A few years ago, I was given two beautiful old 1950’s Parker Knoll chairs by my mother-in-law, chairs which hold amazing memories of family get-togethers at her home. These two chairs were covered with loose covers, made from gorgeous English floral fabrics, but the fabric got so worn, I had to figure out how I could give these two chairs a new lease of life.
Thank God, I had a gorgeous Indigo Blue Sumba Hinggi blanket and with the help of a very clever upholsterer, we managed to cover both chairs using just one blanket, combined with blue thick linen fabrics. This was a rather scary project, as the blanket cost me an arm and a leg. It took only 1 week to complete both chairs. These two chairs are now the stars of my sitting room, always admired by visiting friends and family.
This textile was not newly woven textile, but definitely not antique or doesn’t even qualify for a vintage item, but textiles like this are readily available in weaving centres in Sumba with reasonable prices and equally beautiful like older textiles. Many Sumba weavers can produce amazing new textiles, with traditional or contemporary designs. Some textiles can be made to order and created to meet your specifications and requirement; the colours, the thickness, the designs and the sizes. This one was made from fairly thick high-quality cotton and dyed using natural dye Indigofera tinctoria. This textile is very durable and my chairs look so elegant upholstered with this gorgeous ikat.
I am so in love with Sumba textile, and I feel that displaying them in your home this way is so much more valuable than keeping them in the wardrobe to be eaten by month.
If you fancy a little trip to Sumba in the future, come and join me and my gang of textile enthusiasts, heading down there to explore the textiles of the island. Don’t forget to like my tour page, so that you can see our updates for future activities. https://www.facebook.com/indonesiatextiletours
Take care, hope to explore Sumba with you in the near future. In the meantime, Stay at home, and stay safe.
Salam Wastra Indonesia,
Nelly
