At ATW80F we are working with artists, designers, and fabric specialists to create a series of narrative quilts that tell the story of place, material, and makers.

If you would like to acquire one of our quilts for your collection or sponsor a future quilt, please reach out in the contact section.

Quilt of 5 Jewels, Mongolia

Materials: yak, cashmere goat, horse, Bactrian camel, sheep, branch

Techniques: felting, crochet, embroidery

Size: 50” x 97”

Created by talented Mongolian Artists husband and wife, Togmidshiirev Enkhbold and Munguntsetseg Lkhagvasuren, this gorgeous textile art piece is a celebration of Mongolia’s non-petroleum textile alternatives.

Togmidshiirev Enkhbold, is a prominent urban based artist whose work addresses contemporary Mongolian issues like mining and pollution. His large scale canvases are created using dung, felt, shrubs, ash, rust, animal skin and tripe. His wife, artist Munguntstetseg Lkhagwasuren, works in many forms of media including horsehair fiber sculpture.
These two artists journeyed across the expansive Mongolian landscape, from the yak herds of the Khangai mountains to the Bactrian camels of the vast Gobi desert. Along the way they gathered materials from what is known as Mongolia’s 5 Fiber Jewels -- the sheep, yak, camel, goat and horses—and created this one-of-a-kind precious biodegradable felt quilt.

During their journey, the artists gained deep insight into the ecological relationship between the herders, their animals and feltmaking. Recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, this 3000 year-old tradition remains a living art. Enkbold and Munguntsetseg met with nomadic herdsmen, and shared discussions about petroleum fiber pollution, the health of the land, and the ecological symbioses that keeps them alive in such extreme temperatures ranging from -45F to 112F. The reverence for these animals and the age-old textile tradition of feltmaking is beautifully shared in this Mongolian poem.

May the felt be stronger than bone
And whiter than fresh snow
May the shears be sharp
May the fleece be fluffy or
May the shears be sharp
May the sheared sheep
Be tens or hundreds of thousands
May the dust from these sheep
Rise up to the sky

* This quilt was on view at the 2022 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. During the festival, Togmidshiirev Enkhbold led a performance piece on the National Mall.

From Soil to Carpet, Morocco

*Note this project in in process, with final photos coming soon!

Materials: locally produced and handspun Timahdite sheep wool, locally sourced and foraged natural dyes

Natural dyes used: Madder, Henna powder, Henna leaves, Pomegranate, Gallium, Green Oak, Walnut Leaves

Techniques: handwoven on vertical rug looms and naturally dyed by hand

Sizes: TBD

Our quilt series, From Soil to Carpet was developed through our OneEarth sponsored initiative, Regenerating Natural Fabric Dyeing Processes with Traditional Moroccan Weavers. ATW80F partnered with a diverse group of experienced Morocco-based women with the goal to support their own efforts in strengthening their vibrant carpet making practices and their desire to switch away from harmful synthetic dye to healthier natural dye practices instead. We worked closely and collaboratively with Artisan Project and the Ain Leuh Women’s Cooperative to co-develop the project’s scope and outcomes, including this series of quilted rugs.

This is an ongoing initiative in collaboration with a multi-national and multi-disciplinary group of women with a focus on catalyzing changes in the carpet industry of Morocco. Our collaboration focused on collective knowledge sharing between all partners - from creating new recipes with traditional knowledge of plants and dyes of the region with master weavers, to hunting for pigment producing microbes with additional Moroccan microbiology colleagues.

Project partners:

ARTISAN PROJECT:

Nina Mohammad, Founder and creative directorMaymuna Galbert, Intern and translator

Alima Manaar Galbert, Intern and translator

Mehdi Benalmahi, Logistics

Soukaina Siyali, Assistant

AIN LEUH WOMENS COOPERATIVE:

Khadijah El Abdi, President

Hachmia Douiri, Treasurer

Khadouj Ouashkek, Secretary

Fatima el Aroussi

Hjou Amraoui