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

Sturee Tribal Village

http://stureetribalvillage.blogspot.com/

Sturee Tribal Village is a retail gallery of ethnic and tribal textiles, carvings, beads, jewelry, carpets and other crafts. As the retail outlet of Afghan Tribal Arts, most of the collection comes from Afghanistan and its neighbors, but other areas of the world, especially Africa, are also represented. Located in the heart of Pendleton's historic downtown Square, it is convenient to other shops and restaurants. The gallery opened in 2008 and has quickly become a sought-after source for handmade crafts from Central Asia.

Afghan Tribal Arts has become known for its extensive collection of hand carved beads made of semi-precious stones found in Afghanistan: lapis lazuli, carnelian, jade, onyx, serpentine, fluorite and much more. Sturee Tribal Village gives testimony to other beautiful traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation. We invite you to come and visit! 

Location:  Pendleton, South Carolina, USA

Online Shop:  Afghan Tribal Arts

Blog:  Sturee Tribal Village

Languages spoken: English, Pashtu, Farsi, Urdu, a bit of Uzbeki 

 Sturee Tribal Village, Pendleton, SC

Sturee Tribal Village in Pendleton, SC (USA)

Tags:  gallery, tribal textiles, cultural textiles, beads, ethnographic, ethnic textiles, Central Asian, African, carpets, vintage

Ames Douces

www.amesdouces.com

Ames Douces (fr. Ah-meh Dooseh) is French for ""gentle souls"".  These dolls are not dolls you would typically find in a toy store.  Rather, they quietly accompany adults and children alike on their journeys through life.  These gentle souls are worry dolls. They are talismans or mascots of sorts to help you wade through the difficulties you might encounter as you go about your daily lives.  They were created to do your worrying for you. Make one your personal hero.

I also sell vintage lettering and other supplies in my Simon et Cie shop on Etsy.


Artist's Statement:  My mission is to make people happy. I am a worry wart by nature and it has often gotten in the way of enjoyment and happiness in my life.  One day, I decided to stop worrying. I found myself having difficulty with this. I felt that someone had to worry lest things go wrong everywhere. I had once heard about Guatemalan worry dolls and set off to find out more about them.  It seemed amazing to me that something so simple could actually work so I decided to create my own worry doll that I could project my worries onto before resting my head on my pillow.  Lo and behold, although it took a little practice (worriers always tend to want to hang onto things), lo and behold, I feel more free to enjoy life than ever.

My mission is to help those who need a little help to stop worrying. We all need a little rest from that now and then so that we may live life to its fullest!

-Vicky

Location:  Petaluma, California, USA

Online shops:   

   amesdouces 

Simon Et Cie

Blog:  coffeemonkeymusings

Languages spoken:  English, French, Spanish

 "Sebastian", Art Worry Doll by Ames Douces

Tags:  art, doll, handmade, yarn, sculpture, softie, fabric, embellished, worry doll, talisman

kimonoboy

http://www.kimonoboy.com

My internet-only shop sells Japanese homespun indigo cotton and hemp folk textiles from the mid 1800's to the mid 1900's with an emphasis on boro futon covers, noragi (peasant & farmer’s clothing) and kaya (hemp) mosquito netting.

Questions about old Japanese cotton or hemp textiles are most welcome and I will respond to them the best I can.

I’ve lived in Japan for 14 years and I am very fortunate to be married to Akiko. We live in Fukuoka (Kyushu, Western Japan)  with our very ornery wire haired fox terrier, Hanako.  Please see my site for the details about our life in Japan.

Jim Austin
Fukuoka-shi, Japan

Mission:  We wish to provide an internet presence where people from anywhere in the world can acquire exceptional early Japanese folk textiles directly from us in Japan.




Location:  Fukuoka-shi, Japan
Online shop:  kimonoboy
Languages spoken:  English, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese

 Japanese Vintage Boro Textile from kimonoboy

Tags:    Japanese folk textiles, boro, komebukuro, kaya, hemp mosquito netting,  indigo, kasuri, katazome, sakiori, indigo cotton

Monika Kinner-Whalen / My Sweet Prairie

http://www.soopsee.com/profile/MySweetPrairie/

My name is Monika Kinner-Whalen.  I am a quilt maker and fibre artist living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.  Much of my art is inspired by the prairies and my world around me.  I am an avid photographer and I often incorporate my photos into my work.  Much of my fibre art is smaller scale with much color, embellishment, and fine detail.  My quilts are all original and made from beginning to end by me.  I have some things for sale, but I do love commissioned work.  You can read about this process  through my Etsy Alchemy page.  My business name is "My Sweet Prairie".  As I delved into fibre art, integrating my photos with my quilting skills, I would try to think up names for each piece.  "My Sweet Prairie" fit everything I created.  And so that name fit perfectly for my business.

My quilts can be seen on display at McNally Robinson's Booksellers, as well as at The Centre Galleries on occasion (both in Saskatoon, SK).

Artist's Statement:  As a sewist and an avid photographer, Fibre Arts is the perfect marriage for me to express my love of the Canadian Prairies.  As I began to see my own artistic identity emerge in my work, I decided to moved forward through the use of Etsy, Blogging, joining rings, and becoming a member of quilt and craft guilds.   My mission is to continue creating, learning, and exploring mixed media and fibre art.  I work to expand my art and stay current with trends and techniques while maintaining a public presence for others to enjoy my work.


Location:  Saskaton, Saskatchewan, Canada
Online shop: MySweetPrairie
Blog: MySweetPrairie 
Memberships:
   Saskatoon Quilters' Guild
   Saskatchewan Craft Council
Languages spoken:  English

Spring on the Prairie, 2010  (4"x6") by Monika Kinner-Whalen

Tags:  landscapes, embellished, machine-stitched, handstitching, quilted, thread, yarns, postcard, prairies, quilts

Nejiribana - spiralling flower designs

www.nejiribana.co.uk

I create one of a kind hand embroideries using kimono silk and flat silk thread.  Pieces can take anything from 30 or so hours to over 300 (embroidery time) to complete.

I am a graduate authorised tutor of the Japanese Embroidery Center, Atlanta (the only centre for JE outside Japan) and am currently their only teacher in the NW of England.  I am enjoying bringing Japanese embroidery to a new generation of embroiderers in the UK.  I also sell vintage Japanese fabric in my Etsy shop.

I have only just started exhibiting my work here in the UK - I hope that joining TAFA will bring my work to a wider audience.

Artist's Statement:  I consider myself to be both artist and craftswoman.

All my pieces are created by hand following the way of NUIDO and its three aspects: the acquisition of technical skills and knowledge, the development of artistic sensitivity and awareness, and understanding the spiritual aspects of shishu.

I will always consider myself to be a student of 'nuido' - the way of embroidery, I aim to continue to develop and improve my skills and knowledge as long as I am able to embroider.

"The hands are the exit of the spirit."

- Master Iwao Saito

Location: Lancashire, United Kingdom

Online shop: nejiribana

Blog: nejiribana

Languages spoken: English

"Yo-yo San", Japanese Embroidery by Jane Smith

Tags: embroidery, Japan, silk, kimono, art, design, retail, handmade

Fabrique Fantastique

www.fabriquefantastique.etsy.com

Jan Marriott at Market

I have always had a passion for vintage textiles.  As a child, I would scour market stalls for remnants for my dolly clothes, and I am still at it. I grew up in England (a publican's daughter) and have a textile degree from Canterbury College of Art ...many decades ago. Coming to Canada in the 60's I continued to practice as a textile artist, teaching collage locally at schools and libraries.  I exhibited as well. A wonderful job in the publishing industry came my way and textiles took a back seat for quite a few years, although I always bought more!  Since 2005 I have been buying and selling vintage textiles....anything that appeals and 'speaks' to me.  I sell at Ontario markets and online. I am still intrigued. 

Mission:  To serve my customers in a friendly and knowledgeable fashion, hoping to spread appreciation for vintage and antique textiles.

-Jan Marriott

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Online shops:

   fabriquefantastique on Etsy

   fabriquefantastique on Zibbet

Blog: fabriquefantastique

Social Media:  Twitter, Flickr

Membership: Textile Museum of Canada

Languages spoken: English

Vintage quilts and textiles by Fabrique Fantastique

Tags: vintage, quilts, fabric, textiles, markets, embroidery, weaving, antique, yardage, thrift

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