Arts & Culture

Last week I borrowed a MAP pass from the library and used it
to visit the Textile Museum of Canada.

What a jewel we have, hidden away in downtown Toronto, and
what a pleasure it was to see all the brilliant colours and textures of the
collection, on a grey and wintry Sunday afternoon.

Of the two current shows, "Perpetual Motion: Material Re-use in the Spirit of Thrift, Utility and Beauty" especially appealed to my
interest in re-use and recycling.

It gave the visitor a
look at clothing and other textile artifacts from all corners of the world
which use re-purposed materials. How creative, innovative and imaginative their
makers were! Patchwork, appliqué, embroidery, quilting, weaving were all used
to re-make something new or extend the life and beauty of a piece of clothing or useful household item.

                                     Photo: Textile Museum of Canada

Here is one of my favourites, a pieced and embroidered camel cover from Turkmenistan. These were used to decorate the animal that carried the bride to her new home.

 One textile form that
we are all familiar with is the quilt, and there were several in this show,
alive with colour and design. I recently bought a beautiful  ‘kantha’ quilt, made from vintage, recycled
cotton saris that are layered and then
sewn together using a simple straight stitch.

I was surprised to see another kantha quilt at the Museum which looked nothing like mine. It was finely embroidered
with detailed images of people, animals, flowers, and birds.

                                     Photo: Textile Museum of Canada

 I wanted to know more
about these 2 kanthas, and how they were related, so I turned to the library! Here
is a fascinating book about the history and modern development of this traditional textile art which originated and is still practiced in
West Bengal and Bangladesh.

Of course, searching the catalogue led, as it usually does,
to other books on related textile arts topics. Here is a sampling of some lavishly
illustrated surveys of world textile arts.

This show is only on until the end of December, but of course the Museum is always mounting new shows, so do take
advantage of the MAP program. Bring your library card to your local library, check out a pass for free admission to the Textile Museum for yourself and your family, and
enjoy a couple of hours surrounded by beauty! And don’t forget to visit their
lovely gift shop, just in time for the holidays.