When people ask me where to start with Sashiko, I often suggest one of these fukin (foo-keen) and tell them to pick a design they will actually finish. If you go for the super complex designs on your first try, it’s more likely you’ll get frustrated and shove it in a drawer, never to be…
Tag: indigo
Homegrown, Home-dyed Indigo
We grew our first crop of indigo! Then we used it to turn things blue.
Aizenkobo Indigo Face Masks
Here’s my fashion tip of the season: Wear a damn mask. Yes, I’m being harsh. Why? Because I live in a region where masks are mandatory and I support that decision by our local government. If you want to debate the merits of going maskless, please don’t bother. I will remove your comment. I already…
Kimonomomo Library List Part 2
Sashiko and Boro reference books – hard to find/out of print editions worth seeking out
Indigo Sashiko Boro Leggings
These pants go by various names depending on where you look: Mataware また割り(splits), Momohiki 股引, Matahiki また引き. Essentially they are a type of trousers worn tight at the calf and baggy at the hip. Common in rural Japan until the early 20th century, these were worn by shop workers and farmers alike. These are different from Mompe…
Big Blue Boro
Closeup view of one of Carol’s favorite antique Japanese indigo boro!
Sashiko and Double Gauze – the Ripple Effect
Sashiko doesn’t have to involve a lot of fancy stitches. Sometimes you can achieve delightful visual and tactile effects with a simple straight stitch. One of the easiest ways to do this is by using double gauze cotton fabrics. What is double gauze? It’s exactly what the name implies: two layers of cotton gauze fabric,…
Quick Bites – News for June, 2018
Here is a list of our upcoming events: Kimonomomo Open House Event – Saturday, June 23 in Alameda, CA. 10am-2pm. Click here for location map. Pajaro Quilt Guild Textile Lecture and Trunk Show – Monday, July 9 in Aptos, CA. Click here for more information Sashiko Class – Monday, August 13 in San Jose, CA….
Kogin Institute, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
I visited the Kogin Institute in Hirosaki on January 31, 2017 after visiting the Tokyo Quilt Festival, Takayama, and Osaka. It was a pleasant flight from Osaka to Hirosaki, with the view of snowy mountains most of the way, and many, many empty seats. My companion Toyo looked around the plane, counted the passengers, and…
Tokyo Great International Quilt Festival 2017 Part 2
I’m writing this while sitting in a Tokyo hotel, but I have so much more to tell you about this trip. Since leaving Tokyo Dome I took a train up to Takayama, another train down to Osaka, flew to Hirosaki in Aomori prefecture, then back to Tokyo again. Three weeks on the road and I’m almost ready…
Visit with Japanese Quilter Shizuko Kuroha – Tokyo, June 2016
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…
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…
A love for both the common fiber and the extraordinary textile @KimonoMomo 