Coco Kulkarni

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThreadsOfOld

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CocoBags

I have been collecting art for a long time.  All sorts of art:: paintings (oil, water, pastels, ink), sculpture (wood, metal, stone), tribal drawings (some painted on cow dung!), textiles, and even photographs.

The antique textiles I have belong to one particular region in India called Kutch. Many of them are over 70 to 90 years old.  Most of them are in excellent condition. Some are embroidered and some are appliqued.  There's a rich variety of colours, motifs and techniques. All beautiful!

My love of fabrics inspired me to make and sell handbags on Etsy.  I use wool, cashmere, leather, cottons, and some blends to make handbags with clean contemporary lines and beautiful patterned fabrics. I don't use patterns, and I stay clear of 'designer' fabrics. I free cut all my bags, so they're never really the same size or shape. My latest handbags are made from hand spun, hand loomed cottons (khadi) from India, and some have hand blocked prints on them.

Location:  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Online shops:  ThreadsOfOld

Languages spoken:  English

Ganesh, Embroidered detail of a vintage textile from Kutch, India

Coco Bags

Tags:  Vintage, ethnic, India, Kutch, Gujarat, wall hanging, folk embroidery, folk applique, collections, Saurashtra, bag, purse, khadi

Boucherouite Rag Rugs

www.boucherouite.net

Due to his love of Morocco, its culture and way of life, Jean-Yves Sevestre, with the help of the architect Denis Estienne, created Dar Syada : an exceptional place where traditional architecture meets modern design. Since his arrival in Morocco, Jean-Yves has been interested in Boucharouette tapestries, intrigued by the modernism expressed in this tribal art. The fluidity of the colours and the abstract design in these carpets called out to him and very soon he had them hung on the walls, contributing to the notion of “tapestry art”.  Within a few years, he had gathered an impressive collection and started to promote their sale with a Moroccan friend, Chafik Moujahid. 

For a couple of years, there was little interest.  The materials used were often scraps, creating the perception that these carpets seemed destined to remain domestic rugs. Following interest by private collectors, the publication of numerous books describing the fascinating and artistic qualities of Berbere carpets, sales to well-known designers and exhibitions in Europe and the USA, have all contributed, in the last few years, to a growing interest in this style of Berber tapestry.  Jean-Yves and Chafik  continue to scour the length and breadth of the villages found in the Middle and High Atlas mountains in order to buy directly from the Berbere women.  They are still moved and excited by the poetry and creativity expressed in these works.

Location:  Marrakech, Morocco

Online shops:  www.boucherouite.net  and Etsy

Brick and Mortar:  We have a permanent gallery, Darsyada, in Marrakech and an art gallery in Isle Sur La Sorgue in France (Galerie Demesure)

Languages spoken:  French, English, Arabic

Boucherouite Rag Rugs form Morocco

Tags:  Morocco, Carpets, Boucharouette, Tribal art, Berber, Tapestries

Anton Veenstra

"Faded Flower", Tapestry by Anton Veenstra

http://antonveenstratextiles.wordpress.com

My 40 year passion has been in making textiles. I have a particular visual language and textiles is the vehicle of expression for me. It has visual interest, texture and lustre.     

Artist's statement:  Textile, because it is so everyday, has long been overlooked in importance in the art world. I think a reappraisal is overdue. My intention is to promote tapestry as a feisty medium for depicting reality and dream. As a precious material it also has great potential as an upholstering fabric, one of its traditional functions, and also as a component of wearable art.

     

M5 Bus Self Portrait, Tapestry Weaving by Anton Veenstra
H 30 cm, W 30 cm

Location:  Sydney, Australia

Blog:  antonveenstratextiles

Social Media:  LinkedIn

Languages spoken:  English, French, German

"Beauty Past Change", Tapestry by Anton Veenstra

Tags:  visual, texture, lustre, portraiture, wefts, individuality, environmental, ethical, everyday, harmony, vitality

Victoria Gertenbach

http://thesillyboodilly.blogspot.com/

Even though I have spent most of my life living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I still find myself looking at the surrounding countryside as if it were the first time that I ever laid eyes on it. I am continuously inspired by the deep beauty of the farmland. I am struck by the grace of the aged lines and odd shapes found in the old, worn and weathered barns that magically still stand. I am in awe as I watch farmers slowly hand-plow their fields with a team of mules, just as it was done centuries ago.

At the same time, I am grateful for the ingenuity of technology, with which makes my life and work easier.

Living in this place, where the past and the present meet everyday, has had a profound influence on my work. I hold the awareness of both worlds close to me, and am always looking for ways to honor and marry the two through my stitched, patched and quilted works.

Artist's Statement:  Using simple materials, I strive to create beautiful and well constructed stitched pieces in order to pay tribute to the past and the present, and to express emotions that I otherwise would be unable to express.

It is my sincere hope that when others view my work, they feel something... a connection of some sort, a bit of comfort, a memory of something almost forgotten, a knowing that they are not alone.

Location:  Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA

Online shop:  Silly Boodilly
Other social media:  Twitter

Blogs:  thesillyboodilly, wornandweathered

Languages spoken:  English

Quilted Works by Victoria Gertenbach

Tags: Art Quilt, Textile, Stitched, Patchwork, Patched, Improvised Quilting, Modern Quilt, Boro, Work Quilts, Lancaster County