FROM MARE.

Received from Mare in Estonia, December 27.

Tuesday this week I received a very interesting textile letter from Mare Kelpman. I met Mare the first time (I think) at the ETN conference in Izmir-Turkey in 2005. My memory is not always that good when it comes to where I have met some of my designer/artist friends around the world.
What I do remember is that we met again this year at the Tech Textile Fair in Frankfurt in May. The world of textile is small.
Here you can find a little portfolio of Mare's amazing work.

Mare is a Professor, textile designer and researcher and is head of the Estonoan Art Academy textile design department in Tallin.

This inspires Mare;
Freedom. I grew up by the sea. The sea lay just beyond our garden. That unexplainable feeling of dreams and the freedom of thought produced by being near the sea has carried me throughout my life. To be creative I need freedom. I cannot work in oppressive conditions whether they be conditions of time, space or mind.
Music – I often leave the concert hall not remembering the pieces performed, but many a textile idea the richer.
Architecture, painting, fashion.
On the one hand, I am inspired by a clean, clear aesthetic – "less is more". On the other hand, abundance and luxuriousness – more and more and more.
Love, peace, my inner need to work.
Social awareness – this aspect I mostly apply when I teach.
Students.
I am happy when I see development, wonderful results, the growth of an interesting, talented and hardworking creator.
Folk art – the use of old and forgotten techniques in a new way.
Materials, innovative techniques.

The letter I have got from Mare is full of treasuries.

Her businesscard is so delicate and I am so much in love with the flower, which stands out so it becomes a little 3-D.

Two pieces of lasercut.

This is part of Mare's collection of 3-D textiles made in 2003. 

Detail of the 3-D textiles, woven in wool and felted.

Another 3-D textile in black and white, my favorite colors.
Front and back, also woven in wool and felted. This one is so soft.

A beautiful card.

Mare was awarded in 2003 with Textile Artist of the Year from Aasta Tekstiilikunstik.

Origami paper with Mare's pattern on. Pretty.

It makes me want to start folding paper again.

Necklace in lasercut lace. It is so delicate and fragile. I am in love with it and is going to wear it tomorrow for New Years evening.
Mare calls it the HULA HULA collection.

Little tag of the HULA HULA collection.

The beautiful letter, all together.
Dear Mare, I want to thank you for this amazing textile letter you send me.

FROM STEPHANIE.

Received from Stephanie in Japan, December 19.

I love sitting and looking at blogs and items on etsy and this is how I met Stephanie. She has this unique shop full of Japanese vintage and antique treasures, called FurugiStar and I love it.
Just now I have been sitting and going through her etsy page and I am so much in love with this peasant coat.
If you want to read more about FurugiStar, Stephanie have a fantastic blog and her beautiful photos can be seen here.

Stephanie says this about her passion:
"My shop, FurugiStar, specialises in Japanese antiques and vintage items found in and around Tokyo.
I love spending time in antique shops and markets here in Japan and my Etsy page gives me a great excuse to buy the lovely things I find.
I am interested in boro and antique noragi (collectible Japanese farming wear)."

When oppening my mailbox today I found this amazing and lovely textile letter, all the way from Tokyo to me.

Stephanie told me that my invitation to participate into my textile letters inspired her to create a photobook. She has combined light, colors and textures of autumn scenes with textiles. Autumn is "Aki" in Japanese.

She choose the Ginko leaf "tenugui" as a theme. I don't know how, but Stephanie must be able to read my mind, eventhough we have never met in person.
Ginko is one of my favorite leafs. Before moving to Copenhagen to study textile design at the Danish Design School I worked 1½ year for Jette Nevers, a textile designer here in Denmark. At the time she were doing some new developments for Georg Jensen Damask and she had made a drawing of the Ginko leaf. This one she asked me to work with.

Two pages in the photobook by FurugiStar with the beautiful Ginko leafes turning yellow together with an antique textile.

Here, a page of boro textiles from an exhibition together with Ginko leafes. I really love boro, as I see it as a result of a whole life putted into one piece of textiles.
I myself is the happy owner of a sashiko back and also a Saki-ori.

This is a "omiage", a gift with the beautiful Ginko leaf "tunugui".

Stephanie also included four antique, vintage woven textiles into the letter. I am so happy for these, especially because they are in indigo and white, beautiful colors together.
The one in blue-green to the left is in silk, at first glance it looks like a plain weave, but when looking closer you can see a twill, it is so beautiful. Stephanie says it reminds her of seaweed and 1950's upholstery. It is probably from the mid-century, Showa era. A beautiful piece.
The kasuri piece to the right is machine woven. I so much love double kasuri like this piece. It dates back to early Showa era.

Detail of the above.

Two white in white samples.
The one to the left is in cotton for a obi linning, which is found inside a Meiji era obi (over 100 years old). Fantastic. I love the texture of the thread.
The one to the left is in silk called "Mawata tsumugi"; homespun raw silk and handwoven. It was intended for a high quality kimono.

Here you can see the fluffy cotton on the back. It is so rustic and raw.
All of the textiles is avaiable in the FurugiStar shop at etsy.

Stephanie also send me four photos. She writes she lives in an area of Tokyo with antique, vintage clothes shops together with tiny "antique" cinemas.
One of her favorite things to do, at the end of a busy day, is to go to one of these war-era theaters.

The seats are old and creaky.
I come from a little town and perhaps 15 years ago the local cinema change all of there seats and the old one, probably from the 1950 were put for sale. My parents bought some and I have had these in my appartment. One day I will have them fixed.

Stephanie's beautiful card.

Dear Stephanie, I want to thank you for your lovely textile letter and letting me get to know a little bit of you and your life. As you know I love Japan and I hope to be back for a visit one day again. Perhaps we will meet.

FROM CECA.

Received from Ceca in Bulgaria, December 12.

I met Ceca in Graz, Austria in 2006 where we both were invited by Renate Maak, to represent ouer country as exhibitors and speakers at the International Tapestry Symposium.
Ceca is represented at the wellknown browngrotta arts gallery.
You can purchase Ceca's beautiful bracelets at etsy and follow her process and work at her blog.

Ceca says this about her work;
"Working with natural materials not only brings me joy but also much wisdom. In even the smallest piece of grass there is incorporated history, meaning and purpous. I constantly marvel nature. I admire and learn from her genius "installation" of design, color, smell and light ...
It is a great challenge to enter in her laboratory and to be able to add my own thing."

I am now the happy owner of a unique bracelet made from Ceca. This is just one of the amazing things she sended me in her textile letter. 

It is made of cotton cord embroidered and putted together with oak acorn. Absolutely amazing.

The datails is stunning.

Even the packing were one of a kind. It was wrapped inside the letter with Ceca's handwriting on.

I always get so excited when receiving a textile letter, that I often forget to take a first picture of the envelop before opening.
Inside the letter was three small papers put together; photos of "The Garden -installation".  

Made out of pressed petals and leafs, a kind of room dividers were made. The light have many possibilities for playing.

Another project is "Textile in Nature" eco-art symposium founded by Ceca Georgieva in 1994. This land art is beautiful.

Dear Ceca, I want to thank you for this amazing presents. When I open the package at the postoffice I got so happy.
I look forward to wear it on Christmas evening and afterwards I will have it at my studio, so I can treasure it every day. 

FROM ELISABETH.

Received from Elisabeth in USA, November 24.

Another fantastic letter where also waiting for me when I came home from Peru.
I have got to know Elisabeth from flickr. She is a weaver like myself and weave the most stunning scarfs. I wish I were the happy owner of one. Have a look here.

Elisabeth sended me this handwoven letter with embroidery. I think it is so fine in the details.

I love the natural shades of the letter.

Even the stamp is handwoven with embroidery.
I have tried to take the photo so my name is "rina". This was my nickname when I was a child, which my grandmother gave me.

The real stamp outside the letter with love from USA.

Elisabeth, I want to thank you for your letter you send me. It is now hanging in my studio, where I like to hang up some of my treasuries.

FROM GRACIELA.

Received from Graciela in Argentina, November 24.

I can't remember exactly anymore how I met Graciela. I think she wrote me after looking at my blog, as we have the same interest for gauze.
Graciela is also interested in sprang and have her own group on flickr. Besides this you can see and read about her projects on her blog and on weavolution.

When I came back from my trip to Peru a beautiful letter were waiting for me.
Graciela sended me the most fine fingermanipulated sample in gauze.

I love the details. Here you can see the very simple gauze, which I call a plain leno together with the more complex gauze. So pretty.

A little copy of the sample used as stationery.

Graciela's grandson Alejo at the age of 8, also wanted to send me something. He made me this very nice drawing. So sweet.

In the letter there were two nice catalogs of Textiles andinos and a cd with photos from two visits at museums; Museo La Plata and Museo de Bellas Artes.

This string from Museo La Plata is amazing. I have seen a few in Peru too. My husband have told me that the Inkas used these to protect themselves. I wish I had one of my own. So beautiful.

Two photos of textiles from Museo La Plata.

Graciela, I want to thank you for the lovely letter you sended me and also for the links you often mail me about classes, exhibitions and information about gauze.

I hope one day when I travel to Peru we will meet.