Tokyo meets London in NONA naturally dyed threads
Inspired by the botanical richness of Japan, the ancient art of temari and our favourite neighbourhoods in London, Rika Stein has created three beautiful sets of naturally dyed cotton threads for Loop through her new venture, NONA. We’ve been in love with Rika’s work since her days at Temaricious and we’re over the moon to have these unique threads in the shop.
Indigo, madder and red cherry leaves are among the plants used to create special sets built on the colours of Angel, where our shop is located, and Primrose Hill, London’s best spot for a picnic and a stroll. The indigo set, also made especially for Loop, shows the full range of blues a skilled dyer can get from the plant, from the slightest hint of tint to the darkest midnight. Each bundle is available in 140 metre skeins or 1.3 metre twists.
These threads are useful in all sorts of projects, from embroidering to mending. They can even be used in very fine crochet. The indigo set in particular would be perfect for boro repair or sashiko stitching on denim. For a stunning gift, these threads can be used to create temari balls, geometric decorative balls that were traditionally given to children on new year’s day. They remain joyful additions to any home.
Those keen to try boro and sashiko mending techniques could put these NONA threads to good use in our upcoming workshops with Molly Martin. Molly will share her skill at boro patching and darning in two workshops on Sunday 25th July and Tuesday 27th July. You can read more about Molly’s approach to mending in our blog post profiling her from a few weeks ago.
Designs and Patterns from Muhu Island
We are so excited to have the beautiful Designs and Patterns from Muhu Island book back in stock. It is a masterpiece showcasing the magnificent handicraft of a tiny Estonian community whose weight in traditional arts and crafts far outstrips its size. This book is in Estonian, but its ability to inspire transcends language.
Here’s to an inspired weekend!
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