Welcome to the TextileX resource guide—a growing effort created to map out and connect the vibrant textile community and resources in the Portland metro area and beyond. The foundation of this guide was built from the diversity of organizations that participate in the Portland TextileX Month festival every October.
Development of and funding for this guide have been provided by Textile Hive with additional funding from a RACC catalyst grant in 2019.
We encourage you to contribute additional resources through this form and consider becoming a member of TextileX to help further develop this resource guide as well as Portland TextileX Month.
Studios
Brahma Tirta Sari
brahmatirtasari.org/profile.html
Crossing both visible and invisible boundaries of nationality-ethnic background, the traditional-the contemporary, art-craft Agus Ismoyo (Indonesian) and Nia Fliam (American) have been working collaboratively to produce contemporary textiles in their fine art batik studio, Brahma Tirta Sari in Yogyakarta, Indonesia since 1985. Ismoyo’s ancestors were batik makers in the court city of Solo in Java. He was trained in industrial management at the Industrial Academy (AKPRIND) in Yogyakarta. Nia originally explored dye resist techniques from Africa and Asia in America. She completed her fine arts degree at Pratt Institute in New York City before coming to Indonesia in 1983 to study traditional batik. ‘This collaborative art team is renowned for their intricate, nuanced and time-intensive contemporary fine art textiles. They have exhibited at many prestigious exhibitions around the world and worked with world distinguished curators. Since 1994 they have explored and worked in collaboration with Australian Aboriginals, American Indians and various Asian and Australian artists, They have received critical acclaim for their successful use of traditional textile techniques in exploring their own realm of creativity while pursuing an understanding of the value, role and meaning of tradition in the development of our world culture.’ Christine Cocca, Antenna Projects, Yogyakarta Indonesia. Their studio produces not only fine art batik and paintings but a range of wearable art products and craft as art interior items. Brahma Tirta Sari (BTS), which means ‘creativity is the source of all knowledge’, was founded on the belief that there are many relevant traditions rooted in cultures throughout the world.
Farms
Ewethful Fiber Farm & Mill
At Ewethful Fiber Farm we create custom made fiber products for flock owners and fiber enthusiasts. In addition we also create our own line of products using locally sourced fiber. We specialize in processing fine animal fibers to our customer’s specifications. Using MiniMills Equipment we are able to process sheep, alpaca, llama, angora rabbit, dog hair, bison and goat in addition to several other fiber animals. We receive raw (unwashed) fleeces from our clients, wash them, dry them and then process the fiber into batts for felting or roving for hand spinning. We are able to custom blend fibers and have a wide selection of blending materials to choose from to create our customers perfect product. In addition we are able to dehair, to separate out course fibers from fine finer and remove vegetable matter from fine fiber fleeces.
Farms
Imperial Stock Ranch
It’s not common to find a privately held ranch whose headquarters is a National Historic District. It’s even less common to find one located in Oregon that sustainably produces a wide variety of all-natural products. In fact, the Imperial Stock Ranch is the only one. Our rich history of more than 145 years is deeply rooted in visionary thinking and the implementation of practices that are anything but ordinary. We are proud to offer you something different. Something special and unique. Something extraordinary.
Businesses
Love Fest Fibers
Based in San Francisco, we offer small-batch, sustainably sourced yarn + fiber goods. We design our collections to spark creativity in makers (that’s you!) while creating meaningful opportunities to support and elevate fiber-producing communities. Our incredibly skilled partner artisans practice their craft in small, family-run workshops in Nepal, Tibet and America's West Coast.
Farms
Vibrant Valley Farm
We are a group of dedicated farmers and passionate educators committed to exploring innovative solutions to enliven the current food system, both locally and globally. We work to honor ancient traditions in growing food and connecting to the land as well as to helping to create healthier communities. We are partnering with local schools and youth projects to create mentorship programs as well as green job training possibilities to accompany the hard work and dedication of growing food and learning from one another in a field setting.
Businesses
Weaver House
Weaver House is a yarn shop, textile studio and weaving school located in Philadelphia. We weave heirloom textiles in honor of craft tradition, to regain tactility and a hand-making consciousness within the home and in relation to the body. Our woven practice is forever recorded in cloth, forming a tangible language between maker and loom. We teach mindfulness and mediation throughout all of workshops, and believe that weaving can be therapeutic and healing.