The Art Gallery of NSW is exhibiting Silk Ikats from Central Asia. An Ikat pattern is made of silk and sometimes with cotton too. It is created by binding and dying the threads before they are woven into a textile. Uzbekistan was well known for it's ikat design, these were created by women and were worn as a symbol of status and wealth. After learning about the time consuming work that goes into making these, I could understand why they were so valued.From a distance the patterns look strong, and definite, but as I got closer I could see the edges were misaligned, with threads of different colours poking out oddly. My favourite patterns (above [©IAMM Museum shop]) had a more geometric design, but curvy motifs of flowers and in particular, almonds, were more common in the exhibition.
Vintage looking lace
On a different note, I collected some laces and ribbons from the Stitches and craft fair, they should make some nice details in some up-&-coming illustrations.
