Journal

Journal

Meet the Artisans behind Cultural Cloth

Ivan Bobkov/Ukranian Potter

Ivan Bobkov/Ukranian Potter

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 29th Nov 2023

We met Ivan during his debut at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, 2021.  His work sold out on the first day; he returned home to Kyiv feeling jubilant.  Seven months later Russi…
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Collector Edition:  Writing from Peru

Collector Edition: Writing from Peru

15th Nov 2023

Greetings from Cusco where we are visiting five of the ten weaving communities that comprise the Center For Traditional Textiles Cusco (CTTC), an organization we’ve worked with for many years. Nilda C…
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Eswatini Baskets

Eswatini Baskets

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 24th Oct 2023

The basket making process is collaborative, with tasks spread out to various groups. One group is charged with harvesting the sisal, a difficult job as the fronds need to be kept clean in order to acc…
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Small Scale Moroccan Rugs

Small Scale Moroccan Rugs

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 3rd Oct 2023

From southern Morocco, a mere 43 miles from the epicenter of the recent earthquake, comes an array of beautiful small rugs from weavers we’ve been working with for nearly a decade. (Thankfully all are…
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Hand Woven Throws From Peru

Hand Woven Throws From Peru

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 27th Sep 2023

Jody and I are looking forward to our upcoming trip to Peru in early November; a journey we haven't made since prior to the pandemic.  We'll be virtually taking you along with the trip, posting a…
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Beguiled by Boucherouite

Beguiled by Boucherouite

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 19th Sep 2023

We are beguiled by the joyful sense of artistic inhibition found in many-a-boucherouite rug. And my, how these rugs transform a room, contributing a sense of energy that is undeniably up lifting. Who…
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How Are Hand Made Felt Rugs From Kyrgyzstan Made?

How Are Hand Made Felt Rugs From Kyrgyzstan Made?

Posted by Cultural Cloth on 27th Oct 2021

These handmade felt rugs are traditionally made by women in nomadic tribes in Kyrgyzstan, which is a country of rugged mountains and extreme weather in Central Asia.  These sheep's wool rugs are…
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West Bengal Kantha Embroidery

West Bengal Kantha Embroidery

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 28th Sep 2021

"West Bengal Kantha" is a stitched form of embroidered story telling.                                   …
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​Ta’na’na Silk Cocoon Baskets from Madagascar

​Ta’na’na Silk Cocoon Baskets from Madagascar

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 29th Oct 2020

It’s a beautiful thing when exquisite craftsmanship, nature, conservation, utility and reliable livelihoods come together to create opportunities for marginalized communities. (And who can’t use a bit…
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Vetiver Root Baskets From Madagascar

Vetiver Root Baskets From Madagascar

29th Oct 2020

We travel to Madagascar to meet master basket weavers from Association Tahiana. The association provides training and income earning opportunities for impoverished women as they build skills to eventu…
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Spirit Weavers: Wounaan Basket Makers

Spirit Weavers: Wounaan Basket Makers

27th Oct 2020

Spirit Weavers: Wounaan basket makers.The Wounaan of Panama’s rain forest believe all plants have spirits and therefore the basket maker is a Spirit Weaver. Contemporary Wounaan baskets are intended t…
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Stitching Lives Back To Freedom

Stitching Lives Back To Freedom

29th Sep 2020

The Women of Silaiwali: their story in photos.The name Silaiwali is comprised of 2 Hindi words: Silai- the act of stitching together two pieces of fabric and Wali- refers to a feminine person in a pro…
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Checking In With Our Artisans

Checking In With Our Artisans

6th May 2020

May 6, 2020This week we describe how the Coronavirus has affected artists in 3 of the 27 countries we represent: artisans in Afghanistan, Guatemala and Madagascar. It’s a mix of emotions but our take…
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Gaga for Gamcha!

Gaga for Gamcha!

25th Aug 2019

We learned about gamcha this winter while visiting the folks at 145 East, a clothing company in Kolkata. Gamcha is a thin cotton towel handwoven in bright primary colors by weavers located in rural…
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The Bamboo Scarf Weavers of Guatemala

The Bamboo Scarf Weavers of Guatemala

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 20th Aug 2019

The Bamboo scarf weavers, Association de Maya in Guatemala is one of the longest organized cooperatives we’ve had the privilege of working with. Originally, the women banned together for safety and su…
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The Comeback of Kala Cotton

Posted by Angie Brown on 1st Jul 2019

Weaving in India has traditionally been a man’s job, while women have always assisted by filling the bobbins and making the warp. So, on our recent trip to the Kachchh in Gujarat India, we were thri…
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​Kantha Embroidery Empowers Women

Posted by Angie Brown on 27th Feb 2019

A highlight for out trip to Kolkata, India was time spent with Shamlu Dudeja, the founder of Self Help Enterprise (SHE), a nonprofit that empowers women through embroidery.Shamlu, a math educator an…
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Hold Your Horses: The Taliban and Rug Making

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 15th Feb 2019

It’s difficult to imagine how the Taliban in Afghanistan and Cultural Cloth in Maiden Rock, WI could ever intersect. And by extension, how the lives of our supportive customers could intersect with…
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Ralli Quilts:  Explosion of Color, Pattern & Love

Ralli Quilts: Explosion of Color, Pattern & Love

Posted by Angie Brown on 8th May 2018

During June, Cultural Cloth is hosting an exhibit of vintage Ralli Quilts that we collected on a recent trip to India. All of the pieces are for sale. You can see them up close on our website. We bo…
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Turning Handmade Textiles into Home Decor Pillows

Turning Handmade Textiles into Home Decor Pillows

Posted by Angie Brown on 6th Sep 2017

Sometimes in the past we would meet artisans who made beautiful handmade weavings or amazingly detailed embroideries but they do not have the resources to take these handmade pieces and make them in…
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Hand Felted Wool Rugs Made by Women in Afghanistan

Hand Felted Wool Rugs Made by Women in Afghanistan

Posted by Angie Brown on 8th Jun 2017

We have been buying hand felted wool rugs from this women’s NGO (Non-Governmental Association) in Northern Afghanistan for years. Our customers love them. The rugs are traditionally made but have a…
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Meeting Boucherouite Weavers in Morocco

Meeting Boucherouite Weavers in Morocco

Posted by Angie Brown on 15th May 2017

Click here to read the article about the bourcherouite weavers written by Mary Anne Wise that recently appeared in Hand Eye Magazine.  While we were in Morocco we had the privilege of s…
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Boucherouite Rugs: Lively and Fresh

Posted by Angie Brown on 9th Apr 2017

When we are shopping at the souks in the medina, we are always looking for something just a little bit different, something we haven't seen before, something that looks fresh.  Here in Morocco we…
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The Workshop Was a Success

23rd Feb 2017

The "new product development" workshop was a success.  Everyone learned and had fun.  You could feel the energy and enthusiasm.  Take a look at the detail of the bags.  Sturdy and…
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The First Baskets & Footstool are Complete

22nd Feb 2017

The workshop with Mary Flanagan, Cultural Cloth and the Multicolores is coming to an end.  As Always the artisans enjoyed their time together.  It is a respite for them to be away from…
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New Baby Quilts, In Time for the Holidays

New Baby Quilts, In Time for the Holidays

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 7th Dec 2016

We've worked with Jabbar Khatri and his team for years.  We've sold his scarves and wraps in our shop almost every season, but now we've  teamed up with this award winning artist from Bhuj,…
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Meet Some of the Guatemalan Embroidery Artisans

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 1st Dec 2016

This fall I have been co-leading a project to teach embroidery to a new group of women who live near Panajachel Guatemala.  It has been an amazing experience for me and the home have learned so m…
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Workshop #2: Embroidered Dolls

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 30th Nov 2016

One of the most wonderful things I have done this year is to partner with Reyna Pretzantzin, director of Multicolores, and Sarah Brown, an embroidery artist in the UK and founder of St Luce…
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Second Report:  Embroidery Workshop

Second Report: Embroidery Workshop

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 24th Oct 2016

The following is an insiders accounting of the recent Embroidery Workshop in Guatemala as told by the teacher, Mary Anne Wise, Founder of Cultural Cloth.The primary objective of this workshop is to…
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Following the Threads As We Launch a New Project

Following the Threads As We Launch a New Project

Posted by Mary Anne Wisse on 16th Sep 2016

Of all the Guatemalan textile techniques, I fell in love with embroidery first. I was captivated by the exquisite hand embroidered men’s pantalone panels, alive with delicate birds, or the thick, co…
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How to Display a St Luce Textile in Your Home

4th Jun 2016

Cultural Cloth turned to a customer and expert on displaying textiles, Leslie Davis, for advice on how to creatively display the St Luce Embroideries in your home.  Leslie owns Leslie Davis Prese…
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Upcoming Tour & Workshop in Guatemala

12th Apr 2016

In 2017 Cultural Cloth with again team up with Multicolores as they offer their tour of Guatemala and rug hooking workshop with Mayan artisans.  The workshop will run from Feb 24 through Mar…
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Setting Sail For India

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 12th Dec 2015

Our shop in Maiden Rock closed for the season on Dec 23. No worries: we'll be processing on-line orders throughout the winter.Winter is when we venture forth, make new contacts with artisan groups…
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Alliance for Artisan Enterprise Competition

Posted by Mary Anne Wise on 21st Nov 2015

In September 2015 finalists in a global competition sponsored by the Aspen Institute's Alliance for Artisan Enterprise were announced. The Guatemalan rug hooking artisans, a project initiated by…
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Textile Adventures: Jody's Final Update from Peru

Posted by Jody Slocum on 29th Sep 2015

We've been enjoying Jody's regular updates from Peru over the past few weeks. It's exciting to hear the stories of the people and artisans she's met and the delightful cultural treasures she's picked…
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Textile Adventures: Jody Sends an Update

Posted by Jody Slocum on 26th Sep 2015

Friends, if you are headed for Cusco, Peru, you are probably thinking: a trip to Machu Picchu, the astounding lost city of the Incas. But when I arrive in Cusco I am pulled like a magnet to the Tradit…
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Textile Adventures: Preview from Peru

Posted by Jody Slocum on 23rd Sep 2015

Jody Slocum, our co-founder, is in Peru this week meeting with vendors, teeing up new products and searching for unusual collectibles for the shop.Jody reports: “It’s been a pleasure to deepen relatio…
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