Zoe Leonard, Artist

Zoe Leonard’s Strange Fruit (1992–97) consists of some three hundred fruit skins – bananas, oranges, grapefruits, and lemons – consumed, then stitched back together by the artist with brightly coloured thread and wire. The work was made in the 1990s, during the global AIDS crisis that devastated communities in New York, where Leonard was living and working.

By sewing up wasted peels instead of discarding them, the artist created objects that resemble little bodies FIG. 2. At a time in which her dying friends were treated as disposable by most of the public, the government and the medical community, the task may have offered a defiant respite. Leonard described sewing as a sort of meditation, a private act of mourning.

Above images and text from Burlington Contemporary:

https://contemporary.burlington.org.uk/journal/journal/intent-in-the-making-the-life-of-zoe-leonards-strange-fruit

and Seven Ponds

https://blog.sevenponds.com/soulful-expressions/strange-fruit-for-david-by-zoe-leonard-breathes-new-life-into-death

 

Katrina Perdue, Mender

More to see on artist's website:

https://www.katrinaperdue.com/

 

Nina Katchadourian, Artist

Do-it-Yourself Spiderweb Repair Kit
Plastic box with foam and thread, tweezers, scissors and glue, 1998

The Mended Spiderweb series

The Mended Spiderweb series came about during a six-week period in June and July in 1998 which I spent on Pörtö. In the forest and around the house where I was living, I searched for broken spiderwebs which I repaired using red sewing thread. All of the patches were made by inserting segments one at a time directly into the web. Sometimes the thread was starched, which made it stiffer and easier to work with. The short threads were held in place by the stickiness of the spider web itself; longer threads were reinforced by dipping the tips into white glue. I fixed the holes in the web until it was fully repaired, or until it could no longer bear the weight of the thread. In the process, I often caused further damage when the tweezers got tangled in the web or when my hands brushed up against it by accident.

The morning after the first patch job, I discovered a pile of red threads lying on the ground below the web. At first I assumed the wind had blown them out; on closer inspection it became clear that the spider had repaired the web to perfect condition using its own methods, throwing the threads out in the process. My repairs were always rejected by the spider and discarded, usually during the course of the night, even in webs which looked abandoned. The larger, more complicated patches where the threads were held together with glue often retained their form after being thrown out, although in a somewhat "wilted" condition without the rest of the web to suspend and stretch them. Each "Rejected Patch" is shown next to the photograph showing the web with the patch as it looked on site.

Artist's website:

http://www.ninakatchadourian.com/uninvitedcollaborations/spiderwebs.php
 

Celia Pym, Artist

Elizabeth’s Cardigan, cardigan and wool darning, 50 x 65 cm, 2002-2016

Teaching Jumper, original grey jumper with one moth hole in middle of the chest, wool and acrylic yarn, 

65 x 54cm, 2020

Mended Mushroom Bag, paper bag, wool and cotton, 12 x 24 x 5cm, 2021

Vivien Leigh’s jacket, made by Women’s Home Industries, original garments and white wool mending, 

60 x 105 x 3cm, 2020

More to see on artist's website:

http://celiapym.com/

 

Mark Newport, Artist

More to see on artist's website:

https://marknewportartist.com/Mending-1

 

LDC

Cotton and Sustainability

From sourcing certified cotton to promoting agricultural best practice within and beyond our value chain, we work proactively toward increasingly sustainable operations and supply chains, both as LDC and in collaboration with partner organizations such as the Better Cotton Initiative.

LDC has also begun using  a ‘diagnostic’ system that applies DNA to determine the purity and quality of some of its cotton.

Developed by Applied DNA Sciences, the technology uses tiny genetic markers that are sprayed on the cotton at the gin just before packaging. The DNA markers bind to the plant’s fibers and act as a microscopic barcode that can be tracked throughout the supply chain.

The labels PimaCott and Homegrown, which are used to brand the cotton that is traced through DNA, are useful for manufacturers, traders and retailers. And if consumers see these labels on a product, they have an absolute guarantee that the cotton used in its manufacture was responsibly sourced and produced.

Source link for more info. 

https://www.ldc.com/product/textiles-fibers/

 

19th Century Trade Cards

Cards were inserted in dry good packaging as a form of advertisement.

1893 African Americans Picking Cotton , Fleischmann Yeast Victorian Trade Card

Trade Card for Clark's O.N.T. Spool Thread

Text in lower right of card reads:

"The thread that binds the Union North to South."

O. N. T. ("Our New Thread") is a reference to their innovative use of cotton in lieu of silk thread.

 

Host a Donation Bin

 

About ATRS

American Textile Recycling Service (ATRS) is the nation’s fastest growing donation bin operator . ATRS was founded with a profitable, global conscious mission to help communities reuse, renew and recycle clothing, shoes, toys and household goods. We provide easy and convenient Clothing & Shoe Donation bins in neighborhoods nationwide. We are committed to keeping textiles out of landfills, creating jobs here at home, and abroad. Our unique business model leaves an extremely small carbon footprint and a better planet for the next generation.

Read more on website:

http://atrscorp.com/about/

Timaree McKenny, Student Work

Installation

Seven natural dyed silks (each 6 foot in length) and scent (essential oils). 

Coming Soon

Video

Front view. 

Space between wall and silk. Essential oils placed on cotton pads, tacked to wall. 

Statement:

Who am I? As a human being. As a daughter. As a sister. As a friend. As an artist. My spiritual self is me. My inner-self is developed from reflection and love. I choose how I express my outer-self through observation and experience. 

Chakras create one's spiritual body, playing essential roles within all components of one's life. They create, sustain, and explore all feelings and emotions within yourself. 

For this personal project, I created my vision of my spiritual self, displaying who I am on the inside. With the use of silk, natural dyes, and scent, I designed my seven chakras. 

Natural dye as an ingredient and silk as a fabric connect directly to the human body in which all are creations from Earth's nature. Using the technique of natural dyeing, I see a correlation of the events within my life — do my best to prepare, react accordingly, and accept all results. The characteristics, soft and dependable, are represented by silk; a material that is soothing, calming, and trustworthy; this is how I describe myself as a human being. 

The designs, colors, and designated scent of each silk resemble the specific meaning of the seven chakras and how they resonate within me. I envisioned each of my chakras to create the designs based on how I saw them within my body and on a spiritual level. 

There are two chakras that I feel challenge me the most as a person. In the third chakra, solar / "I do," I created an intense crystalized design, soaked in a natural marigold dye to represent yellow, and selected a peppermint oil to embrace my confidence and self-esteem. 

For the seventh chakra, crown / "I understand," I created an off-kilter linear design, soaked in indigo and Roja natural dyes to represent violet, and selected frankincense oil to appreciate my spiritual connection and life purpose. 

Displaying my inner feelings and emotions to the outside world initially made me feel  vulnerable and sensitive. Once I was able to walk past each silk chakra and experience the scent, I let go of the negative thoughts and insecurities. Through reflection and love, I felt proud and empowered to share my inner-self with the world.

 

Kate Barker, Student Work

Examples of quilt stitching (by hand).

Batting is placed between two pieces of fabric to get the rise in stitch. Felt can also be used for a similar result. 

 

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

For centuries, fame and fortune were to be found in the west – in the New World of the Americas. Today, it is the east which calls out to those in search of riches and adventure. Sweeping right across Central Asia and deep into China and India, a region that once took centre stage is again rising to dominate global politics, commerce and culture.

A major reassessment of world history, The Silk Roads is a dazzling exploration of the forces that have driven the rise and fall of empires, determined the flow of ideas and goods and are now heralding a new dawn in international affairs.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25812847-the-silk-roads