Magic Carpets: The Rugs of Morocco  by Veronica Moriarty Morocco has long been famous for it treasures, including its beautiful handmade woolen rugs. There is no single style of rug that can be identified as “Moroccan;” in fact, there are literally dozens of different types, each following a distinct stylistic tradition. >> Read the full article...		8/1/2004
		Starting With Nothing   by Veronica Moriarty Lace-making developed from the earlier needlework techniques of cutwork, darned netting, drawn-thread work, and reticella. These techniques are all, essentially, a form of embroidery supported by the threads of a woven fabric. France had been a smaller-time player in the international lace manufacturing, but in 1665 Louis XIV and his minister Colbert changed all that. >> Read the full article...		7/1/2004
		The Japanese Kimono Follows Fantasy  by Barbara Aoki Poisson Rich with cultural symbolism and history, the kimono is a uniquely Japanese art form that displays a deep reverence for nature and tradition. The term kimono, meaning “things to wear,” was first used in the mid-1800s to distinguish Japanese clothing from yofuku, Western clothing. The earliest styles, dating back to the primitive Jomon period (prior to 300 AD), were quite different from what we now call kimono. >> Read the full article...		3/1/2004
		China’s Rarest Textiles  by Veronica Moriarty The textile with which China is most readily identified must indeed be silk, associated with the thread as it has been for at least 5,500 years. The most important land trading route of the ancient world was founded on the textile: the famous Silk Road that ran through China to the Middle East and Europe and that helped spread Chinese sericulture and silk production techniques around the world. China’s renown for its silk has resulted, however, in international textile myopia.  >> Read the full article...		3/1/2004
		American Samplers  by Adele Kenny During Colonial times the art of needlework flourished in America, and the American sampler, taking its form from English styles, became not only a reference for embroidery stitch styles, but also a record of early American life. Making samplers had become a popular activity of English women by the mid-1500s. >> Read the full article...		1/1/2004