Natania Barron

1 – Welcome to #ThreadTalk, muslin edition. Muslin has been all over my feed, so let me cut to the chase: The finest fabric in human history was perfected by the Bengali people but tragically lost in the wake of imperialism & economic ruin at the hands of the English. 🤬🤬 2 – Muslin was once called "The vapor of dawn" by a Chinese trader named Yuan Chwang. Other names were "woven wind" & "wonder gossamer" – yet it's now synomymous with Regency period dramas. There's no way around this: it is not a happy story. But it's one people need to hear. 3 – In many ways, this is…

Human beings are drawn to brightly colored clothing: but at what price?

1 – Welcome to #ThreadTalk. This week’s subject: #embroidery. This fabric art—both fine and folk — is a world heritage art, meaning its inception goes back before recorded times. So tonight, I’m taking you on a tour around the world. 2 – The word "embroider" comes to English by way Frankish and Proto-German & may mean “braid” or “embellishment.” From simple decorative stitches to complex beaded patterns, embroidery is often a matter of national pride and identity, too, like this Croatian blouse. 3 – The width and breadth of the embroidery on Earth is striking in variety & beauty. It transcends class, status, and rank & has been used both…

I'll admit it: before I began looking into velvet, I had no idea it was so complex or so expensive.

1 – Lace yourself, darlings. It’s about to get drafty in here. Welcome to my #ThreadTalk. What began on the collars of Catholic clergy & adorned the pages of Frederick’s of Hollywood centuries later? That’s right. Lace. And #ThreadTalks go, lace is relatively modern. 2 – The word itself comes from a Vulgar Latin derivation, from the word “laceum" (a noose or a snare). And lace has ensnared many since it came upon the scene in the late 15th C. Flemish lace, in particular, was prized for its purity, softness, & quality of the linen grown. 3 – Lace is not a fabric, per se, but what’s called a “decorate…

Damask, that most mysterious weave. But what is it beyond a hallmark of Victorian design? A look back.

You may have heard the terms "jacquard" or "brocade" -- but what do they have to do with computers?

A look at the shimmering, sumptuous silk that has its own sound and has donned everything from the most ornate gowns to hot air balloons.

1 – So! Chintz. You’ve probably heard the term “chintzy” and you’re thinking 1980s upholstery or prom dresses with puffy sleeves. And you’re right. Sort of. We have George Eliot to thank for the term, it turns out. But this fabric is far from European: it’s from India. 2 – The name comes from the Hindi word “chint” — which means “spotted” & is a kind of calico. It was produced on cotton & printed with wood blocks or sometimes painted by hand. Some early chintz even had a glaze on it to stiffen the material (ideal for upholstery). 3 – Some say that chinz rose to popularity in India…