A special treat for us today when Val showed us some of the lovely textiles she had collected during her travels around central India earlier this year. India must be an absolute feast for anyone like us who love cloth, colour and pattern and as Val explained she found it difficult to select, there was so much choice. One good thing is obliging shopkeepers will ship your purchases home. With an eye for fabric decoration and local handicrafts Val showed us examples of block printing, tie dying, hand stitching and patchwork, some of which had been made into garments and bags.
An important part of the trip was a visit to The Calico Museum in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, home to five centuries of textiles and regarded as one of the finest in the world. Sadly photography is forbidden, even of the buildings and there are no postcards to buy. A great disappointment for those who will probably never get the chance to visit.
What is Val going to do with her collection? Maybe they will inspire her next body of work or maybe she will treasure them as reminders of a wonderful holiday. Thank you Val, if only we could all go! Jen
