Philippine Textile on Display at Berkeley Exhibit

The Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles in Berkeley, California will feature an exhibit of whitework embroidery from October 2, 2006 until 5 February 2007, Mondays thru Saturdays from 12 noon to 6 pm.

The Whitework Embroidery exhibit features an extensive collection of woven fabrics depicting all cultures of all ages and all levels of society. The exhibit honors cultural heritage and inspire people to appreciate the hands, minds, hearts and dedication behind each piece.

The collection includes piña cloth, one of the finest handwoven textiles made from fiber of the wild pineapple plant in the Philippines. The exhibit also articulates the various embroidery techniques employed in working with various types of fabrics, including the appliqué where additional layers of fabric are sewn to the base fabric forming shadow effects. This technique is employed in some of the piña embroidery.

The museum also features collections of thousands of specimens from pre-Columbian Peru, finest laces from the 17th century European courts and examples of the machine laces exemplifying the 19th century industrial revolution. An extensive library focusing on lace, textiles and costume with over 10,000 items of books, patterns, articles and other ephemera, and a collection of tools of the textile crafts is included in the resources of the museum.

Individuals and groups are admitted free to the museum which is located at 2982 Adeline Street in Berkeley. Photos of the lace museum forum may be viewed at forum.lacismuseum.orgindex.php?board=2.0

You may also get an overview, including a slideshow of the exhibit at the museum website www.lacismuseum.org/exhibits.html. For other inquiries, please call the museum at (510) 843-7178.