a passage to india

pretty embroidered pillows on my bed

shades of grey

There is something so alluring about the East... I am fascinated by the culture, the colors, the animals... all of which seem so distant yet so inviting. Printmaker and textile king John Robshaw must feel the same way. Robshaw apparently traveled to India in search of authentic indigo dye and never looked back. Over the past few years his collection of hand block-printed textiles has sparked new interest in ancient techniques and given proper recognition to fabulous Indian artisans.

Robshaw's New York showroom is absolutely amazing... as colorful and as richly decorated as an authentic Eastern bazar. As much as I adore the vibrant colored prints, I like my bedroom to be tranquil and airy like a giant cloud, which is why I am a HUGE fan of the "precious metals" collection... the gold and pewter metallics are divinely elegant and add texture and ornament without overpowering the eye. The moment I saw these gold embroidered euros at Bungalow Classic, I knew I just had to have them...

And the most exciting part is that for the first time, Robshaw's work is easily accessible! Anthropologie offers exclusive bedding sets and art prints at retail stores and through their website, and Robshaw himself has opened his website to the public. So go ahead and find your eastern flair...

Bungalow Classic

1197 Howell Mill Rd NW

Atlanta, GA 30318

www.johnrobshaw.com

"circus" decorative pillows by john robshaw

handprinted in jaipur, each takes an entire day to finish

12" x 18" (camel, leopard), $115

20"x 20" (tiger, ram), $140

26" x 26" (elephant, horse), $150

john robshaw

the art of stitching

antique suzani, uzbekistan, 20th century

circa trade

suzani (english), suzankāri سوزنکاری (persian) -- n. needlework, the art of stitching

I'm crazy about textiles, particularly the rich weaves from the East. I discovered the Uzbek suzani a few years ago and fell so madly in love that I devoted my entire semester screen printing portfolio to them. The textiles themselves are so vibrant and uplifting they seemed to make my hours alone in the studio late at night more manageable. 

Suzani is a decorative tribal textile from Central Asia, most commonly Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. My personal favorites come from Samarkand, conveniently located along the famous Silk Road that has connected trade from Europe and China for centuries. The Samarkand suzani tends to favor vibrant reds, pinks, and yellows in large-scale patterns that add to the bold beauty of the textile.

beautiful umbrellas made from various antique suzanis

The textiles are all hand embroidered, using two primary stitches--the chain stitch and couching. In the chain stitch, a series of looped individual stitches form an apparent chain that easily curves and is used to follow loose floral drawings. This technique is also applied in lace and crochet. In couching, thread or yarn is laid across the fabric and fastened with perpendicular stitches of yarn or thread. This technique allows the artisan to cover large areas with thread and lends a 3-D quality to the textile.

 

Historically, the suzani has been used as a young woman's dowry in Uzbekistan; according to legend, the mother begins embroidering when her daughter is born and when the girl reaches adulthood she finishes the textile before giving it to her betrothed. The emphasis on floral motifs is generally assumed to be a reference to fertility. Recently, the ancient textile has been adapted for a variety of applications and is now gracing the people and places of the West! Check out some of the great suzani-inspired products available:

what's in store (from top right):

suzani boxes, jayson home & garden

embroidered suzani peacock pillow, ruzzetti & gow

vintage suzani chair, abc carpet & home nyc

matthew williamson africa enamel bangle, net-a-porter.com

cloisonne pot with lid, jayson home & garden

high top suzani boots, ottoman collections

madeleine weinrib pillow, madeleine weinrib atelier