Wyoming Breezes

wrap around skirt circa 1979 Thirty-eight years ago, this wrap around skirt was purchased after I toured a batik factory  in Malaysia. The batik dyeing process intrigued me then and still does. Today, quilt shops offer a wide selection of gorgeous batiks; however, the fabric was not common in the United States until the mid-90s. I enjoyed wearing the skirt for several years and loved it so much that I tucked it in the cedar chest when it no longer fit. Recently, I found the skirt and decided to take it apart and salvage as many of the squares as possible. Perhaps this stack of batik squares will become a table topper, a pillow, or placemats. No matter how I decide to use the squares, this souvenir fabric will remind me of many wonderful adventures. batik scraps ready to be squared

Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque Johor, Malaysia December 1979 December 1979 Other posts of this mosque can be found here: Prayer area Altar Arch Gate

Prayer rugs Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque Johor, Malaysia December 1979 These photos give you some idea how large the prayer area (sorry I don't know the official name) was in the mosque.  Some people asked me about the significance of the clock on the top of the altar ( see a  closer photo in last week's post ) but I can't remember. I'm guessing it has something to do with the call to prayer. If I remember correctly, they prayed four times a day.  Tour guide explains parts of the mosque

Altar Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque Johor, Malaysia December 1979

Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque Johor,  Malaysia December 1979 Another photo taken at this site can be seen on this earlier post .

Money from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, and Japan 1979 - 1980 When traveling it is important to carry coins and bills from the countries you are visiting. Having the foreign money provides peace of mind that you can purchase food, pay for a taxi, make a phone call, and tip if appropriate. It's never wise to cash in or spend all of your foreign money before leaving a country because the unexpected can always occur. I came home with a few dollars from some of the countries I visited. Of course, most of the money is from Japan. I never bothered to exchange any of the money when I returned to the base or even when I returned to the U.S. The exchange rate for a U.S. dollar was very good in 1979, nearly $2.30 for 100 yen; the exchange rate now is closer to $1 to 101 yen. According to exchange-rates.org , the Japanese yen in the photo would total approximate $17 at today's exchange rate. Today, the Thai bhat is worth $2.75, Singapore dollars and odd c...

Nancy Vandenberg Sultan Garden Johor Bahru, Malaysia December 1979 The Sultan's Palace, owned by the Sultan of Johor , was closed to the public, but tours were conducted of the surrounding garden and grounds. The lush and finely groomed palace grounds overlook the Johor Straits towards Singapore.  

Malaysian Children December 1979 The children gathered at a Mosque gate when my group toured the building. Our group probably provided a distraction for them on a hot December day. In my travels, I only encountered children begging for food/money in the Philippines and in Bangkok.

Batik painting  December 1979  Jahor Bahru, Maylasia The woman, pictured above, is painting on the fabric with hot wax, a process called batik painting . The wax prevents the color from adhering to the area in the dyeing process, and the original color will show when the wax is removed. Today, quilters like to use batiks in their quilts, but that fabric and process is much different from these paintings, which were made of silk. Once the outline of wax is on the fabric, the dyes are added, also by hand. The wax is melted sometime during the process and the design remains. You can find some examples of silk, batik paintings here .  Batik blocks are used mostly on yardage. The blocks are dipped in hot wax, again by hand, and then applied to the fabric in a repetitious manner. The fabric is then dyed. After the final dyeing, the wax is removed from the fabric.  I am sure that today's commercial batiks do not have the wax applied by ...