Well, hello again and Happy New Year, Stitch fans! I’m happy to announce my latest appearance with the fabulous Stitch Winter Gifts Issue 2012. This issue is crammed full of seasonal gift and craft ideas, and I’ve tossed my hat into the ring once again with a traditional Japanese textile project that you can make at home.

Most magazine articles are written months in advance, and I have fond memories of working on this piece while watching the Oakland A’s play through the summer season. The fabrics I used were a beautiful deep blue habutai silk from a Stone Mountain and Daughter (Berkeley/Oakland, California); a bright red kimono remnant from my shop, likely rayon or a rayon/silk blend rinzu with a woven crane design from a vintage kimono; and muslin from my mother’s stash, which I inherited after she passed away. The goldwork threads came from a doll maker who purchased them in Japan in the 1950’s. The threads still work as well as new, which was a relief. Of all the projects I’ve submitted for Stitch, this one was the most sentimental for me. There was just so much going into it, from the simple muslin that reminded me of my mother, to the hours spent with my partner Thomas while we watched baseball together, to the final gifting of this project to a dear friend of mine who got married this winter.

I invite you to order a copy online, as it is currently on sale for $12. If you already have the issue and would like a more detailed look at the completed project, I will be covering that in a future post.