iKat Uzbekistan
When my mom invited me to travel with her to Uzbekistan, it was a yes! The Silk Road, what a dream come true. Uzbekistan is a land known for history, cotton, and iKat weaving, i We explored cities like Tashkent, Samarkand, Khiva, Nukus, and Bukhara.
In Bukhara, we saw weavers bring iKat patterns to life. Inspired, I purchased yards of beautifully handwoven fabric, excited to put my energy into Uzbek tradition.
Here, layers of beads cover the iKat print, mixing old Uzbek shapes with my reinterpretation. The handle has a small figurine of an Uzbek man, something we bought at an outdoor market .
This piece is dedicated to my mom!
june 2, 2024
picked a fabric, have the beads, even added “creative time, 1 hour” to a to-do list. i’ll start tonight, and watch a show. got a great list of recommendations for audio books from colleagues, once i finish A Walk in the Park, about a guy who survives an adventure in the Grand Canyon.the first bead is the hardest one.
june 8, 2024
placed the first beads. straight lines makes it easy. seems like that might be the best way to honor the print…have wondered if it might add interest to do some horizontal fillings though. right now the fabric is leading the way. wondering if i can find a way to add my perspective alongside it.
june 16, 2024
have been listening to A Walk in the Park this weekend on audible, and beading. it’s a story about two guys having a crazy adventure in the Grand Canyon. decided some brights along the tines in the fabric weave was a good choice. i like it. bright. ikat.varied.
june 30, 2024
this project is great. i get to think about the time in uzbekistan with my mom and be creative now. idk if the fabric is better with beads. it can certainly stand on it’s own without my embellishment. but the joy of working on it makes it great. thanks, mom, for the best trip.
july 1, 2024
just heard from some friends we made while in uzbekistan, ralph and marti. not only was the time with mom great, but these two were delightful and brought joy to the time. ralph just sent a pic of me and mom. might be my favorite one of all time. thanks, ralph, and more love to mom.
also you can see the whole iKat fabric rolled out. you have to look a bit but you can see how i am beading over the weave.
july 28, 2024
rest: long running miles and many pelotons, followed by audiobooks, olympics, friends, drinks, cooking, time with roo, maggie, LZ, a long drive coming up, and liking my new job. a good summer.
could use some new beads for the dark pattern and a trip santa fe. maybe a quick drive with roo or stop through before the coloradoride with dad and pete.
july 29, 2024
feats of pattern, texture and fabric. ha ha! enjoying some 2024 Paris olympics while relaxing after work. nice.
nov. 6, 2024
election last night. well, at least i made something beautiful. shannon came over and knitted, i wrapped up this stocking.
woke up with strong resolve to love harder and lead with deep empathy in every interaction. strong resolve to have positive energy to outshine the negativity from you know who.
