I closed the KimonoMomo shop on Etsy in June of this year in order to focus on my writing and the new catering business I was launching. Life was very busy for a while, but has settled down a bit now that winter is almost here. I had packed away boxes of fabric bolts, tucked…
Tag: fabric
Winding down
We’re almost to the end of the KimonoMomo shop. When I started buying Japanese silk bolts and kimono in 2005, I had no idea how many times I would be moving house, or how many trunk shows, fashion shows, conventions, street fairs, antique shows, museum events, and classes I would be hosting, teaching, or attending…
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…
Kimono or yukata sleeves too short? Modify!
When this floral-patterned shibori yukata caught my eye, I just couldn’t say no. I’ve been collecting vintage clothes my whole life (starting with hand-me-down baby clothes when I was an infant) and as some of you vintage collectors know, there are items that have a marvelous vibe to them, as if the previous owner imparted…
Quick updates for the holiday season
So much to do! On a whim, I offered to host a craft show/open studio December 15th here at Huckleberry House, which means putting together a group of local crafters and setting up tables just about everywhere throughout my home, but I’m looking forward to it. The house is a 1950’s cottage on a tree-lined…
Stitch n’ Bitch
Now that I have a dedicated studio space, several sewing machines and a living room all to myself, I’ll be hosting a weekly Stitch n’ Bitch in the San Francisco East Bay area. If you’ve got an urge to get crafty on Tuesday evenings and would like to join in, RSVP and let me know…
It’s my birthday, and I’m in Stitch!
Pick up a copy of Quilting Arts Magazine’s special Fall 2010 issue of Stitch, turn to page 69, and there’s a new sashiko project in there from me! It’s a birthday present from me to you. Today I’m packing up orders that came in over the weekend, and updating the shop with new and vintage…
Meiji Ningyo Restoration, part V
A very welcome email arrived in my box early Friday morning from Anne Weaver: I will speak for the little guy. He is now being made whole again by filling the missing surfaces of his body. The clothing is the biggest challenge due to years of dirt and aging. His face is in the early…
Book reviews: Sashiko books in English part II
Continued from yesterday’s post, here are four more excellent sashiko books in English. Once again, these are listed by publication date. Quick summary statements are underlined. Click on the title links to purchase. Japanese Country Quilting: Sashiko patterns and projects for beginners by Karen Kim Matsunaga. Kodansha, 1990. 96 pages. An excellent all-in-one sashiko reference,…
Book reviews: Sashiko books in English part I
I’m going to take this in stages as there are so many books to choose from! Some of the more recent books that I will review tomorrow include those by Sylvia and Kitty Pippen, authors and textile artists who are comfortable taking sashiko and developing it into more than just the typical white-thread-on-indigo look that…
Book reviews: ancient textile construction
Every morning after the dog has been fed and the kids shuttled off to school, I sit down at the kitchen table with a plate of last night’s leftovers, a pot of tea and a book or two. On occasion this leads to a loss of appetite, especially when dye techniques that involve dung or…
An experiment in washing vintage indigo kasuri, part 2
(Continued from yesterday’s post, as promised) So how did it fare after the second wash? The blue background color is sharper and clearer, but the splash areas that were once light blue are now white. This does not diminish its attractiveness in my opinion, but I had been hoping to retain the light blue on…
A love for both the common fiber and the extraordinary textile @KimonoMomo 