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…
Category: sashiko
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…
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…
April News: New Sashiko Challenge, Japan Trip, and Shows
Yes, I missed another deadline. I had promised to show you the Spring Sashiko Challenge on April 1 and it’s now April 7 and I’ve finally put it together (see below). We had a quilt show on April 2-3 which slowed me down a bit, plus it’s been very busy in the shop lately (thank you!)…
2016 Winter Sashiko Challenge Winners!
I know, this was scheduled for last week, but between a quilt show and a family emergency things got away from me. It didn’t help that the first two entries were so good we had a difficult time deciding which would place first. The Spring Sashiko Challenge will be available April 1. Thomas and I have…
Kimonomomo is going to Japan!
Yes, I’ve been before, but this time it’s different. This time I will be conducting interviews, learning new skills, and sharing it all with you. However, before I set foot in the airport, there are a few things I need to take care of… Scheduling interviews. I’m working on this now with help from artists,…
Winter Sashiko Challenge Update
How are your Winter Sashiko Challenge projects going? I’ve sent out a lot of kits but have seen only one completed so far. Mine isn’t finished either… I need to get back to it! We’ve extended the deadline from Feb. 29 to March 14 to give everyone more time to put a bit of polish…
Kimonomomo Winter Sashiko Challenge 2016
It’s time for a challenge and I’m excited! Check out the video here: Magical prizes! Shopping credit at Kimonomomo ~~~ so you can have even more sashiko goodness. 1st place – $40 credit 2nd place – $20 credit 3rd place – $10 credit Here’s how you can be a part of it: Order your kit…
New and wonderful sashiko fabrics for 2016
Orders from Houston Quilt Market are starting to arrive! New fabrics, sashiko kits, and a few kits I’m designing right now will be gracing the Kimonomomo Etsy shop over the next few days and weeks. For fans of little pre-printed, wash-out hanafukin (hand towels) there are a few new designs to get your New Year…
Black Friday? How about Blue Wednesday?
Blue because I like blue, and blue is like indigo, which I love even more. I’m rambling. Speaking of rambling… here is the house. So many of you have asked me how the paint job turned out and I had been meaning to post a photo, and now I have. Everything turned out great! The…
A love for both the common fiber and the extraordinary textile @KimonoMomo 