I recently became a member of the Textile and Fiber Art list. This is a fairly young but very impressive organization dedicated to helping textile artists access the power of the web by working collectively. TAFA now has over 400 members from 35 countries. Each member has their individual profile page on the TAFA website, which is based on the idea of linking all the various presences an individual has on the web in on place.
The images here are just a tiny glimpse of the work to be found on TAFA.
Leaves – A hooked wool wall-hanging by Hana Rosenmann
By going to my profile on TAFA, you can see the work currently for sale in my Etsy shop, view my Flickr slideshow, check out my location on a world map and access direct links to my Facebook, Etsy, Twitter, Flickr and Tumblr accounts, plus my website and this blog. It is a very well thought out solution which must be a great model that many other organizations could follow. In addition to the main website, TAFA also has a presence on Facebook, etc., as well as running an Etsy group.
Colourful felted and crochet handbag by Renate Kirkpatrick
The driving force behind TAFA is its founder Rachel Biel who supplied a great deal of assistance in getting me up and running on the site. Rachel is a great believer in the power that comes from people working together and has clearly put in a great effort to make her vision a reality. As well as trying to build a successful business model for individual craftspeople, the organization also pays a lot of attention to issues such as fair trade, sustainability and the environment.
Rachel Biel is the driving force behind TAFA
If you have an interest in textile art then the TAFA list is something you definitely should explore. All the members are professional artists and the work is both very diverse and of high quality. 
Walk in the woods – A felted picture by Stacy Polson
Wai-Yuk Kennedy Textile Art 
I totally agree!
Wow! What a great endorsement, Wai-Yuk! (And, thank YOU, too, Meta!) I find it a great honor and privilege to work with this group and feel energized and inspired when I think of how each one impacts their local communities as well as the larger ones each has on the web. TAFA is evolving into something so beautiful and full of potential, far exceeding my original vision or ideas. Each member brings in their unique contribution, experience, voice, skill and really makes it the treasure it is.
One correction: not all of the members are artists although the core of our membership is made up of studio artists. We also have many who are working with groups, such as our fair trade members, and others who sell vintage textiles, are organizations themselves, might be raising sheep and selling their wool or yarns to other artists or are heavily involved in promoting handmade textiles.
One of the things that I really wanted to see happen was to create a bridge between contemporary and traditional textiles and that is definitely happening on TAFA. Most textile organizations focus on one or the other and rarely do we get to see a weaving from New Mexico next to a Guatemalan one along with a vintage one from Afghanistan. I believe that the old works need to be preserved and understood and that the contemporary ones reinterpret those who have gone on before us. Cultures, techniques and lifestyles are rapidly disappearing around the world as we move quickly to a homogeneous, corporate driven and mass produced world. All hand made crafts and art offer an alternative and when that is coupled with sustainability and environmental concerns, the impact is huge.
So, thank you, Wai-Yuk, for your contribution and for your support! It’s been a pleasure to have you come on board and I love your work and how you present it here. Kudos back to you!
Thanks for clearing that up, Rachel, and for such an interesting and thoughtful comment! I’m really glad I’ve had the chance to join the TAFA fold and look forward to seeing how TAFA evolves.
Wonderful – will explore more! tfs 😀
There are some amazing colour mixes in the photos particularly like the walk in the woods and can’t pass without mentioning the reindeer, just lovely.
Thanks for sharing Siân