Kona Bay Fabrics have offered Japanese cotton sateens for many years now, but I’ve not ordered any until this month. Why oh why did I wait so long? These are gorgeous! Photos don’t do them justice. The metallic gold is beautifully incorporated into the print, which means it doesn’t stand out as much as it…
Tag: Japan
Ringing in the New Year with a pile of old indigo
I spent New Years Eve picking apart two vintage cotton kasuri kimono, stitch by stitch. The one on the right with the cypress fence design (numazugaki 沼津垣) was so carefully sewn that it was a terror to disassemble. However, I wasn’t the first one to have taken this kimono apart, as evidenced by how it had…
Product Review: KARISMA Washable Fabric Pencil
Among the goodies I picked up at the Houston International Quilt Market this year was a selection of KARISMA pencils. I’ve been a fan of mechanical pencils since the mid-1980s when my friend and artist Kristine Schramer introduced me to them. The ease with which I could draw a fine line and erase any mistakes…
Hida Sashiko Thread
I’ve been selling sashiko thread in my shop since 2008, and it’s always been Olympus thread, nothing else. I knew of other brands, but Olympus has been a dependable brand for me, and I’ve been very happy to have it in stock and use it in my classes and projects. Earlier this year discovered Hida…
Vintage Katazome Comes Clean
Meiji era katazome cottons have a special place in my heart. I started collecting them years ago, back when I could barely afford to, and now it’s become something of a joy and an obsession. The fine dots and designs that remind me of having henna painted on my hands when I was 12 years…
From Caterpillar to Kimono: a Journey in Silk, part 2
From careful handwork to heavy machinery, there are many ways to unreel a silk cocoon. Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, is famous for silk production. In the 19th century Japan produced far more of the world’s silk than it does today (China has taken the title of world silk producer, much as it has taken…
From Caterpillar to Kimono: a Journey in Silk, part 1
My brain is still on Tokyo time. I sit at the breakfast table with my tea and toast and contemplate the day ahead; only it’s almost noon and I’m still not really awake. Most nights I’m up until 1:00 or 2:00 AM, but I’m struggling to get back on a schedule the rest of the…
Home again, with an extra suitcase or two
I left California two weeks ago with a half-filled medium-sized suitcase and a nearly empty duffel bag. I returned from Japan two days ago with those bags packed to bursting and added even more; a new, larger suitcase and a box, both filled with kimono, haori, obi, raw silk, furoshiki, books, obijime, yukata, and other…
Postcard from Ginza, Tokyo
It’s been a whirlwind of a tour here in Japan. From the picturesque mountain countryside of Gunma, to a lakeside hotel in view of Mt. Fuji, to the packed city streets of Tokyo, every day has been an adventure. I’ve been shopping at used kimono stores over the past few days, finding many treasures and…
Mini post from Gunma, Japan
Welcome to Silk Country. Gunma Prefecture has been famous for its silk manufacturing for more than a century. One of the largest silk mills in the world was built here in 1872, which took silk textiles out of the realm of the rich and put them into the reach of the masses for the first…
Shop News for May, 2013
Things are about to get very quiet for the KimonoMomo Etsy shop, and very busy here at The Ardent Thread blog. I’m going to Japan with Shibori Girl! On Monday, May 13 I’ll be saying goodbye to the dogs, my kids, my fiancee, and the garden to head out across the Pacific Ocean. I haven’t…
Karinui Comparisons, part 2
In part 1 I disassembled an inexpensive kurotomesode (high formal women’s kimono) and gave you a peek at the inner workings, so to speak. This time we’ll be looking at a more expensive kimono and seeing how different the two can be. Part 2: The Hot Date Unlike the pretty, fast, and easy Cheap Date,…
A love for both the common fiber and the extraordinary textile @KimonoMomo 