We met in Kuroha sensei’s shop, Nuno Space, hidden away in the Tokyo suburb of Chiba. The shop is tiny and we sat at a table in the middle of it, sipping green tea for an hour or two before she was scheduled to teach a class. Kuroha san (as she is fondly known throughout…
Category: interview
Hiroshima 広島 – Home of Tulip Needles
Riding the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima I had plenty of time to relax notice the smaller details which usually go by the wayside. For example, the formality with which every member of the train crew interacts with passengers. As a crew member exits a car, he or she will pause and bow to the…
Sashi.co – Interview with Keiko Futatsuya
I first stumbled onto Keiko Futatsuya’s work two years ago while searching for botanically-dyed sashiko thread. She was working with Hida Sashiko at the time, but has since moved on to produce her own work as an independent artist and designer. The quality of her work is amazing, and has developed over time to reflect…
Indigo Unraveling – Kyoto Blue 京都の藍
What is it about indigo textiles that bring up so many sensations? The depth of blue, new or faded; the stiffness of the fibers from repeated dips in the dye vat; the fuzzy nap of fabric from years of use; all of these add to indigo’s allure. It’s alchemical, magical, practical, and deeply, vividly, a part of…
Flower of the Forest – Takayama 高山市
Taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya is a thoroughly modern ride. The high-speed train glides along while the view of lush farmland interspersed with citiscapes rush past. And of course, there’s Mt. Fuji. Transferring at Nagoya to the Hida Express, the journey is somewhat different. The train chugs along, ever upward into the mountains,…
Have another cup of tea – Nagoya 名古屋市
At home I drink gallons of tea, or coffee if it’s a particularly rough day. In Japan it’s been no different. Hotel rooms and friends’ homes are stocked with green tea, consumed at any and all hours of the day. Comfort in a cup. This morning I’m looking out over Nagoya’s industrial skyline at the…
What would you like to know about Sashiko in Japan?
In preparation for my trip, I’m writing a list of questions to ask various sashiko artists and designers. What would you like to know? Two stops along my journey will be to interview Keiko Futatsuya of Sashi.Co and the Sashiko Design Team at Olympus. https://www.instagram.com/sashi.co/ http://www.olympus-thread.com/ If you have specific questions you’d like to ask…
Interview with Anne Weaver, Restoration Specialist
Anne Weaver is the skilled restorer who worked on my antique ningyo several years ago, and I asked her to be the first in a series of artist interviews I’ll be conducting this year. Tell us a little about yourself. I’m the former Assistant Director of Mingei (Mingei means art of the people in Japanese)…
A love for both the common fiber and the extraordinary textile @KimonoMomo 