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 The Australian Sewing Guild
Discovery Tours to Bali– March / April 2010The next adventure begins … BALI 2010 and the Australian Sewing Guilds very popular international travel programme moves into its third year of discovery tours. Bali has long been a favourite holiday escape for Australians of all ages. The surfers seemed to find it first, but then the secret quickly spread and it became an easy, inexpensive destination for every age group. Shopping has always been one of Bali’s major attractions and most would probably think of hand-carved furniture, pottery, painting, silver and gold work, but have you ever thought of the fabrics? Oh my goodness! Think of the fabrics… Dates: 12 day tour Each ASG 2010 tour is a small ‘boutique’ tour. Max travellers per tour – 12 Day 1 Monday - Australia – Denpasar, Bali (3 night’s hotel - single occupancy) Settle in, refresh, relax, swim and dine as we await the rest of the group. Day 2 Tuesday – Legian – Tanah Lot Tour Travel west, along the coast to Tanah Lot temple and market and watch the sunset, over dinner, perched on the edge of a beautiful cliff in a traditional Balinese restaurant. Day 3 Wednesday – Legian – Denpasar Market Tour Pasar Badung in Jalan Gajah Mada, Denpasar, is Bali’s biggest traditional market. Located on the eastern bank of the Badung River, it is in the heart of the capital city. This is a lively market full of colour and excitement. The first floor sells flowers, fruit and other fresh produce. The second and third floors sell traditional fabrics like songket, sarongs, batik, traditional Balinese kebaya as well as dancers’ costumes. Located next to Pasar Badung is Kumbasari market. Kumbasari market is actually an extension of Pasar Badung, also selling a large variety of traditional songket fabrics directly from the loom, handcrafts and bed covers. For modern textiles we will visit Jalan Sulawesi, a street full of shops and one of the most popular places for anyone who is interested in linen, Yogya ikat, silk, saris (Indian), scarves and even curtain materials. Day 4 Thursday – Legian to Ubud (7 nights hotel – twin share) After lunch board the bus, leave the coast and travel to the beautiful hill town of Ubud, the traditional centre of art, sculpture and wood carving. On the way enjoy the ever changing vista as you leave the city for the country. Visit a training/ working art centre and a carving studio to see the artisans at work. When you drive into Ubud on the main road, the Palace is on the right with the market almost directly opposite. It’s a food and flower market early each morning and converts to a fun, colourful touristy market, after 10am, so bargain hard. Inexpensive, cheaper grade cloth is available here but as everything is so affordable, I would recommend that you save your money and your suitcase space for the best quality fabric shops. Spend your money here on local goods, such as baskets, wood carvings, bamboo wind chimes, silver jewellery and fun home furnishings. Settle into your beautiful new villas before a short walk to dinner. Day 5 Friday – Ubud - Cooking School Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Day 6 Saturday – Ubud – Markets and Textiles/ Balinese Dancing For those who prefer the calm of the ‘fixed price’ the main road is filled with beautiful shops filled with quality products. It’s girl heaven and works at a much calmer pace. Excellent quality modern cottons and silks are sold in shops next to hand woven ikat specialists and fine Javanese batiks from Yogyakarta. Wander the main Monkey Forest Road for the best quality shops. Whichever path you take, we will all re-group at the beautiful ‘Lotus Gardens Cafe’ to swap stories and laugh over bargaining wins and losses. After lunch we will walk the short distance to the ‘Threads of Life’ Indonesian Textile Arts Centre along the interesting path of Jalan Kajeng. It’s no ordinary side road – look at the cobbles and the paving which are all signed and patterned. Our first textile appreciation class is ‘Introducing the Textiles of Bali & Indonesia’. This insightful class introduces textiles from across Indonesia, displaying the various ikat, batik and supplementary weaving techniques used by the nation’s weavers. A contrast is made between hand spun and commercial threads, natural and chemical dyes, backstrap and mechanical loom weaving. There is an introduction to the ikat dyeing process and the use of natural dyes. Focusing on Bali and Nusa Tenggara, the class also explores the ritual use of textiles. Tonight we will enjoy the traditional Kecak Fire and Trance Dance performance. Day 7 Sunday – Ubud – Kintamani Tour Day 8 Monday – Ubud – Textile Village Tour Day 9 Tuesday – Ubud – Indigo Dyeing & Batik Workshop During a walk around the dye garden, the plants used as dyes throughout Indonesia are noted and the processes of their use explained. Day 10 Wednesday – Ubud – Eco and Educational Cycling Tour Travel by bus UP to Penelokan to breakfast overlooking the active volcano, Mt Batur and its crater lake, with some of the most stunning views in Bali. After breakfast it’s all DOWN hill on mountain bikes travelling on secret back roads and minor village roads (with no traffic), experiencing untouristed, typical Balinese daily life and picturesque countryside. Visit a Balinese plantation, a village temple, go for a short walk in the rice paddies and see traditional craftsmen at work en route, before sitting down to a traditional Balinese feast. After lunch visit a Balinese home and meet the family and end the day with a guided visit of the famous Ubud Monkey Forest. Day 11 Thursday – Ubud to Legian (1 night hotel - single occupancy) A ‘pamper fest’ awaits you and you can enjoy it any way you like, from a totally pampering facial, manicure and pedicure to the full ‘Queen Cleopatra’ extravaganza; a beautiful massage and body scrub followed by floating in a stone tub of steaming, fragrant water, frangipanis and rose petals – two hours of heaven! Everyone should be feeling (and looking) fabulous for tonight’s farewell dinner. Day 12 Friday – Legian – HOME We will have a general 12 noon checkout but will be keeping 2 rooms open until late/late checkout at 5pm. Starting from mid-afternoon individuals or small groups, travelling home to the same State, will be escorted to Denpasar International Airport by taxi or bus. Perth residents will arrive in Australia Friday evening Day 13 Saturday – HOME This tour is about textiles; dyers, weavers, tailors, leather-smiths, shoemakers and the odd jeweller or two! But it’s also about holidaying, relaxing, pampering and savouring the tastes, sights and sounds of this magical island. That’s what makes the ASG tours so very special. Discover the best that Bali has to offer with a group of like-minded friends. In March or April 2010 you may like to join the members of the Australian Sewing Guild as we discover Bali together. This tour includes:
Not included:
Land Tour Cost (as of June 2009): A$2,775 (twin-share basis) For further information or booking enquiries please contact: |
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Page 24 – Votive panel
mid 1300s – early 1400s embroidered on silk A scrolling design of lotus and vines enclosing a five-symbol sacred mantra in Iantsha, a Sanskrit based script. 
Page 42 – Chuba with phoenix design
Late 1600s brocade A large image of a phoenix, considered by the Chinese to be the ruler of all featured creatures, dominates this robe. The spectacular phoenix and dragon forms were particularly favoured by the Tibetans. This chuba would probably have been worn by a high-ranking lama. 
Page 43 – Chuba with dragon design
Woven 1700s, constructed 1800s silk brocade This chuba is made from fabric originally intended for an imperial yellow dragon robe. The lining is a coarse cotton. 
Page 61 – Twelve-symbol emperor’s semi-formal court robe
c1850 embroidery on silk satin. 
Page 66 – Semi-formal court robe
c1800 embroidery on silk satin Buddhist emblems embroidered in Peking knot stitch. The use of dragons, the number of claws and the orientation was determined by the status of the wearer. 
Page 107 –Detail of dragon robe
c1820 silk with couched peacock feathers |
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Celestial Silks – Yesterday and TodayFor a very short time the Art Gallery of NSW hosted the most beautiful and rare collection of Chinese Religious & Court Textiles. The exhibition was called Celestial Silks and I only wish that every true lover of beautiful cloth and stitchery could have experienced its breath taking beauty. Having only fallen upon it all, so close to the return of the exhibition to the many generous lenders, the best I could do was to track down the more than helpful publicist, Claire Martin and seek to share excerpts from the superb accompanying catalogue, compiled by Judith Rutherford and Jackie Menzies. Celestial Silks was a spectacular exhibition of a seldom seen aspect of the arts of China, which is perhaps strange bearing in mind that it was silk which gave its name to the exotic and fabled Silk Roads, and the word ‘seres’ (silk) was the name by which the Chinese were known at the time of those first tentative contacts through trade between the classical world of the Eastern Mediterranean and far-distant China some 2000 years ago. No single product better evokes the image and essence of China than silk. Silk is a fragile commodity and examples centuries old are exceedingly rare. The exhibition included robes dating from the 6th century and Buddhist silks of the Yuan and Ming dynasties, some 400-600 years old, as well as imperial textiles of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Divine Inspiration - silk and the culture of Chinese embroideryText taken from the Celestial Silks exhibition catalogue published by the Art Gallery of New South Wales Clothing made for the elite demanded abundant quantities of silk, embroidered by the bolt. It has been calculated from excavated robes that it would take 32 metres of 50-centimetre wide silk to produce a lined, bias-cut robe of the wrap-around style popular during the Han dynasty (206BCE), indicating a production-line model was probably in force with two or more embroiderers working on a single length. Social and technical changes of the Song dynasty (960-1279) had a profound effect on the lives of women and therefore on the production of embroidery. The basic principle that men work outside the home and women within, affirmed women’s work with textile production. However increased demand to produce greater quantity and more technically demanding weaves required progressively more complicated looms, resulting in commercial urban workshops that were dominated by male weavers. Women continued to be responsible for raising silkworms, considered a maternal occupation. With the diminishing home production of textiles, women took up embroidery as a way of fulfilling the traditional obligation to be industrious. Embroidery gave meaning to their secluded lives. Over time it became widespread and distinct regional styles developed. Embroidery became an important part of every girl’s education. Records show a girl would start learning to embroider from as young as six, soon after her feet were first bound. As a bride-to-be, a young woman’s value was judged by the quality of her stitching, particularly of her finely embroidered shoes. Embroidery also gave a woman a voice to express her dreams and desires. From personal records and diaries we learn that ‘virtuous’ women would not start reading during the day until they had finished their embroidery. (It is interesting to note that an English diary of the 18th century contained identical sentiments). A Continuing ThreadWhat of embroidery in China today? There is no doubt that embroidery production has dramatically diminished in the recent past. However, a few excellent workshops continue to exist. The driving force for the continuation of hand embroidery in China may, with time, mirror circumstances that helped evolve its origins. The rising class of educated elite with an appetite for new and innovative luxury goods may again recognize embroidery as a spectacular medium of art and embellishment. Add to this the national identity that the tradition of embroidery lends and we can predict a continuing thread. Uncut Textiles – Constructing Dragon RobesText taken from the Celestial Silks exhibition catalogue published by the Art Gallery of New South Wales The creation of dragon robes for the imperial court and high-ranking officials was a complex process, tightly controlled by rigid sumptuary regulations. During the Qing dynasty the designs for robes and clothing accessories were formulated at the Board of Rites in Beijing. As part of the design process, robes for officials were sketched on paper while imperial robes were painted in colour. The design of all imperial robes required approval of the emperor before work could commence at one of the imperial weaving or embroidery centers. The side-opening robes were constructed in three panels: one contained the left side of the front and back, another the right side inner front flap, and the third the overlapping front section. When the embroidery was completed, the front and back seams were joined and front-facing dragons were embroidered across the seam. Additional fabric was also required for the sleeves, cuffs, facings and trims. Brocade robes were woven in one continuous length with each section decorated appropriately for the left, back and front panels. Additional pieces for facings and so on were incorporated into this single length. The weaving alone for this type of robe would take in excess of two years. The fabric was woven or embroidered specifically for each particular garment. The design elements were an important means of communication, delivering encoded messages to members of the community and the universe beyond. Detailed records of imperial robes were kept. The amount of gold-wrapped thread used, the cost of each garment and even the cost of ferry crossings were noted. On completion an auspicious report would be submitted. Each robe, or in some cases groups of robes were carefully inspected and rejected if they did not reach the exacting standards that were prescribed. The rejected robes were often presented as gifts to less important foreign recipients. |