[Ek_fiber] Introduction

[Lakshmi]

Namaste!

I'm Lakshmi!  (waves hi to a bunch of familiar faces)

I am cross-venue string geek - I love spinning (current favorite -
supported spun cotton and silk), studying weaving methods, dying,
block printing, wax resist, embroidery and making clothes.  If it
somehow involves a fiber, I'm easily captured. I even have a loom and
hope to start weaving some time in fall, now that I also have the
fiber I wanted for my first project (shot silk)

My strongest suit is Indian stuff... I love way too many arts, so I
try to limit myself to just the one region. :)  I spend quite a lot of
time studying Indian textiles, trying to learn as much as possible
about the fiber, weaving, forms of embellishment and cultural context.

I keep a website (http://www.pir.net/~beth/main.html), which I update
from time to time.  My most recent foray was to London, where I got to
spend an afternoon in the Victoria and Albert Museum's SouthEast Asian
research library, chatting with Rosemary Crill, scrutinizing a 1610
men's hunting vest and various 13th-16th century textiles imported to
Fustat Egypt from India.  Will hopefully be redacting those notes in a
grad school break into something really fascinating and web-able.

Chances are, as I juggle many commitments, I'll be a lurker, but if
you have a goofy question about Indian fabric, drop me a line and I'll
give it a shot.

-Lakshmi