NCW Libraries

The bestselling author of The Secret Lives of Color returns with this rollicking narrative of the 30,000-year history of fabric, briskly told through thirteen charismatic episodes. From colorful 30,000-year-old threads found on the floor of a Georgian cave to the Indian calicoes that sparked the Industrial Revolution, The Golden Thread weaves an illuminating story of human ingenuity. Design journalist Kassia St. Clair guides us through the technological...

Published in an oversized format (9.75x12.25"), this beautifully produced volume surveys a valued artistic media in the Islamic world, with separate sections on major geographic divisions: Ottoman, Islamic Spain and North Africa, the Arab world, Persia, East and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Each section opens with a description of the types of textiles produced, discussing types of fabrics, dyes, and the uses of the garments, followed by...

"The story of humanity is the story of textiles--as old as civilization itself. Since the first thread was spun, the need for textiles has driven technology, business, politics, and culture. In The Fabric of Civilization, Virginia Postrel synthesizes groundbreaking research from archaeology, economics, and science to reveal a surprising history. From Minoans exporting wool colored with precious purple dye to Egypt, to Romans arrayed in costly Chinese...

Discusses how textiles are an integral part of the human life journey from cradle to grave in a multitude of practical, symbolic and spiritual ways. This title illustrates the many uses of textiles in our everyday lives. It outlines how textiles are a means of communication functional, political and artistic and a metaphor for transcendence.

For centuries, luxury textiles were symbols of status, wealth and power at Islamic imperial courts from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, setting standards for beauty and fueling prosperous, urban economies. This book offers an unparalleled examination of Islamic luxury textiles, drawn from the Cleveland Museum of Art's exemplary collection as well as from museums on four continents. Leading scholar Louise W. Mackie offers a generous overview of the...

"In this book, Debby Greenlaw brings together the traditional aspects of krokbragd with a fresh, contemporary approach to creating stunning textiles. You will explore the structure and design of krokbragd for the floor, table, and rigid-heddle looms. In addition to traditional single krokbragd, exciting variations such as double point krokbragd and turned krokbragd are also covered. Each topis is supplemented with a project tha allows the weaver to...

Can a painting hold a secret safe in plain sight across seven centuries? The murder of the last member of an old Venetian family peels back the rug on a shocking truth that draws art historian and textile expert Phoebe McCabe into the fray. What she sees in the missing Renaissance symbology will shake the foundations of religious and cultural assumptions across two continents and point the way to a priceless hoard. It’s a secret potent enough...

"As you explore this knitter/naturalist's notebook, you'll learn about the creatures she discovers and see her sketches, notes, and knitting patterns for each animal. Each animal is portrayed realistically, yet endearingly, from a leaping cottontail to a howling timberwolf--25 wild animals in all"--