver (about 1864–1943) was at the historically Black Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), he created a large crochet-swatch library in his spare time. In 1941, people visiting his art galleries in t

Unlined and fairly crudely hand-stitched, a historic quilt made up of small patches of brightly colored woolen cloth—the kind used to make military uniforms—came into my personal textile collection in 2010. The scarlet, black, buff, navy, and cream p

In October 1997, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London held the first exhibition of the works of famous artist Carl Larsson (1853–1919) and his wife, Karin, ever held outside of Sweden. The exhibit was entitled Carl and Karin Larsson: Creato

Dr. Reem el Mutwalli’s love and lifelong infatuation with textiles, and in particular Emirati women’s dress, started at a young age. Growing up surrounded by the women of the United Arab Emirates’ ruling family, Reem understood that she had a unique

After teaching myself to cross-stitch, I began to stitch antique reproduction samplers. I researched and dreamed of owning my own antique sampler. I had admired many antique samplers and needlework pieces from afar in museums, antiques fairs, and mor

Growing up in rural Ontario, Canada, an hour’s drive north of Lake Ontario, flower gardens were a rarity. Instead there were apple trees, ponds, creeks, hilltops covered in wild blueberries, lakes, wild flower and hay meadows, forests, and the rocks

The Pekinese (Chinese) stitch is a composite line stitch, consisting of a row of backstitches with the addition of interlaced loops, whereas the Chinese (Peking, Pekin, or ring) knot stitch belongs to the large international knotted-stitch family of

There is something inevitable about thimbles as tokens of love and remembrance. They are tiny and so easy to carry around, hidden in a pocket or displayed on a chatelaine. Thimbles are intimate—worn not merely on the hand but on the tip of a finger.

A rainbow of colorfast hues awaits your next needlework project. Weeks Dye Works’ Crewel Wool comes in 25 shades—from subtle to vibrant—dyed using environmentally responsible methods. In addition, each over-dyed skein matches colors found in the cott

The historical region of Pomerania, which now is part of Germany and Poland, possesses very few costume traditions, and not many historic knitted items have been preserved. In the southeast part of the island of Rügen, Germany’s largest island in the

In 1921, Celia Wiggins was born in the village of Shafton, South Yorkshire, as England recovered from World War I. She grew up in a time of economic depression, and unemployment in her village was high. Her father, a coal miner, was killed in a mini

Weldon’s Practical Needlework gives a peek into the world of craft in the 1880s. The series features several different crafts from macramé and net making to crochet and knitting. The first book of the series is a delight for sock knitters, with varia

This medium-weight washed-linen coverall provides protection from crafty mishaps and spills. Not Perfect Linen’s Japanese-style aprons, shown in natural-grey stripes, are made in Lithuania by a family-run business and have generous pockets to keep fr