The oversize blankets are woven of hemp and hand dyed with French flowers, American chestnuts and indigo.

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He showered her with gifts, starting with a 6-yard-long piece of bazin fabric, the hand-dyed, polished cotton which is the mainstay of Malian fashion.

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The latest crop of shibori enthusiasts, such as Brooklyn-based designer Rebecca Atwood, who recently launched the Blauvelt Collection of hand-dyed pillows, is breathing new life into the ancient craft.

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Weaving is done manually by a lissier, or weaver, on a loom positioned horizontally, working on the reverse side of the tapestry, and using yarns that are hand-dyed in house.

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This kind of authenticity has become its own form of luxury: Where else will you find wide-legged trousers made of hand-dyed tweed, or old-school shirting combined with thick cashmere and a flirty take on tartan?

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The "story" is about how wool has been dyed and hand spun into tweed by islanders for centuries and how in the 1840s it was first brought to the attention of commercial markets by a widowed aristocrat, Lady Dunmore, after she fell in love with the material.

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His hand may have been stengthened by the fact that he is a dyed-in-the-wool auditor.

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