February was a busy month, and between four different conferences (only two of which had anything to do with textiles), I didn’t get around to posting. To make up for the time I took off, I will be posting more frequently about the amazing textiles I viewed last month, and trying out my skills at…
Closeout Sale!
I’ve been talking about selling off KimonoMomo now for a loooong time, and now I really do need to get things out the door. To that end, instead of offering coupon discounts and such, I’m going to be listing whole bolts at a deep discount. I’m moving again and simply can’t carry so much stock…
For the knitters, a little levity: The Last Knit
“When knitting becomes an obsession.” Directed by Laura Neuvonen, Finland, 2005
Overdyed patchwork Oriental rugs
When I first heard of overdyed patchwork rugs, my reaction was… less than enthusiastic. The concept is to take pieces of rugs too old and worn out to be used as-is, overdye the pieces, and stitch them together to make a new rug. Simple enough, and certainly not new, but recently this type of rug…
Holiday Coupon Code
Keeping up with my editing and writing work means I’ve let this blog and the KimonoMomo Etsy shop slow down a bit more than I’d like, but having decided long ago to let this business go so I can grow my new business, that’s bound to happen. Between now and the end of 2011 I’m…
Book Review: The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook
Susan Briscoe is a familiar name to many sashiko stitchers here in the West, and rightfully so. The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook: Patterns, Projects and Inspirations (2005) is a book I would suggest anyone getting started with sashiko would benefit from having in their library. The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook starts the reader off with a colorful…
Vintage Doll Accessory Packs now on in the shop
As promised, vintage doll items are back in the KimonoMomo Etsy shop. Sending out one or two little fans or tabi at a time was a major hassle, and as I’m getting down to the last of my supplies, I’m offering 8-10 items plus a meter of vintage kimono fabric in each pack. If you…
Defining styles: Arabesque
I had one of those slap-upside-the-head moments a few days ago while reading through a magazine on mid-century architecture. Looking at a page of beautiful gardens, there was an ornament described as being “Arabesque” and resembling something distinctly Arabic in design. Entirely logical, you might say, but to me, “Arabesque” has always meant either a…
Sashiko & Shibori Sari
Here is another textile from Tansu Design; a fabulous 19th or early 20th century stitched and dyed sari from India. I wish I’d had more time to ask questions and a better camera on me when I was in the gallery, but this was the best I could do with my iPhone before running out the…
Book Review: Flowers, Dragons, & Pine Trees
Flowers, Dragons, & Pine Trees: Asian Textiles in the Spencer Museum of Art by Mary M. Dusenbury, Hudson Hills Press, 2004 This is a hefty, coffee table-sized book filled with color photos, maps, and a wide selection of textile items from the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri. The…
Hidden gems in your local library
Two of my absolute favorite books for kimono and kimono-related research are The Traditional Crafts of Japan, volumes 1 and 2 of an eight volume series on traditional Japanese crafts published by Diamond, Inc. in 1992. The volumes are rich with historical background and gorgeous color photos, and are eye-catching in their brick red slip…
Sashiko Furoshiki
Wandering around the San Francisco Design District last week, I found this gorgeous HUGE furoshiki at Tansu Design. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my tape measure on me so I couldn’t tell you the exact measurements, but yes, that is a sofa it is draped across. I’d estimate the size to be roughly 4 feet in…
A love for both the common fiber and the extraordinary textile @KimonoMomo 