Detail, cover of Selvedge Issue 92 Comfort (January/February 2020).
Is there a textile lover in your life who needs a Christmas present? We have listed three gift ideas from Selvedge below for you to consider – or for you to drop hints about. A gift from Selvedge supports us in sustaining the magazine and our work in finding and nurturing textiles from every continent.
A gift subscription
Give a long-lasting gift with a subscription to Selvedge beginning with our next issue, Issue 92 Comfort. Our bimonthly textile magazine, featuring textiles in fine art, craft, design, interiors and shopping, is delivered globally by post or online and delivery is included in the subscription membership. You can choose a three issue (six months) or six issue (12 months) subscription. So that the recipient has ‘something to open’, you can print a gift subscription card, choosing from three card designs.
A Selvedge tote
A stocking filler idea, or perhaps an unconventional ‘stocking’ itself, the Selvedge tote is available in six designs, featuring some of our most popular covers from the last fifteen years. Made from 100% organic natural cotton canvas, the design for the totes was developing with Re-wrap. They are stylish and roomy, with a handy inside pocket that is perfect for a phone or a purse, and sturdy handles. They are also a perfect way to recognise other Selvedge readers out in the wild.
The bags are made in rural communities in India by Re-wrap. Many of the women who sew the bags come from marginalised sections of society and Re-wrap train them in traditional sewing skills to help them gain economic independence. Re-wrap have also built partnerships with farmers who grow Seed-to-Shop cotton from which the bags are made, investing in them along the way.
The Selvedge calendar
The Selvedge calendar features 12 beautiful textiles inspired by the pages of the magazine. For example, in February we celebrate darning samplers from The Netherlands, which were used to teach girls the useful skill of mending worn household textiles. In July we feature a tent handing from the The Tentmakers of Cairo. Their ancestors made the majestic travelling tents of the Ottoman Empire, and today they produce intricate appliquéd textiles that are unique to Egypt. And if you can stand to think that far ahead, December 2020 features the distinctive look of ikat from Uzbekistan.
You can shop these items and more in the Artisan Goods section of our site.