While collecting textile printer printings appears to be a new area in the widening collectors' circle, it is actually a tradition that goes back through time and may in fact be the earliest collected art form. Before the arrival of spinning jennies, power-generated looms and synthetic dyes, digital textiless were very time consuming and expensive to produce. The fact that they were highly valued, preserved and collected is shown by their inclusion in early wills and household inventories. Particularly highly prized, were textile printings brought from distant places. During the Renaissance, these treasures were kept in "curiosity cabinets" and in Europe many of these collections remain intact, having been passed down through the generations.
  
  Today thousands of yards of textile designss are produced in minutes by machines. With yardage a common commodity, we long for material that is made completely by hand. Handmade fabric prints not only reveal the skill of the maker but reflect a long history and cultural tradition. Collecting digital textiless leads one in many directions: to the exploration of another culture, a link with history; to the wonder of technical ingenuity, and a feeling of connection to the person who masterminded this impressive object.