a destination to stop, shop, eat and stay in the atmosphere of history
the silken tent
textile art for you, your home or your business
The Silken Tent is a Textile Art & Design Studio based in Heritage listed Braidwood, rural New South Wales, Australia, the home of a number of artists and craftspeople.
The Silken Tent draws inspiration directly or indirectly from the country around us. Many of the designs are based on the flowers, plants or landscape colours of the area - the aim is for decorative simplicity and the freshness that reflects Australian country living.
The Silken Tent works only with natural fibres - pure cottons, hemp, linen, ramie, silk and wool, uses water-based fabric inks and tries to keep work processes as environmentally friendly as possible.
All designs are copyright, ©The Silken Tent.
The products and designs originating from The Silken Tent include
- Soft and brilliant, painted silk garments upon commission - Kaftans, Haiori, Kimono – and westernised versions of this very specialist traditional garment, - painted by Gill Burke and sewn by skilled local needlewomen. Each is unique.
- Under the label 'SILKEN TENT FABRIC DESIGNS' we design and handprint a range of furnishing fabrics suitable for curtains and upholstery for use in your home or commercially
- Gill Burke designs and paints a range of silk scarves and hangings for The Silken Tent, each design is unique
- Gill Burke has taken the Shibori process further to produce a range of silk scarves and wraps using heat to set the tieing into the fabric. This development, pioneered in Japan and used by Issy Miake in his famous ‘Bobble T Shirt’, gives amazing textures and patterns to fabric
- The Silken Tent uses both natural and synthetic indigo – but prefer the natural despite the complications of making the dye pot. We are also experimenting with growing and processing Wood, work with natural dyes, especially Madder and the various eucalypts found around Braidwood. Our dye work is used for some of our coverlets and wool wall-panels. There is a bed of dye plants in the garden at The Silken Tent.
Gill Burke
The Silken Tent
7 Clyde Street
Braidwood NSW 2622
p: +61 2 4842 2579
