BLUE: Tatter Textile Library

As many of us struggle to beat the heat, finding the right wardrobe can be a challenge. Dressing for extreme temperatures is an age-old problem—centuries of history stretching back to ancient Egypt document the ingenious use of material, shape, and movement to adjust to varying climates, from blazing desert sun to dense and humid rainforests. One such example is this airy hand-stitched dress from the northern Greek region of Thessaly.

This early 20th century Greek chemise may look heavy, but its silk weave is extremely light and drapes loosely on the body, allowing for consistent airflow and protection from the Mediterranean sun. This piece is very likely from the fishing village Trikeri, one of the few villages in which chemises were seen in colors other than white, a color reserved for unmarried women. While beautiful enough to stand alone, the chemise would have been the base layer for folk costume. Along the sleeves and hem, we see examples of bibila, a traditional style of needle lace worked directly onto fabric.

Perhaps most striking about this airy garb is its contrasting use of bright color: vibrant floral embroidery along the sleeves and hem, seams worked in a rainbow of shades matching the multicolored trim. The seamless integration of a thinner fabric panel along the upper back makes clear that this was an intentional and stylistic choice. The blue collar and shoulder panels could be mended or part of the original design, but the mismatched plastic buttons suggest this dress was worn frequently enough to need repairs.

Huge thanks to our Bard Graduate Center intern, Lilia Destin, for researching and identifying this dress. She's focused on our garment collection this summer and we're excited to share some other pieces she's been working on.

Chemise, Greek, early 20th century. Silk, cotton embroidery floss, plastic. 2026.2.14.

Come summer, many of us migrate outdoors for some much needed time in nature. For the devoted textile artist, this means taking a project on the road. Some crafts, however, can be a challenge to bring along—tangled yarn and thread, needles primed and ready to strike searching hands, unwieldy lengths of fabric or tiny scraps prone to vanishing into bags. For menders on the go, this early 20th century project bag provides some elegant inspiration.

This dainty crocheted wrist pouch, sometimes called a finger purse, is just big enough to carry a darner and thread. While the open netting may seem impractical, it allows thread to be pulled through and kept separate from a winder, preventing tangling. This enameled foot form darner is designed specifically to mend socks and stockings, helping to maintain their shape. We have dozens of foot form darners in our collection, but few are as handsome as this painted lady. Here at TATTER we often talk about the delight to be found in the beauty of simple textile tools, and this sweet duo is one of our favorites.

Foot form darner, early 20th century. Wood, enamel, cotton thread, paint. 2021.2.205. From the Carolyn Headley Darner Collection.

"And Still We Rise: Race, Culture, and Visual Conversations” by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. 

Carolyn Mazloomi, artist, curator, collector, author, and engineer, has long championed the importance of Black quilt-makers, both present and past, and of preserving Black history. Her work is especially essential now, as huge swaths of history are being removed from museums and school curriculums.

"And Still We Rise," one of her 16 published titles, is a curated anthology of quilts depicting milestones across 400 years of Black history in America, both the joyful and the traumatic. Containing 97 original works by 69 contemporary artists, the book considers how we live with history, and how it is sewn into our modern lives. Both visually stunning and deeply impactful, each quilt contains threads of history and of the artists' own life, developing alongside it.

On July 14th, TATTER is honored to host a virtual artist talk with Dr. Mazloomi, featuring her in dialogue with Dr. Sharbreon Plummer, co-editor of our latest TATTERJournal issue, as well as an artist, curator, author, and artist in her own right. Please join us for a thoughtful consideration of cloth and identity, history and future, and much more.

Learn more at tatter.org

Featured quilts: "An Open Book to Freedom" by April Thomas Shipp; "The Little Rock Nine" by Sandra Noble; "Trayvon Could Be My Son" by Dorothy Burge; "We Are All Warmed By the Same Sun" by Helen Murrell.