ITSA Studio

www.itsastudio.com

ITSA Studio is not only my working studio, (Barbetta Lockart Contemporary Art), but it also houses all the wonderful treasures found on my itsastudio.com site.  I carry surface design supplies, jewelry supplies, beads, and wonderful world market items.  Always a bead lover, always a lover and appreciator of all the world’s cultures, and always a creative sort, I put all those interests together and opened a bead shop many years ago.   Closing the shop to get back into my own studio did not change any of that, hence ITSA Studio was created.  Although it is online, I welcome visitors to the studio so they can browse through all the treasures and be dazzled.

Mission:  As artists we all need wonderful items for inspiration, great supplies to work with, and interesting ‘stuff’, as well as the occasional treat for ourselves.  We also sometimes need information from someone familiar with the products/items.  ITSA Studio offers all that and more, including cups of tea, good music…and classes.

Location:  Sacramento, California, USA

Online shops:  itsastudio, barbettalockart

Brick and Mortar:  ITSA Studio is located at 4330 24th Street, #2, Sacramento, California, 95822 USA.  Visitors are very welcome at the studio, whether they want to shop art supplies, beads, or world treasures, discuss techniques, or just have a leisurely visit discussing art and fiber. A cup of tea is always ready for you, but I ask that you contact me through my website(s) to make an appointment since I don’t have regular ‘retail’ hours.

Membership:  Surface Design Association   

Social Media:  LinkedIn

Languages spoken:  English, Spanish (somewhat), Fiber-ese…it is its own language, isn’t it? 

Find surface design supplies, textile stamps, ethnographic items and work by Barbetta Lockart at ITSA Studio.

Tags:  Foiling, “Kuba Cloth”, “Uygur Silks”, jewelry, “dyed silk”, “African Trade Beads”, “seed beads”, “Hot Sticky Stuff ™”, “Clear Textile Adhesive” textiles

The Loaded Trunk

http://theloadedtrunk.com/about/

Every piece selected for The Loaded Trunk embodies my approach to life: rich, artistic tradition, creativity and craftsmanship. I believe that both traditional techniques and new interpretations of old traditions bring immeasurable beauty and warmth into the home.

Working with a global network of artisans and designers, each item sold through The Loaded Trunk is personally selected for its ability to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Each piece is either created specifically for The Loaded Trunk, or purchased from a local market across the globe.

I believe in supporting the local economy throughout my travels, and respectfully pay the artisan’s asking price. Fair trade matters. For these reasons, only limited quantities are available for most items, and exact pieces may not be restocked once they’re sold.

I consider The Loaded Trunk my global dinner party. As a fellow citizen of this world, I encourage you to join me.

-Roni Jaco

Mission:  The Loaded Trunk website launched July 2009 and invites shoppers to explore a multi-cultural world of art objects, textiles, artifacts, jewelry and rare finds for the home.  I love cooking and entertaining, and I think of my home as a place where I can really express what my parents did for my family while I was growing up.

I grew up as an Army brat and wherever we lived, my mother filled our home with the art, crafts and home furnishings that represented local culture. I developed a lifelong appreciation for the feeling you get when you’re in a room that reflects the art and passion of other cultures.

With The Loaded Trunk, I try to share that passion with others, taking them on an adventure they can enjoy without a passport – and helping them define their own personal style in a way not easily done by shopping traditional retail stores. It’s purely an online shopping experience for those unafraid to shop outside the box, so to speak.

I look for uncommonly cool items that can create a warm and uniquely beautiful atmosphere. My own home is an eclectic mix of old and new, vintage and contemporary. I shop globally not on a quest for antiques, but rather in pursuit of skilled artistry and craftsmanship, believing it’s important to keep alive the centuries-old techniques and traditions I see during my travels.

When I visit the countries I buy from, I wander off the well-worn path of tourists so I can truly immerse myself in local culture. My products are for lovers of the quirky and unusual, collectors of rare art and ethnic objects, anyone who looks at the world with a sense of wonder and curiosity.

I collaborate with a network of global artists in the U.S. and abroad to assemble an online catalog of products meant to be both admired and used – whether it’s an exquisite teapot, a piece of jewelry, an exquisite basket that doubles as an end table or a ceremonial object that can hold a candle.  Every item is special in its own way; some are rare finds while others are simply beautiful pieces that inspire me for one reason or another.

I’ve been filling my own treasure trunk my whole life, and I’m excited to open the lid and invite others to come see what the world has to offer.

Location:  Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Online shop: The Loaded Trunk

Blog:  The Loaded Trunk

Languages spoken:  English

The Loaded Trunk: Vintage Hmong fabric used in a fun, contemporary bag.

Tags:  ikat, ralli quilts, ethnic textiles, tribal textiles, umbrella, vintage, asian textiles, rugs, jewelry, home interiors

Fabric of Life

www.fabricoflife.com.au

My name is Mary Jose and I have been a textile conservator serving museums, galleries and private collectors for the past 25 years.  My passion is the preservation of material culture as expressed through traditional textile practice.

I have pursued this through my work as a conservator but just on 8 years ago I established my business,  Fabric of Life.  I am privileged to be able to travel throughout the world visiting textile artisans to learn about their work and to buy for my business. 

As all textile lovers will know there is always something more to learn about textiles  and more beautiful textiles to discover.  I am hoping to connect with people with similar interests through TAFA and also to source materials for my conservation work.

Mission:  Fabric of Life specialises in handmade contemporary and antique textiles individually selected from around the world.  We are proud to offer original handmade textiles that are finely crafted, distinctive and beautiful for use in interior design, fashion or as gifts.

We follow Fair Trade principles by buying from individual makers or projects that help to promote community development, self-sufficiency and sustainability. Each year we visit villages that still  practice traditional textile arts and select exquisite handmade pieces for Fabric of Life customers directly from the maker.

We are also proud to present a range of Australian Aboriginal textiles and fibre works from communities throughout Australia.

Fabric of Life also provides textile conservation services for the care and preservation  of a wide variety of antique and contemporary textiles.  Professional conservation enables objects of beauty, interest, sentimental value and cultural significance to be enjoyed by present and future generations. Whether you have a unique item yourself, or are responsible for the care of a museum collection, Fabric of Life has the expertise to preserve and care for your special textile piece.

Our expert team can provide advice on the right textile for your home and prepare the perfect display system to suit. The Fabric of Life textile collection is diverse in culture and style. We travel the world, sourcing textiles of the highest quality from artists across Asia, Africa, South America and Central Australia. Most works are new but we also stock vintage textiles for the collector. This is what makes Fabric of Life’s textiles truly unique, a collection you won’t find anywhere else.

Our extensive range is on display in our Melbourne Street store in Adelaide and online at Fabric of Life.

Location:  North Adelaide, South Australia

Online shop:  Fabric of Life

Brick and Mortar:

   Fabric Of Life
   Handmade and Fair Trade Textiles, Gifts and Conservation
   141 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide, South Australia, 5006
   email

Memberships:  

   Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM)
   The Asian Arts Society of Australia (TAASA)
   The Fair Trade federation of Australia and New Zealand (FAANZ)

Languages spoken:  English

Fabric of Life in Australia

Crossroads Trade

http://www.crossroadstrade.com

I started Crossroads Trade as an outgrowth of my love for ethnic textiles, joining it to my commitment to fair trade. After running a brick-and-mortar store in two locations for 11 years, my business is now all on-line.

As a retailer and wholesaler, I'm always looking for uncommon works by ethnic artists. Most items you will see on my websites are not available in stores or online. I showcase work from producer groups whose traditions are little known in the United States. Each year I scout new locales to identify new artisans and traditions.

I'm dedicated to ensuring fair trade. I purchase directly from artisans, cooperatives, refugee communities, economic development initiatives and a limited number of wholesalers who subscribe to fair trade principles. Artisans are paid promptly, receive a fair wage by local standards and set the price for their work. Working conditions are clean, safe and accessible. Children who are learning traditional crafts are doing so after school; many mothers are working to pay school fees for their daughters and sons. I'm an active member of the Fair Trade Federation.

-Kate Harris

Mission:  Crossroads Trade is dedicated to ensuring the survival of indigenous craft traditions around the world. These traditions may express themselves in such timeless works as Kuna Indian molas and Palestinian cushion covers, or in new forms. Ghanaian batiks are fashioned into messenger bags. Shangaan artisans from South Africa have expanded their embroidered works from ostrich-leather bags to spectacular cushion covers and wall hangings. These artisans deserve a fair price for their labor and the opportunity to work in safe surroundings.


Location:  Arlington, Massachusetts, USA
Online shops:  crossroadstrade,  worldofgood
Blog:  crossroadstrade
Other social media:  Twitter
Memberships:  Fair Trade Federation, World Fair Trade Organization
Languages spoken:  English, French, Spanish, some Japanese and Russian

Kuna Mola from Crossroads Trade

Tags:  Inuit, Africa, Latin America, India, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Central America, Mexico, South America, human trafficking

Unique Batik

www.uniquebatik.us

Unique Batik Artisans in Pakistan

We are a small business that makes a big impact.  We work with artisans in the developing world  (many of whom have perfected the traditional crafts of their ancestors) to bring these unique pieces of art to open markets.  Unique Batik is a Fair Trade wholesaler of clothes, bags, jewelry and accessories.  In business since 1991, we now have partnerships with artisans in Guatemala, Ghana, Thailand and Pakistan.  Fair Trade means our artisans are guaranteed fair wages, sustainable relationships and safe working conditions that are free from discrimination and forced child labor.  What makes Unique Batik different is its commitment to working alongside artisans to design beautiful products that meet demand in the developed world. 

Location:  Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Memberships:  Fair Trade Federation

Languages spoken:  English and Spanish

Fair Trade Products from Around the World

Tags:  Fair Trade, recycled, hand-dyed, batik, woven, bead work, comalapa, corte,  ikat, traditional crafts, embroidery.

Fabricadabra

  www.fabricadabra.us

Decorative pillow covers made only from natural, non-toxic fabrics. Pillows include ikats, suzanis, kilims, wool, wax prints, batiks, indigo cloth, mudcloth and a smattering or printed organic cottons.

The fabrics are woven only from natural, non-toxic fibers, using mostly ancient techniques and low impact dyes. A story, a person and a culture are behind every fiber. Most decorative pillow cover fabrics are woven on handlooms and the artisans are paid fair wages for their skills.

Decorative pillow inserts are made with kapok fiber filling and organic cotton shells. Kapok fiber is natural, organic, pesticide free, non-allergenic, mold and mildew resistant, lightweight, odorless, silky, sustainable, washable and non-toxic. All inserts are made in the U.S.A.

Mission:  What I am offering is high quality natural and pesticide-free textile products that don't offend one's sense of beauty, function and compassion. My goal is to be a proponent for all that is pure, healthy, beautiful and respectful. This is a humble attempt to share my passions and values.

-Donna Halloran

Location:  Northborough, Massachusetts, USA

Online shop:  www.fabricadabra.us

Blog:  fabricadabrablog

Memberships:  Green America, Kiva

Languages spoken:  English

Ikat Pillow by Fabricadabra

Tags:   ethnic textiles, ethnic pillows, handwoven textiles, pillows, organic cotton pillows

Original Women

 

www.original-women.com

Original women is a women-owned social enterprise dedicated to celebrating the artistry of women from around the world! 

We strive to make the world more harmonious, happy and beautiful.

-Gwendy and Anelle, Co-Founders

Mission:  We celebrate the artistry of women from around the world.  We embrace the passion they have for their culture and heritage.  We are inspired by their achievements.  We showcase a unique collection of their creations - wearable, decorative and functional.

We celebrate tradition and innovation, intuition and intention, creativity and skill.  We follow Fair Trade principles and showcase ethically produced products.  We support women expressing their creativity and using their skills to make their lives, their families' lives, their communities and our world a better place.

Nature is our original inspiration. We respect and care for the environment and our planet. We encourage rethinking, recycling and innovation in using and reusing materials.  We believe in relationships, partnerships and cooperation.  We strive to make the world more harmonious, happy and beautiful.

Location: New York City, New York, USA

Online shop: Original Women

Blog: Original Women
Languages spoken: English, French, Spanish, Textile

  Hand woven cotton, silk and silver metallic sheer shawl-

available at Original Women

Tags:  handwoven, embroidery, textiles, India, artisan

Little Mango Imports

www.littlemangoimports.com

Little Mango Imports offers textiles and handicrafts from all over the world, including Guatemala, Panama, Mexico, Ecuador, and Indonesia. Our primary focus is the beautiful and colorful hand woven fabric and Maya dress of Guatemala. We offer a large selection of colors and designs to choose from.

Little Mango Imports is an internet based business operated by myself, Whitney Taylor. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in International Affairs and Economics. I am often asked how I became involved in the import business. I have worked for my parents (www.HappyMangoBeads.com) for several years. They have been in the import/export business since I can remember. This has allowed me to travel throughout the world to such places as Morocco, Indonesia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and extensively throughout Latin America. Through this experience I have learned how to interact with and conduct business with people of other cultures, something I truly enjoy. I am also a high school ski racing coach and active in the Martial Arts and CrossFit communities.

-Whitney Taylor

Location: Lyons, Colorado, USA
Online store: Little Mango Imports

Blog: Little Mango Imports
Twitter

Languages spoken: English, Spanish
Contact

Handwoven Guatemalan fabric from Little Mango Imports

Little Mango Imports on Facebook

Tags: Guatemalan Fabric, Huipil, Corte, Batik, Jaspe Fabric, Ikat Fabric, Maya Fabric

Gallery51/Craig Wallen

www.gallery51.net

The focus at Gallery 51 is promoting the appreciation, conservation and collection of fine antique textile art.  With more than twenty years experience as a private purveyor of rare textiles, I now offer both residential and commercial customers a wide selection of rare, visually compelling textiles with great aesthetic merits for use in home or office settings.  We also offer a variety of related services, such as consultation, procurement services, conservation, evaluation, brokerage, mounting, and collection management. 

Clients include collectors, dealers and designers around the world, and several important American museums.  Formal, written appraisals can also be prepared according to standards approved by the Appraisers Association of America, for the purposes of insurance, inheritance, donation or loss.

Location:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Online store: website
Brick and mortar: 51 N. 2nd St
     Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Memberships: Philadelphia Rug and Textile Society
     The Textile Museum
     Philadelphia Museum of Art
Languages spoken: English, French, Armenian

 

Antique Kurdish Bagface, Gallery51

Tags: antique rugs, ethnographic art, tribal textiles, ancient textiles, Ottoman, Anatolian, Persian, Kurdish, Caucasian, wool, felt, Turkish

John Hopper

The Textile Blog

Bio:

John gained a degree in Constructed Textiles at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Scotland. He has a wide working knowledge of art and craft textiles and is now a full time writer with a great interest in both historical and contemporary textiles.  Since 2008 he has been producing The Textile Blog, a daily insight into all aspects of printed, woven and knitted textiles, as well as rug, tapestry, quilting, embroidery, lace, basketry design, as well as historical decoration and ornament. Through the blog he tries to approach textiles by viewing the subject in a broad and culturally diverse manner, including contemporary and historical articles from across the globe.

Embroidery by Jessie Newbery

The Textile Blog articles deal with the equality and the complexity of all historical cultures, peoples, and mediums. Whether a piece of textile art, design or craft has been produced by amateur or professional, in Europe or the Brazilian rainforest, it will be seen as valid and having merit.

-John Hopper

Location: Foxhole, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Blog: The Textile Blog
Languages spoken: English

Tags: textile, design, decoration, pattern, art, craft, weave, woven, fabric, applied

Rayela Art

  www.rayela.com

 

Rayela is my name in Pashtu, one of the languages spoken in Afghanistan.  I had a gallery in Chicago, Dara Tribal Village, with Abdul Wardak of Afghan Tribal Arts (Also a TAFA member).  After we closed in 2004, I needed a new name for my solo business and liked how Rayela sounded.

I've made things all of my life and have worked with cultural textiles since 1988.  The marriage of all of my interests come together in how crafts and the arts can promote economic development, both for working artists and for distressed communities around the world.  So, I am interested in fair trade, recycling, green architecture and much more.  My website is split into two, one side focusing on the things I have made (mostly biodegradable, I sew and fold paper using the candy wrapper technique) and my entrepreneurial efforts.  TAFA is one of them and has been a wonderful experience for me.  It looks like I hit on a needed niche within the fiber arts community, but it is only as cool as it is because of the sum of its parts, the people it represents.

I grew up in Brazil (1962-1980), went to St. Olaf College in Minnesota (major?  Church and State Relations in Brazil.  What do you do with that?), lived in Chicago for 20 years, then moved to Paducah, Kentucky in 2005.  There is a large and vibrant artist community here and one of my monthly highlights is meeting with my peers, the Paducah Fiber Artists.  I spent most of my years in Chicago running retail businesses in Chicago.  I loved the diversity there and have friends from every corner of the world.  Now I do both online, spending most of my time at home, setting up products for sale and working on building an international fiber arts and textile community.  Someday I hope to travel again and do some research on textiles and on how they impact their communities.


Oh, and yep!  I started TAFA.  It was my brainchild, but it has taken off and become a wonderful community, far beyond my expectations!  TAFA is a wonderful place, full of eye candy and such a tribute to so many traditions, cultures and history.  But, most importantly, each member is a person who contributes in her or his own way, to the preservation of the web that binds us together.


Mission: To help preserve textile traditions, to educate the public about the social context of the artists, to empower the people who make them, and to increase market access to small-scale crafters and artists.


Location: Paducah, Kentucky, USA
Online Shops: Rayela
Brick and Mortar: booth at 212 Broadway in Paducah
Blogs: Rayela's Fiber Focus, Artezano Links, TAFA
Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and others.   All under Rayela Art.

 

 Wallpaper Purse by Rayela Art
Folded Paper Weaving using the Candy Wrapper Technique

Rayela Art on Facebook

Tags: suzani, ralli quilt, textile stamps, textile blocks, molas, hats, indigo, batik, indian textiles, vintage quilts, vintage textiles, textile remnants, embroidery, cultural textiles