One Version of the Evolution of the Highlander Kiilt

Again, I have been reading Fashion Victims.  This time it was the chapter entitled “Entangled and Strangled: Caught in the Machine.  One of the reasons I return to this  reference  is that each chapter has many, many examples of the perils of fashion.

           

              Fashion Victims:The Dangers of Dress Past and Present, Alison Matthews David,                                        Bloomsbury, London , 2015

The one I wish to share today is the story of the origin of the Scottish kilt.  According to the author, in the 16^th and 17^th century Scottish clansmen wore a garment called a “breacon”, a length of plaid cloth which they wrapped around their bodies as protection       from the heather.  The breacon was worn belted around the waist and hung in long, loose skirt-like folds.  Scottish men of high society wore “trews”, breeches with stockings.

The story, as reported, is that an English Quaker from Lancaster, Thomas Rawlinson leased a wooded parcel of land for the purpose of smelting iron ore.  He hired Highlanders to cut the trees and man the furnaces.  He was concerned that the long plaid garments they wore was cumbersome and potentially dangerous.  He hired a tailor to create a short version of the skirt with sewn pleats.  Rawlinson, himself adopted the garment and soon the Highland clansmen followed wearing the “felie beg”, the small kilt we know today.

                                     Tartans, Belvedere Designbook, #34,  1987

  Author, A.M. David, states “Thus the kilt was actually a product of the early Industrial Revolution, designed by an English industrialist as a work uniform for his employees, bringing the Highlander out of the heather and into the factory”.

Again, this volume emphasizes slavery to fashion of the day is often detrimental.    

Fibers of the Andes - Vicuna

Vicuna

Just after the holidays we took a quick trip to South America, visiting Peru and Argentina.

The fibers of  Peru include llama, alpaca and vicuna.  I discussed alpaca fiber  (1/7/17 Alpaca Christmas Gift) so today we will visit the vicuna, probably less known.

Llams, alpacas and vicunas are members of the family of camelids.  The ancestors originated in the great plains of  North America 40 to 50 million years ago. Approximately 3million years ago these New World camels migrated to South America.  All camelids have usuable fiber, and the cinnamon-colored fiber from the vicuna is the finest and most luxurious.  It is also the most expensive due to the their near-extinction  from European hunters. 

For decades the export of vicuna fiber was forbidden by international laws. With these efforts, the wild vicuna herds have increased to approximately ¼ million and the wool is being hand gathered legally.

These are shy animals and the smallest of the camelids, about 150 pounds. 

Alpaca Christmas Gift

Alpaca Scarf

As a Christmas gift my husband gave me a beautiful alpaca scarf woven in Bolivia.

 According to the hang tag. Bolivia Fair Trade “ brings hand made products to the North American consumer market from artisan groups, cooperatives and small businesses in Bolivia.  We promote Fair Trade with our purchasing practices, and we have a commitment to improve the living conditions for the people of Bolivia”.

For more information contact www.boliviarairtrade.com.

    

Alpacas are South American camelids and were first domesticated more than six thousand years ago in the Andes mountains of Peru.  BY the 1500’s there were large herds of Alpaca throughout South America, but these herds were decimated by the Spanish conquest of  the Incan Empire of Peru.

Alpacas are bred for their fiber.  Their exquisite, supple fiber is heavier when compared to wool and most fibers are white, range of browns, black and spotted..

Bolivia Fair Trade states the” Alpaca fiber is 5 times warmer then sheep wool, stronger than mohair, more luxurious than cashmere and smother than silk.  The fiber is elastic, hypoallergenic…because it does not contain lanolin.  The smooth cell structure, with its microscopic air pockets contributes to the creation of lightweight apparel with higher insulation value and thermal capacity than almost any other animal fiber”.

Cute, aren't they?

Hello 2017 !!

Greetings for a New Year

Time to get ready to welcome a other new year.  Whatever great and wonderful things you accomplished in 2016, try for even great successes in 2017.  That is my only resolution, to do better.  I think that covers it all.

Margy

My Holiday Wish

                                        However you celebrate the holiday season I wish you peace.

Burlap

B is for BURLAP

Continuing with my alphabetical listing of textile terms (see my blog “ARALAC”, 11/12/16) today is the letter B.

I have already written several “B’s”  :Batik

                                                           Burkini

                                                           Buttons

                                                           Blackwork

                                                           Burton (Virginia Lee)

There are many other "B" textile references: buckram, brodade, Berlin work, but our subject is BURLAP.

Also called Hessian, Burlap is a coarse, rough, heavy plain-weave fabric made from jute or hemp fiber..The fabric was first imported from India in the 19th C. The term Hessian refers to the coarse, heavy uniforms worn by the Hessian troops of Hesse (Germany)

  Because it is known for its durability and strength, poor grades of the fabric are used for sacking and upholstery backing, however it frays easily and has poor washability.

Better grades are bleached and/or dyed and are used in the craft industry.  For years burlap has been used as the ground fabric for rug hooking.  With special finishing treatments burlap can become a smooth, attractive finishing fabric.

This burlap has been patterned for rug hooking.  Commercial kits are available with pre-printed designs.  Originally, of course, rug hookers created and drew their own patterns on the ground fabric (perhaps from used sacking).

Christmas Giving

Christmas giving

Each year, around this time. I get requests for textile-related gift suggestions.  I usually suggest visits to thrift or antique shops for vintage table linens, hankies, hand crochet doilies, etc.

This year I thought of another idea.  Why not visit your neighborhood bookstore (used books or new).  There are many magazines and books for every textile enthusiast .  Whether your gift is for a quilter, knitter, weaver, fashion follower or collector a subscription to  a related magazine is possible.  You might try giving just one copy to see if they really love it and then complete the subscription.

  For others, there are reference books and coffee-table flashy editions in a huge range of topics.  The advantage of shopping locally is the book can be returned if it is not suitable and  a gift certificate can be issued.  There are also fiction and mystery books with textile themes .

Do not overlook the selection of “gently used” books.  Often, out of print books are not only affordable but valuable references.  My last suggestion is a textile dictionary, encyclopedia or sourcebook.  

If your recipient lives in a city near a textile or art museum with a large textile collection, how about a museum membership?  Or a membership to my favorite organization, The Textile Society of America.  There are textile guilds  in most cities: Embroidery guild, Weaving and Spinning guild, Quilting guild and membership fees are generally quite reasonable.

Thoughtful gifts such as these will bring year-long enjoyment.

Happy shopping!!