Adire, a traditional indigo-dyed cloth from Nigeria’s Yoruba people, embodies stories through its intricate patterns. Emerging from early 20th century Abeokuta, Adire is a female-led craft linking heritage to modern expression. Sustainable and tactile, its designs encapsulate cultural identity, with contemporary artists revitalising this timeless textile tradition.… Read More Adire: Indigo’s Stories From West Africa
Shibori is a Japanese resist dyeing technique emphasising a dialogue between fabric and intention, dating back over 1,300 years. Historically linked to kimono making, it transforms textiles through methods like tie-dye and binding. Shibori embodies wabi-sabi values, promoting sustainability and contemporary artistic revival while fostering a mindful approach to design.… Read More Shibori: The Language of Folded Cloth
In every culture, cloth has done more than cover the body—it has held grief, carried prayers, mapped escape routes, and wrapped the sick in hope. In my last post, I explored how textiles have long been vessels of memory and healing. Now I find myself asking: what can we learn from this legacy? And how… Read More Threads We Carry: Making Textiles for Memory & Healing
Slow textile practices like mending, dyeing, and patchwork are ways to resist a culture of disposability, transforming waste into emotional connections and stories. This approach honors imperfections, creating relationships between materials and memories, fostering emotional sustainability. By reshaping discarded textiles, these rituals of repair celebrate the beauty in flaws and reflect a deeper value in craft.… Read More stitching sustainability: how textile practice can reclaim waste
Sashiko is more than technique — it’s a quiet choreography of care. Once a rural necessity, now a poetic practice, sashiko invites us to stitch not just cloth, but time, memory, and meaning. This guide offers deeper insight into motif symbolism, regional styles, and creative adaptation — all while honouring sashiko’s roots in resilience and… Read More advanced sashiko: stitching time, memory & meaning
Few colours carry as much history and cultural weight as indigo blue. Known for its deep, vibrant hue and enduring beauty, indigo dyeing has been practiced for thousands of years across cultures from West Africa to Japan, India, and beyond. Today, it remains both a craft and a cultural symbol. A Brief History The Science… Read More indigo dyeing: the ancient art of blue
Image credit: Claire Gaffney via Unsplash In Japanese, the word boro (ぼろ) literally means “tattered” or “ragged.” Yet in the world of textiles, boro has become a symbol of endurance, resourcefulness, and beauty born from necessity. What is Boro? Boro refers to cloth that has been patched and re-patched over generations. Traditionally, families in rural… Read More the beauty of boro: japan’s tradition of visible mending
Image Credit: Mesut çiçen via Unsplash Series Introduction In a world that often feels overstimulated and overcomplicated, the pursuit of calm is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Beginning on the 4th October, this six-part series explores how design can be a powerful tool for cultivating calm—not just in our homes and cities, but in… Read More designing for calm: a sensory approach to sustainable living
See image credits (below) In an age of fast fashion and disposable goods, slow stitching offers an antidote—a practice rooted in care, patience, and sustainability. At its heart, slow stitching is more than just thread on fabric; it’s about valuing time, honouring materials, and creating something that carries meaning beyond its stitches. What Is Slow… Read More slow stitching: sustainability through needle & thread
Richter, Agnes. Handmade jacket embroidered with autobiographical text, 1895. Prinzhorn Collection, Heidelberg University Hospital, Inv. No. 743. Discussed in Rosner, Isabella. “I plunge headlong into disaster: Unstitching Agnes Richter’s Jacket.” The Polyphony, 2 September 2021. Sammlung Prinzhorn Internet Archive The Polyphony
Rachel Bakewell 