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This exhibit is curated by Qin Zhang.

Jiaxie was an incised wooden block textile dyeing technique that was in vogue in Tang Dynasty (618 AD-907 AD) in ancient China. It was widely used throughout East Asia in antiquity. Specimens of early Jiaxie can only be found in few well-known museums, such as the British Museum in UK and Shosoin in Japan, as their treasure textile collections.

In the 19th century, the color of Jiaxie in China remained only blue and the material evolved from silk to cotton. As a result, Jiaxie had become Lanjiaxie (Blue Jiaxie) and from luxury goods for royal family to ordinary people’s commodity. In Southeastern China, however, Lanjiaxie became a special quilt cover for marriage, which played an important role in local people’s life. A set of special etiquette, production process and use customs were designed and the patterns or images on quilt covers were usually from the Chinese ancient dramas of romance, such as hero and beauty, gifted scholars and nice ladies, indicating people’s wish and desire for love and better life even in the old days when there was no freedom for love or marriage.

Tula Pink is an illustrator, fabric designer, quilter, and author. She explores new ideas and techniques in this collection of creative, unique, and original quilts.

Tula’s main function in life is fabric design. Her signature designs have been adapted to fabrics, woven ribbons, paper products, needlepoint kits, embroidery patterns and sewing machines and can be found in independent fabric shops and retailers all over the world. Tula is most recognized in her industries for her dark sense of humor, a flair for hiding animals in the strangest of places (artistically, not literally) and her boldly unique use of color and pattern. Tula comes from the “more is more” school of design where there is never enough space and always room for that one last thing.

Today Tula Pink works closely with the good people at Free Spirit Fabrics to develop multiple fabric collections every year, is an Ambassador for BERNINA sewing machines, develops collections for Aurifil Threads and Renaissance Ribbons and writes books for F+W Media about quilting and sewing. She works all day everyday and gets very cranky when she is asked to leave the studio or if Tula Pink is her real name.