Crafts

November 1, 2020

Learn About the Ancient Art of Basket Weaving and How You Can Make Your Own

There are few arts with longer or more global histories than basket weaving. Pre-dating pottery, baskets were useful for Neolithic hunters and gatherers. Over the millennium, woven containers and furniture became important throughout global cultures for spiritual and aesthetic reasons. Today, basketry is an important and useful cultural practice in many societies. There are countless materials which can be woven into containers of varying size and designs.

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October 17, 2020

3D Landscape Embroidery Captures Colorful Aerial Views of Rural England

Those who love to fly know that there's nothing better than peering out of an airplane window to see the landscape below as a patchwork of abstract shapes and colors. Inspired by aerial views, textile artist Victoria Rose Richards creates colorful, 3D embroidery designs based on the rural landscape of her hometown of Plymouth, England. Each highly-detailed piece looks like a textile snapshot taken from the sky.

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September 21, 2020

Beautiful Double-Sided Hand-Stitched Silk Fans Made by Traditional Embroiderers in Rural China

The traditional art of Chinese silk embroidery goes back 2,500 years, but the craft still lives on today. Pei Wen—an arts administrator based in Singapore—aims to support the female embroiderers in rural China who still practice the ancient craft. She founded House of Peach Blossoms, an online art shop that showcases the talents of the women who make beautiful silk fans. Featuring hand-stitched, nature-inspired motifs of symbolic significance, each fan beautifully captures traditional Chinese culture.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.