Journal — crafts

Hello from Brazil! For those of you who follow Common Texture's journeys you know that we are always on the lookout for traditional crafts and ethical home decor and accessories. It is not always easy finding the artisans however, especially when residing in big cities. Small artisan communities are often tucked away in remote places. So we were very happy to stumble upon an exhibition about the Kayapo Women at the Memorial of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil’s capital, Brasília. The Kayapo women and their work The Kayapo people are an indigenous tribe that lives in a territory located in the...

We go bananas over our woven banana fiber bags! We love the natural look, color, strength and durability that comes with hand weaving a product from a natural fiber. Zero waste banana plant Another fact we love about creating bags with banana fiber is that almost all parts of the plant are being used. Nothing goes to waste! You can eat the fruit of course, but the flower, peel and stem are also edible. In South India the beautiful long leaves of the banana plant are used to serve food on during special celebrations such as weddings. Banana plants grow...

    Last week Common Texture traveled to Thailand to attend the Chiang Mai Crafts Fair. The spectacular weather was a great back drop for all that was on offer in this laid back city. The traditional craft of indigo dyeing First up were these lovely intricate indigo pieces. We captured the typical fabric dyeing technique used here called resist dye in indigo. Popular with women in hill tribe villages in Northern Thailand. This technique is like a fusion of block print discharge dyeing and Batik free hand patterns.The pattern seen in the video will eventually be the white sections...