Similar to many other regions, handmade socks make a significant part of material culture in Turkey. Besides being functional and decorative garments, in Turkey handmade socks have gained the role of communication through their designs. The motifs that are applied on socks usually have meanings and used for certain purposes. These meanings may have spiritual purposes, such as for wishing a healthy life or protection from the evil eye, as well as functional purposes, such as for indicating the officer on the town or for conveying a message, such as acceptance of a marriage proposal.
Pirot kilim rugs refers to a variety of flat tapestry-woven rugs traditionally produced in Pirot, a town in southeastern Serbia. Pirot kilims with some 122 ornaments and 96 different types have been protected by geographical indication in 2002. Pirot was once the most important rug-making centre in the Balkans, located on the historical main highway which linked central Europe with Constantinople.
Barkcloth is a versatile material that was once common in Asia, Africa, Indonesia, and the Pacific. Barkcloth comes primarily from trees of the Moraceae family, including Broussonetia papyrifera, Artocarpus altilis, and Ficus natalensis. It is made by beating sodden strips of the fibrous inner bark of these trees into sheets, which are then finished into a variety of items. Many texts that mention “paper” clothing are actually referring to barkcloth.
The Barkcloth has been manufactured in Uganda for centuries and is Uganda’s sole representative on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Tapa cloth was used traditionally used for clothing throughout the Pacific, and in many places remains important culturally. Some communities are reviving this practice. At Monbang traditional village on Alor Island, Indonesia, tourists can see members of the Kabola ethnic group wear barkcloth and dance traditional dances.
Broderie anglaise is a whitework needlework technique combining features of embroidery, cutwork and needle lace that became associated with England, due to its popularity there in the 19th century.
Broderie anglaise is characterized by patterns composed of round or oval holes, called eyelets, which are cut out of the fabric, then bound with overcast or buttonhole stitches. The patterns, often depicting flowers, leaves, vines, or stems, are further delineated by simple embroidery stitches made on the surrounding material. Later broderie anglaise also featured small patterns worked in satin stitch.
Croatian Lacemaking is a tradition dating back to the Renaissance when lacemaking began spreading throughout the Mediterranean and continental Europe. Throughout the years, Croatian lace has become notable for its unique patterns and designs. In 2009 UNESCO recognised lacemaking in Croatia as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Today in Croatia there are several centres of lacemaking tradition: the Adriatic islands of Pag and Hvar, the northern town of Lepoglava and the Sveta Marija village in the Međimurje County.
Quilting is the process of sewing two or more layers of fabric together to make a thicker padded material, usually to create a quilt or quilted garment. Typically, quilting is done with three layers: the top fabric or quilt top, batting or insulating material and backing material, but many different styles are adopted.
The process of quilting uses a needle and thread to join two or more layers of material to make a quilt. The quilter’s hand or sewing machine passes the needle and thread through all layers and then brings the needle back up. The process is repeated across the entire area where quilting is wanted. Rocking, straight or running stitches are commonly used with these stitches being purely functional or decorative. Quilting is done to create bed spreads, art quilt wall hangings, clothing, and a variety of textile products. Quilting can make a project thick, or with dense quilting, can raise one area so that another stands out.
Darning is a sewing technique for repairing holes or worn areas in fabric or knitting using needle and thread alone. It is often done by hand, but it is also possible to darn with a sewing machine. Hand darning employs the darning stitch, a simple running stitch in which the thread is “woven” in rows along the grain of the fabric, with the stitcher reversing direction at the end of each row, and then filling in the framework thus created, as if weaving. Darning is a traditional method for repairing fabric damage or holes that do not run along a seam, and where patching is impractical or would create discomfort for the wearer, such as on the heel of a sock.
Die Vorstricker* is a cooperation project between The Craft Atlas and fashion designer Teresa Mair. Die Vorstricker* examines traditional knitting techniques and patterns from the Alps. We looked at and compared old knitting patterns from the regions Tirol, Vorarlberg, South Tirol and Bavaria.
Here you find the digitised research from the project as a collection of traditional knitting samples from the Alps.
die Vorstricker* – Reconstruction of traditional knitting craft
Traditional techniques are taken up and reinterpreted through fashion- and graphic design into a contemporary collection. The innovative product-service concept include a series of co-creation workshops and open studio times giving an insight into the process. The project builds regional connections and appreciation for regional craft heritage, while exploring new ways of design.
The name Vorstricker* derives from the german words Vor (forward, ago, ahead) and Stricker (knitter), connecting traditional and historical values with future-forward thinking.
Austrian-born designer and architect Teresa Mair lives and works in Innsbruck.
die Vorstricker* is realised through the kind support of aws – Austria Wirtschaftsservice.
Blaudruck (german: blueprint) is a resist-dye technique characterised by a white pattern on an indigo blue background, often featuring floral motives. Blaudruck is on the list of intangible cultural heritage in Germany. The technique came to Europe along with the indigo plant with travellers of the Dutch East India Company. The technique was commonly practised across Central Europe in the 18th and 19th century. Traditional skills and recipes are passed on within family businesses and from one generation to the next. In Germany there are only a few workshops left that produce Blaudruck.
Smocking is an embroidery technique used to gather fabric so that it can stretch. Before elastic, smocking was commonly used in cuffs, bodices, and necklines in garments where buttons were undesirable.
Smocking developed in England and has been practised since the Middle Ages and is unusual among embroidery methods in that it was often worn by laborers. Other major embroidery styles are purely decorative and represented status symbols. Smocking requires lightweight fabric with a stable weave that gathers well. Cotton and silk are typical fiber choices, often in lawn or voile.
Wadmal is an ancient technique from Northern Europe where wool is first woven, then felted until the single threads can barely be distinguished and an even surface is created. It makes a robust, warm, water- and windproof fabric.
Zmijanje embroidery is an embroidery technique practised in the Zmijanje villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main characteristic is the use of a deep blue thread, vegetable dyed, to embroider improvised geometrical shapes. The blue thread on white background distinguishes it from other types of embroidery in the region, that mostly employ more different colours of the thread.
Bobbin lace is a lacemaking technique made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread wound on bobbins. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow. A pattern or pricking pinned on the pillow determines the placement of the pins.
Bobbin lace is also known as pillow lace (because it was worked on a pillow) and bone lace (because early bobbins were made of bone or ivory)
Bobbin lace is one of the two major categories of handmade laces, the other being needlelace, derived from earlier cutwork and reticella.
Harris Tweed is a cloth handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.
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