Fabric – cloth – was a rudimentary weave 34,500 years ago. Twisting fibers from plants into yarns, then weaving the threads into a web of cloth must have been an exasperating, tedious discovery. Imagine how versatile this type of body protection was compared to the animal pelts worn the millennia prior. It wouldn’t take long before cloth became ceremonial with embellishments and color. The Egyptians had a way with golden threads turning their areas of rest into lavish dens with inviting plump pillows strewn about.
Weaving has long been a treasured artform where talented hands with creative minds could express the mood of the time. Rugs, blankets, shawls and tapestries use a loom to keep the stitching regulated, precise. Needlepoint and crewel work are done on a canvas or very wide weave cloth. But one can stitch or embellish nearly anything from baseball caps to ball gowns.
The more refined the stitch, the higher the piece value typically. The backside of the floral needlepoint shown is nearly as well finished as the front. But I love the inaccuracy of tribal handwork where unplanned and inaccurate stitching is the voice of the artisan. You can “feel” their work on the underneath of a piece.
Here at Pillow Talk, all forms of skill are celebrated and reclaimed as pillows that bring weavings and one-of-a-kind handwork into your home where you, too, can marvel at vintage fabric art.
www.pillowtalk.com