Last May I was one of the happy few to follow the Intensive Textile Course at TRC Leiden. Since that course my outlook on the world has been (further) textilized. Meaning, that what I see is filtered through a textile filter.
This filter pops up at unexpected moments and this weekend it manifested itself again when I was looking through the NRC Newspaper. There was a large picture of the uniform worn by Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand on the day of his assassination 28 June 1914. I expect most people would associate this with the wearer, and with the act that changed the course of history.
The first thing I noticed: blue fabric, twill weave. The red collar has gold embroidery in a geometric pattern, with three silver stars on either side in raised embroidery, decorated with what looks like sequins, but are probably spangles. I regret the photo was not clearer, so I might have been able to tell what thread was used for the gold embroidery.
Those details I would not have noticed before the course, and it is great fun to see them since. I will have more of these moments, and look forward to them. Thanks to the teaching of Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood at TRC Leiden.
Felicia Kruger-de Bats, 24 June 2014
