Kindred Slow Cloth Spirits

Slow Textiles: Arousing Artefact is a brand-new blog from Dr. Emma Neuberg, a member of the Textiles Environment Design Research Group at the University of the Arts in London. Dr. Emma has just two posts up on the Slow Textiles blog, but she's promising details soon on a Slow Textiles Sewing Group. Will that be local or a group for the Internet community? I  guess we'll have to wait and see. 

The idea of slow cloth -- as in authentic, soulful, and honoring tradition and community even in the most contemporary manifestations -- is still the heart of this blog and everything I write about textiles, art, craft and design, after more than a year. It's exciting to see that there are others with the same impetus in other parts of the world, yet also frustrating that we're not connecting more somehow. I'll e-mail Emma and let her know that there are many kindred spirits here, eager to see what's next on her site. 

I know there is a form for the vision of what we Slow Cloth/global textile explorers can be together -- the larger Web site, the magazine, the organization, the book, whatever it may be (the field trip to London!). It seems I've beat this drum before, but anyone with ideas about what you'd like to see in the emerging Slow Cloth/Slow Textiles community that willing and imaginative enthusiasts could create - feel free to comment.

Even as I wrote that, I know there are forums and Ning groups out there with a slow cloth direction that I don't visit often. I think they're great, but it's an issue of time and focus. And there are some textile sites that, while clearly on the same track creatively, simply crash my browser, they're so loaded with videos and ads and music and links and feeds. So maybe things are fine just as they are, with different people doing their own thing and we all remain loosely connected. I don't know.

Meanwhile, I'm knee-deep in stressful life situations, so back to tax preparation. Thank you, always, for coming by and reading and visiting.

Comments

[Mal*]

I've really loved reading your (and others') musings about slow cloth and returning to the rich tradition of handmade and purposeful creation. Thank you for taking the time to spearhead some of these thoughts and for being so generous with your ideas.

[Heather]

You're welcome.

[marja-leena]

Lainie, I wonder if you know the work of India Flint who uses botanicals for dying: http://www.indiaflint.com/ I found her mentioned at a printmaker's blog and really fell in love with her work!

Congratulations on the new job, by the way, and I hope the stresses will subside for you soon!