Last year we quietly launched our new Etsy shop, Blue Star Organic Fabrics. We’re still building inventory slowly and collections we ordered last fall at Quilt Market are arriving a bit at a time. Last month we got Haiku from Monaluna, and this month Morning Song from Cloud9 arrived. Both collections are gorgeous, and more grown…
Author: The Ardent Thread
This is the blog for KimonoMomo, an online business selling new and vintage textiles, thread, and notions from Japan.
Silk Sashiko class registration almost open for Houston International Quilt Festival 2015
Class enrollment opens July 3 for the Houston International Quilt Festival! If you’d like to take my SILK SASHIKO class on Saturday, October 31, (#749 in the class catalog) be sure to sign up early as last year the class sold out by mid-August. I’ve had all year to work on improving the class so it…
Hyakka Ryoran Neko Collection
Like cats? So do we! Our cranky, flighty Miss Lily sheds, scratches, and bites, but we love her anyway. Like cat fabrics for quilts? We have ’em! This collection from Quilt Gate is playful and yummy, filled with cats, flowers, and fun. It comes in five different prints and five different colorways. The fabric is…
News for June 2015
Shop news for June and beyond… More videos! This one is about KARISMA erasable & washable pencils (available in the notions section of my Etsy shop). I’ll be talking about tools for the next few episodes, so let me know what you’d like me to cover. Our next show is the Seven Sisters quilt show…
Show your work!
I love seeing what my customers do with the fabrics I sell. Some turn them into personal diversions, while others use them in their own craft businesses. Here are a few that have been shared with me. Happi Babies Fun bibs, happi coats, and accessories for babies, made using yukata and organic cotton fabrics. Queen Bee…
Sashiko Classes for May
When I posted the May 18 class I mentioned there would also be a May 24 class… then I forgot to make an event listing for it. And then I made the listing but forgot to mention it here. I suspect the 20 hours I spent driving from Alameda, CA to Portland, OR last week…
New look for the Kimonomomo Studio
Kimonomomo is an online Etsy shop and we also sell at several quilt shows throughout the year, mostly in California. For years my kids endured having all that inventory in the living room as we endured tiny apartments and cramped living conditions for the first few years of my business. When I moved in with Thomas…
Sashiko Needles – Which to buy?
In Japan one may have an abundance of sashiko needles to choose from, but outside of Japan our choices tend to be more limited. For the past decade or so we were really limited, generally to whatever Olympus had to offer, and that was about it. Times have changed, much to our benefit. Which brand to…
Sashiko Classes for Beginners – May 2015
I have two basic sashiko classes coming up in May in Alameda, California. Here are the details: Date: Monday, May 18 or Sunday, May 24 (Same class, pick which one day works best for you.) Time: 1-4 pm Location: The ReCrafting Co., Santa Clara Ave. at Everett in Alameda. Cost: $50 Includes full class kit. Just…
Playing with Texture: Japanese Dobby Cottons
Dobby cottons are fun to play with, but most quilters outside of Japan may be unfamiliar with these highly textured fabrics. What exactly does “dobby” mean, anyway? Dobby looms entered into the weaving scene in the mid-19th century and the origin of the term comes from “draw boy”, usually a young helper who would pull strings…
Schedule for April 2015
It’s spring here in California… actually, we skipped winter altogether so it’s been spring since February, but I digress. Spring is time for new projects, cleaning out the stash, and learning new techniques. Here’s where you can find me in April: NO MEETING for the Bay Area Sashiko Workshop in April. Our first Sunday of…
Thimbles thimbles thimbles! And more thimbles.
As an avowed thimble-hater in my youth, I never expected to carry so many in my shop that I would actually use. You may have heard me evangelize the merits of a sashiko palm thimble, either leather or metal, and seen me wearing both at a quilt show or teaching event. I do use these regularly…
A love for both the common fiber and the extraordinary textile @KimonoMomo 