BLUE: Tatter Textile Library

BLUE: Tatter Textile Library BLUE, a textile library of books and objects, provides an inspiring space for the study of cloth in c

09/15/2026

Raffia, made from the dried leaves of the tropical raffia palm tree, is used in embroidery and weaving traditions across the Caribbean, Central and South America, and parts of Africa, where the trees naturally flourish. The fiber's paper-like texture and malleability, combined with its strength, makes it adaptable to numerous styles and techniques, both flexible and sturdy.

Inspired by Caribbean straw crafts and the Windrush Movement, designer and artist Tihara Smith ( ) will be joining TATTER from London on October 15th to teach Raffia Embroidery! Join this virtual workshop to explore the cultural and historical background of the art form, and get to know this unique fiber in a hands-on capacity.

Find out more about the craft, class, and teacher at tatter.org 🌴

"Nomadic Felts: Artistic Traditions in World Cultures" by Stephanie Bunn.Published by the British Museum in 2010, this f...
09/14/2026

"Nomadic Felts: Artistic Traditions in World Cultures" by Stephanie Bunn.

Published by the British Museum in 2010, this fascinating book is the first comprehensive survey of nomadic feltmaking, believed to be one of the earliest forms of textile making. Filled with field photographs, archival material, and details of motifs, Nomadic Felts provides a survey of the aesthetics, techniques, history, uses, and socio-cultural significances of the felts and felting practices of nomadic groups across Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

According to its author, anthropologist Stephanie Bunn, feltmaking has traditionally been a collaborative effort that necessitates the strength and rhythm of a team of people working in unison—usually women among the Turkic and Mongol nomadic groups, with “a varying degree of help from men,” depending on the group. Sometimes animals help, too: in Mongolia, felt is sometimes secured around a pole and hitched to the back of a horse or camel, whose movements across the land help to catalyze the process. Feltmaking demands all kinds of cooperation.

This week on Substack, felt artist and TATTER's Assistant Archivist, Simone Messer, discusses this book and how it deepened their appreciation for the medium. From their felt beginnings in a craftroom in the Scottish Highlands, to meditations on learning, touch, and friction, read this post and more on tatterblue.substack.com (https://tatterblue.substack.com/)

09/12/2026

Appliqué is a classic technique used across sewing practices to add elements of color, pattern, and texture onto a flat background. Stuffed appliqué takes that concept a step further, introducing the third dimension into the maker's areas of exploration.

Author and quilting artist Nicholas Ball () joins TATTER on October 9th to teach Stuffed Appliqué, a technique that has become an active presence in his work and stylistic lexicon. In this installment of our Hand Sewn Quilting Series, you'll learn to size, stitch, and stuff appliquéd patches onto any project you can imagine. Experiment with color, size, and fabric type to create a unique look!

Find out more about the class at tatter.org 🧸

Woven bands and tapes have served a broad array of functions to cultures all around the world, both practical and decora...
09/10/2026

Woven bands and tapes have served a broad array of functions to cultures all around the world, both practical and decorative. Their method of production is equally diverse: inkle, box, and frame looms, backstrap looms, and more. Tablet weaving, one method of making woven tapes, is suspected to be the earliest patterned weaving technique; Bronze Age evidence of its use has been found across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Tablet-woven bands are mentioned in the writings of the Ancient Roman author Pliny the Elder, who credits their origin to Egypt.

The tape loom above is an American box loom from the early 19th century, likely adapted from German box looms brought over by immigrants. Similar pieces can be seen in portraits and illustrations from America in the late 18th century, where these looms, along with other home production methods, became symbolic of the American boycott of English goods.

To learn more about the history and techniques of band weaving, join Amy Ashdown of Winslow and Co (Winslow & Co. (A M Y) ) on October 10th in the TATTER studio for Inkle Weaving! She'll lead us through the use of inkle looms, and guide us toward developing our own unique patterns through this ancient tape-making technique.

Learn more at tatter.org 🎞️

Tape loom, eastern United States, early 19th century. Wood, iron, cotton. TATTER Textile Collection, 2026.5.28.

09/10/2026

Woven bands are present in cultures all around the world, with techniques dating back thousands of years. From belts to bag straps, hair accessories to ties for transport, narrow bands serve infinite purposes, and come in countless patterns and colors.

On October 10th, join artist and teacher Amy Ashdown of Winslow & Co. (Winslow & Co. (A M Y) ) to learn this versatile art. You'll be working on inkle looms, a tool patented in the 1930s, and named for the Middle English term for linen straps and ribbons. By studying multiple patterns and techniques on the loom, participants will become adept at weaving these multipurpose pieces, and even learn to make their own patterns.

Find out more at tatter.org 🎞️

09/09/2026

Kogin embroidery, or Kogin-Zashi, is an offshoot of sashiko embroidery specific to Aomori prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu. Developed during the Edo period, the technique served as both a method of mending and a loophole to the era's strict sumptuary laws: only the upper class could wear cotton and silk, while the majority of the population was restricted to course linen or h**p. Using cotton embroidery floss, small, repetitive stitches were woven through the gaps in the evenweave, adding warmth, durability, and decoration at once.

On October 1st, join author and artist Sanae Ishida (sanae) in our World Embroidery Series for Kogin Embroidery! Sanae will guide us through the specific patterns and rhythms of Kogin-Zashi for an afternoon of meditative, beautiful, and practical stitching.

Join us at tatter.org 🧵

09/08/2026

Whether you don't own a sewing machine or simply prefer the soothing pace of hand-stitching, you've likely noticed that most sewing patterns are written for machine sewing. This may not sound like a problem, but there are so many differences—stitch options, tension, order of construction—that come into play during the process.

For those looking to take their time, hone their hand-skills, and add a more personal touch to their sewing, author and expert hand-sewist Louisa Owen Sonstroem (Louisa Owen Sonstroem) will be teaching Translating Patterns for Hand Sewing on September 26th. She'll cover pattern annotations for clarity, introduce useful stitches for different fabrics and locations, and guide students through adjusting pattern pieces for a smooth process. You'll leave this class with the skills to interpret and reimagine any pattern for hand-stitching, and a new way to see the sewing world!

Details at tatter.org ✂️

"Lippincott's Home Manuals" were once a staple in early 20th century American homes, exemplifying the popularity of home...
09/08/2026

"Lippincott's Home Manuals" were once a staple in early 20th century American homes, exemplifying the popularity of home economics and the resurfacing of domestic arts in the industrial age. The series guided readers through the disciplines of cooking, gardening, sewing, and "housewifery," and included these two courses on the construction of women's clothing.

These particular volumes, printed in 1917 and 1918, guide home sewists through basic constructions, fabric identification, and even essential principles of design. Shown here with a pair of antique shears and a pack of tailor's chalk, one of these copies also holds a surprise: tucked between the time-yellowed pages is a tiny buttonhole sample, preserved like a pressed flower.

If you're a home sewist yourself, and interested in the possibilities of making clothing by hand, our new hand-sewing class with author and artist Louisa Owen Sonstroem (Louisa Owen Sonstroem) might be for you! In Translating Patterns for Hand Sewing, Louisa will teach us the changes, stitches, and processes needed to adapt any pattern to hand-sewn techniques. Join us in the TATTER studio on September 26th, and learn to read patterns a whole new way! Learn more at tatter.org.

09/06/2026

Have you seen a lobster on a sampler before? If so, where was it made?

Read the full article (and more) on our Substack, at tatterblue.substack.com 💙

"Dowries From Kutch: A Women's Folk Art Tradition in India" by Vickie C. Elson. Catalog from a 1979 exhibition at the Fr...
09/01/2026

"Dowries From Kutch: A Women's Folk Art Tradition in India" by Vickie C. Elson. Catalog from a 1979 exhibition at the Frederick S. Wight Art Gallery, UCLA.

The bridal traditions of the Rabari, a semi-nomadic herding culture spread across northwest India, are renowned for their intricacy and beauty. Stitched in electric shades, the embroidery for both wedding ceremonies and dowries are especially ornate in a culture where embroidery is already of great importance. Using appliqué, chain stitching, mirrorwork, and more, it might take a young woman years to accomplish.

When recurring droughts and inflation began to destabilize traditional income, Rabari women began joining the workforce. For some, this meant producing commercial embroidery—for most, however, agricultural labor was more profitable and efficient. The new dual-income arrangement left women with little time to practice traditional embroidery for their families, homes, and dowries. For the Dhebaria, one of many communities within the Rabari, this led women to embroider dowry bags largely by machine and use ready-made trims and appliqué, stitching their dowries between work shifts and more pressing chores. The customary heavy adornment became a growing burden to many. Today, mothers and grandmothers have begun passing their own dowry pieces down to younger generations, ensuring they will have beautiful pieces without the added strain of embroidering them.

Absent from this book is a section on dowry bags. On view in our upcoming exhibition (and the last 2 images) is a large and elaborately decorated 20th century Rabari dowry bag. This kothalo would have been used to transport non-textile dowry items, like cooking implements, into the bride's new home. "Sh**ha, Kantha, and Kachchh: Domestic Embroidery in the TATTER Collection" opens to the public September 8th. Visit tatter.org to plan your visit!

Kothalo dowry bag, India, Gujarat, Kachchh, 20th century. Rabari community. Cotton embroidery, ric-rac on cotton background. TATTER Textile Collection, 2024.9.5.

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