kimoyes.comVintage Japanese fabrics and garments

Butterflies

2011-02-03T22:49:00.000-08:00

I have a few customers who are "butterfly happy" and I endeavour to keep them up to date when I come across new butterfly fabrics. I must admit that I also find these beautiful insects compelling and may one day be tempted to make myself a butterfly quilt.

The Japanese consider butterflies to be the souls of the living and the dead. They are also seen as symbols of joy and longevity. I was surprised when I searched the KimoYes website to find that we have no fewer than 35 butterfly fabrics including cotton yukatas, silks, wools and synthetics. Click here to see the range.
Some of my favourites are.....

If you, too, are a "butterfly person", be the first to "like" this post and I'll send you a complimentary pack of butterfly fabrics!

Katazome

2011-02-01T04:21:00.000-08:00

One of the most difficult things about owning KimoYes is parting with fabrics that I absolutely love. I hate uploading beautiful meisen silks and kasuri cottons, but I know that these fabrics will be truly appreciated and used by their new owners.

I have, however, allowed myself a small but growing collection of Japanese textiles. I come across many intriguing pieces and am often fascinated by the complexity of process and design.

One such process is katazome. This is the process of dying a fabric with the use of a resist paste and stencil (katagame).You often see vintage heavy indigo cotton panels with a katagame design. These panels were usually used to make futon covers and when sewn together could simulate the more expensive Japanese brocades. You also sometimes see the dying method used on silks and hemp.

Katagames are finely carved and typically the size of an A4 page. They are durable and can be used many times. The art also involves lining up the katagame so that the continuous pattern is seamless. The example above, however, clearly shows the join!

The second piece from my collection is obviously the work of a more skilled person, although indigo dye runs are present. I think that I prefer the first piece as the imperfection gives you a greater insight into the dying process. I believe that both pieces date back to somewhere between 1920-30.

Clever Cushions

2011-01-24T00:25:00.000-08:00

I always love seeing projects made from KimoYes fabrics. There are so many clever people around Australia- in fact the world, who put the fabrics to such wonderful use.

One of these people is Janine Kingston, of Perth. Janine, a long time KimoYes customer, has the knack of putting together "unlikely" fabrics to create something special. I got a real thrill to see how she mixed sophisticated silk shibori fabrics with the colourful girls' kimono synthetics and topped of with 1940s rayons. It takes a certain mixture of bravery and talent to work with these fabrics, but the results are so rewarding. I've "pinched" these images, with Janine's permission, from the blog of her local fabric store, so you might like to visit it to find out more and to see the wonderful kimono fabric quilt that Janine is working on.

KimoYes Fabric In Action!

2011-01-17T03:11:00.000-08:00

Last October (yes, I know, I'm still catching up!), Australian Patchwork and Quilting published a beautiful quilt pattern by well known Sydney quilter and quilt teacher, Chris Jurd. I am particularly interested in this quilt, not only for its intricate design and use of colour, but the incorporation of some KimoYes silks, rayons and cotton yukatas. The central medallion, for example, is an interesting 1940s kimono silk ( or perhaps rayon - I can't quite remember). Similarly, the quilt borders are make up of some unusual cotton yukata, some fabric from a girl's kimono, kimono silks and so on. I have found that so many quilters will not deviate from the traditional quilting cottons and it is so refreshing to see what Chris has done with such an array of fabrics. What do you think?

It is really worth following Chris' blog . Her work is extraordinary and, as you can see, she is very much at ease working with unique fabrics.

New Year's Resolution!

2011-01-07T21:10:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know, we all say it. However, after a quiet KimoYes blog for the last half of 2010, it is time for me to get moving. For me, last year was a time of both work and reflection. I recently resigned from a 25 teaching career and can now devote more time to the things that I really love and feel passionate about.

The new year also got off to a good start because I've been able to upload some beautiful things to the KimoYes website. A few months ago I added a new category on the website, obi bolts. These are bolts of fabric intended to be used to make various types of obi, although a few are, in fact, obi that have been unpicked and rolled. The long lengths are great for table runners, upholstery and other home decor. The last few that I uploaded today, however, would make great additions to wedding gowns or tables. The gorgeous cream silk is elaborately woven with gold and silver threads. Just beautiful!

Check out our other beautiful obi fabric bolts - I'm sure that you will find the experience to be inspirational.

Clever Creations

2010-06-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to receive some photos from a KimoYes customer a few days ago. Debbie Ives of Queensland is this month's winner of the KimoYes Mailing List $100 silk pack prize and when I gave her the good news she responded with a few photos of some of her creations made from KimoYes fabrics. Debbie exhibits and sells some of her gorgeous bags at a local art space and has the ability to turn small pieces of kimono silks and cottons fabric into something really stunning. The bangle bags above were created mainly from cotton yukata fabric. Some of the bags below blend linen with kimono silks.

Thank you Debbie for sending these to me. It's always satisfying to see recycled fabrics look so beautiful. Chloe O'Reilly, another kimoyes customer, sent me details of her blog today where she showcases her gorgeous creations, including some using kimoyes fabrics. Check out Chloe's blog, especially the red quilt!

We are having another KimoYes sale tomorrow. This will be a great opportunity to get 15% off all Kimoyes fabrics and other products along with free postage. Keep an eye on your emails for more details.

KimoYes Fabric Swatch Card

2010-04-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

Fabric Swatches

I'm often asked about the different types of Japanese fabrics that appear on the KimoYes website. The world of Japanese fabrics is extensive and often mysterious, but there are some more common weaves and dyes that I frequently encounter. In response to the many emails that I receive, I've put together a swatch card of examples of some of the more common Japanese fabrics on the KimoYes website.

If you would like one of these handy cards, keep an eye on your emails over the next few days. It's almost time for the KimoYes Mother's Day Sale and these cards will be included with all KimoYes purchases next week.

April Mailing List Winner

Congratulations to Monika Short of Canberra who is this month's winner of the $100 Silk Pack. Don't forget that you have to be on the KimoYes Mailing List to have a chance to win this monthy prize.

Hippy Haori

2010-04-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

Wearing Haori Jackets

Haori are hip length coats traditionally worn over kimono for warmth and they come in various weights. They are becoming increasingly popular in western society because of their flowing style and beautiful silk fabrics. I have a number of them on the KimoYes website which customers buy to wear either formally or informally. Unfortunately westerners are often larger than the Japanese women for whom these lovely garments were made and this week I was given the challenge of adjusting a haori to fit a local customer.

Haori are constructed with narrow side panels which are visible in the above photo. The haori in question fitted well across the back but not at the hipline. I simply unpicked the hand stitched side panel to the waistline, cut it off and hand stitched around the edges to catch the lining. The photos below tell the story.

The result was a haori that fell straight at the front and back and which floated over the hips. Very flattering!

Ada's Quilt

2010-04-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

Ada's Quilt

Little Ada arrived in March and I have finally managed to finish her quilt. Ada is the new baby daughter of Ema and Chris who live in the US.

The quilt is made from a variety of fabrics. The base fabrics are black and white patchwork fabrics which have been hand appliqued with stunning circles of silk fabric taken from girls' kimono. I took Martha Birch's advice and chose a bright yellow border. The border fabric is a cotton yukata, #8373 from the KimoYes website and I finished it with a backing and binding in one of my favourite Japanese cotton patchwork fabrics from Addicted To Fabric in Canberra. Canberrans are very lucky to have such a wonderful supply of patchwork fabrics at a2f. I'm very happy with the result and am always pleased to be able to successfully combine vintage and modern fabrics.

Martha, I'll be sending you some of the lovely yellow yukata fabric in thanks for your excellent suggestion!

Shibori Bag

2010-04-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

From time to time, customers send me photos made from KimoYes fabrics. This is always a thrill and I hope to share some of these creations with you over the next few months. One thing better than receiving these photos is receiving the creations themselves! I was lucky enough to be given this lovely little bag made by a valued and talented customer and made from one of the KimoYes shibori bundle packs. These packs disappear from the Kimoyes website very quickly and are handy to use as feature pieces or thrown together to make something beautiful.

The lining is a KimoYes remnant which finishes off the bag beautifully.

I'd love to feature your KimoYes inspired creations on these pages. Email me with details and photos if you want to showcase your designs. Jill

Shibori

2010-03-31T01:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the long break between posts. Last week my dear dad passed away and this very sad event has had a big impact on both me and the rest of the family. He was a lovely gentle man, a great father and grandfather and he will be sadly missed. Jill.

Have a look at this stunning piece of shibori dyed kimono fabric that I put on the KimoYes website this week. It is a soft pale mauve silk with a woven geometric pattern. Some of the spaces between the weaves are dyed a deep plum colour and pink shibori dots decorate the junctions of the woven designs. Imagine this fabric in a flowing scarf.

I'm also including some older cotton shibori pieces in our very soon to be announced Easter promotion. If you are interested in kimono fabric - wool, silk and yukata - off the roll and picking up a few extra free pieces of fabric with your next KimoYes order, keep an eye on your emails! You might be able to pick up promotional pieces like these vintage cotton shibori.......

Congratulations

The winner of our KimoYes Mailing List silk pack is Janine Kingston of Manning in Western Australia. Congratulations Janine. A silk pack which includes a panel of the beautiful mauve shibori silk along with with many other gorgeous pieces, is on its way to the west.

All you need to do to be in the running next time is to be on the KimoYes Mailing List.

Meisen Quilt

2010-03-17T00:40:00.000-07:00

Scrappy Creation

I made this meisen silk quilt several years ago. It's not my favourite quilt, but at the time I was keen to "show off" some of my favourite pieces. It is machine quilted and my intention was always to hand quilt some of the flowers and other shapes. I occasionally look at it and make plans to get out the quilting cotton but I guess unless you absolutely love a quilt it is always easy to find other, more interesting projects. Some time soon I'll get out my other meisen scraps and have another go! I love the vibrant colours, large patterns and subtle sheen of these silks and I also like quilts with lots of different fabrics, but it is difficult to come up with a design that accommodates all three factors. Any suggestions?

You can find other meisen silk fabrics by performing a fabric search on the kimoyes website.

2010-03-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

Meisen Silk

One of my favourite Japanese fabrics would have to be meisen silk - which probably explains why there is so much of it on the KimoYes website! I have my own personal stash of it and one day plan to keep a record of all of the meisen fabrics that I have collected over the years. Customers and others seem to either love or loathe it.

Meisen silk is fabricated by weaving pre-dyed threads using the tie-and-resist ikat technique.

"Silk or cotton, are first stretched on a frame. Selected design areas are tightly bound to prevent the dye from penetrating and the hanks of threads are immersed in the dye pots. The bound portions of the yarns resist the dye and when woven, as a result of the threads not being perfectly aligned, create shapes with charmingly uneven edges". (Meisen silk)

On my last visit to Japan I was lucky enough to pick up some cotton and silk threads that had been prepared for this process. The first photo below shows prepared cotton threads and the other, silk.

Meisen silk became popular in Japan between 1920-1950, but most of it appears to be from around the 40s and 50s. It was popular because it was cheaper than many of Japanese silks, was "modern" and used many colourful designs. I love it for its vibrant, rich clours, charming designs and because it holds its shape so well when used for making such things a s kanzashi flowers and bags. I also marvel at the complexity of the process and the beauty that comes from it.

Omiyage

2010-03-02T03:58:00.000-08:00

Omiyage by Kumiko Sudo

Even though this is not a new publication, I couldn't resist buying this delightful book this week. I love all things written by Kumiko Sudo and this book has a special charm. Omiyage is the Japanese word for "gift" and this book is full of tiny fabric gifts, complete with instructions. In her introduction Kumiko Sudo describes gifts made of fabric as "the most intimate I can give."

Just have a look at some of these gorgeous creations....

And the real beauty is that these small gifts take such little fabric. If you are on our mailing list you'll receive a KimoYes newsletter within the next 24 hours which tells you how to qualify for a free silk kimono remnant along with another fabulous offer - just what you need to get started on one of these small projects.

Ema's Baby Quilt

2010-02-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

Pram Quilt With Kimono Fabric

Some time ago Paul, son and KimoYes webmaster, asked me to make a small quilt incorporating kimono fabric for his friend, Ema. Ema lives in the US and is expecting her first baby to be born some time this month. As usual, I've left this project to the last minute and spent some time last night thinking about what Ema might like. I can't image Ema going for fuzzy animals in pastel colours, so decided to try something a bit different.

I remembered a pile of 8 x 8 inch black and white cottons that I've been hoarding for a few years with the intention of experimenting with these in combination with Japanese kimono fabrics. The time seemed right!

I know that black and white are not traditional colours for a baby quilt, so decided to incorporate colourful circles of fabric from children's kimono. I had a few "special" pieces put away as these fabrics are becoming very difficult to buy. Out with the freezer paper, CD as a template and needle and thread. I hand appliqued a few of the circles last night and look forward to finishing the quilt this week.

The quilt will be 3 x 4 squares with a border. Any suggestions about a good colour for the border would be appreciated!

Yukata Cottons

2010-02-26T04:54:00.000-08:00

Casual Cottons

Yukata not only refers to Japanese stenciled and dyed cotton fabrics, but also to the cotton kimono worn after a bath or when relaxing at home. These fabrics are great for quilting as they are colourfast and soften with age. Traditionally yukata fabrics are blue and white but occasionally you come across some real stunners.

Yesterday this gorgeous yukata fabric arrived in a KimoYes shipment. After resisting the temptation to put it aside for that special "one day" quilt, I reluctantly handed it over to my husband to be photographed and admired by many!

Sample Book

2010-02-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

Fabric Samples for the Royal Court

One of the many joys of collecting and buying lots of vintage Japanese fabric from lots of sources is the opportunity to pick up some really interesting related objects along the way. One of my treasured "pick ups" is a large book containing Japanese fabric samples. These fabric samples were randomly cut and pasted in this book by a fabric merchant or factory owner and presented to the royal Japanese court for its consideration and selection. I've been told that the sample book dates back to the late 1800s.

All up, the book contains about 150 fabric samples and the variety and intricacy never fails to amaze me.

Some of the samples have a definite French influence, especially the fine silk brocades.

One of my favourite pieces, however, is this gorgeous piece with a traditional Japanese design.

If you ever get the chance to visit the KimoYes studio and workroom, ask me about it. I'd love to show it to you.

Antique Japanese Fabrics

2010-02-15T04:02:00.000-08:00

Historical Materials Room at the Nishijin Textile Centre

The Nishijin Mill in historic Kyoto is well known and more information can be found on the centre's website. One of the more interesting features of the centre is the Historical Materials Room. This is a mini museum which traces the development of Kyoto textiles over the past few hundred years. These two kimono were especially impressive examples local weaving and dying processes.

As a quilter, the wall hangings around the centre were also of special interest. The fine weaves and sublte colours of modern Nishijin fabrics lend themselves well to these exquisite pieces

I can't wait until my box of Nishijin silks arrive from Kyoto!

Obi

2010-02-12T04:20:00.000-08:00

One Size Fits All

Obi fascinate me. No matter how hard I try, I cannot master, or even come close to, tying an obi. I've attended demonstrations, watched DVDs and have even had one fitted on me, but it still remains as one of life's mysteries. It wasn't until I went along to a kimono fashion parade at the Nishijin Textile Centre in Kyoto that I appreciated the range and complexities of this art.

See what I mean?

Silk Threads

2010-02-09T00:11:00.000-08:00

600 Threads

I love obi - those wide "sashes" that secure Japanese kimono. The designs and colours are exquisite and they can be used for all sorts of things. Diane and Ann Wiltshire's "Design With Japanese Obi" is very inspiring.

I have just acquired a book containing 600 Japanese obi silk thread samples which I believe is probably from the 30-40s. The amazing thing is that the samples are all different colours and tones which explains how the Obi makers were able to achieve such subtle, yet spectacular, designs. Here are a few pages from the sample book.

Which explains how these were achieved...

Simply gorgeous.

Old Shoes

2010-01-31T05:44:00.000-08:00

Comfortable but dull!

We all have them. A customer recently turned up at my KimoYes workroom with her favorite "dress" shoes that she was desperate to wear to an upcoming wedding and reception where she would be standing for quite a while. We looked at her stunning outfit with the rather sad shoes and came up with the following.

We started with this.........

black silk and vintage Japanese meisen fabrics (a taffeta like silk fabric produced in Japan between 1920-1950) to match her outfit and ended up with this......

black silk kanzashi flowers backed with the contrasting meisen silk and finished with vintage silver tone filigree buttons.

Another possibility was this........

reversal of fabrics with vintage black glass button, but we were both happy with the final outcome...

A little bit of hot glue and shoe clips finished the job.

KimoYes Headquarters

2010-01-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

Workroom, backroom, studio, the temple, Aladdin's Cave...........

By any name, this is where I spend most of my time these days. It's great fun rummaging around and finding lots of forgotten treasures. I store my KimoYes and other Japanese vintage fabrics, garments and other bits and pieces in this room and love having visitors to check out, feel and drool over KimoYes goodies, ask questions and get ideas. Visits are by appointment (I am located in Canberra) and contact details are on the KimoYes website

Randy is a constant visitor to the temple (not too sure where that name came from!). Sinking deep into big baskets of silk offcuts is Randy's idea of cat heaven.

January 22, 2010

2010-01-22T04:22:00.000-08:00

Toji Markets

Yesterday was market day in Kyoto. Despite the light rain, we made our way to the Toji Temple at sunrise and, as usual, it was an interesting and rewarding day.

One of my aims was to buy some girls' kimono as the demand for this colourful fabric has increased in recent months. We were lucky enough to find some reasonably priced ones at a stall near the entrance and despite the odd mark or two, they appear to have lots of usable fabric.

Even though its been a year since my last visit to this market, I met up with a few familiar dealers who offered me some well priced silk bolts. I was also tempted to buy a beautiful length of katazome cotton for my own textile collection, but I somehow resisted. I did, however, buy an unusual piece of woolen fabric which featured rabbits - moth eaten but charming.

I love to make flowers from kimono fabric. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and Toji didn't disappoint me. I met the maker of the lovely flower bag and flowers below and look forward to adding clips to the flowers so that I can wear them.

I Love Off-cuts!

When we were strolling through Gion a few days ago I came across a shop that had a small basket of blue Nishijin silk offcuts - probably only enough to make a cushion but I'm looking forward to getting home to have some fun with these. I've already had them laid out on my hotel bed.

Other Fabrics

I promised my daughter, Claire, that I'd keep an eye out for some modern Japanese cottons for her. Fabric shops are few and far between in Kyoto, but we found a shop on Shijo Dori which met our needs. I'll have to ship these home Claire, so have a good look!

Chicago

No, I'm still in Kyoto. We came across a shop called Chicago in the Teramachi yesterday and we went back today to have a closer look today. Downstairs is full of modern second hand clothing and the top floor is full of kimono. Yesterday we picked up a few interesting silk bolts and today we added a haori. I also visited a few vintage button and bead shops in the same area. The buttons and beads were beautiful but way outside of my budget.

We are going home tomorrow - leaving the current 3 degrees C and landing in a forecasted 38 degrees. Our daughter Jane has been at home looking after KimoYes, and no doubt she will be pleased to se us! Next week I'll have fun putting up lots of "new" KimoYes fabrics and garments on the website.

2010-01-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the KimoYes Blog. This blog has been a long time coming and this has been "the week" to grapple with another side of Kimoyes vintage Japanese fabrics. Hopefully this blog with allow KimoYes customers and others to find out more about Japanese textiles, how they can be used creatively and what KimoYes has to offer.

After several short trips to Kyoto, we decided to extend our visit to this beautiful city to explore more buying opportunities and to come to a deeper understanding of the complex world of Japanese textiles. My husband John and I have been in Kyoto for the past week and have had a great time. Besides seeing the sites of Kyoto, we have had lots of "textile experiences".

We came across this weaving machine outside a clothing shop in Teramachi. It has been used to weave kasuri fabric and it was fascinating to see the pre-dyed threads still in the loom.

Our visit to the widely popular Handicrafts Centre was disappointing. It is a large retail space and the advertised demonstrations of doll making and print making were not apparent. Our visit to the Nishijin Textile Centre later on that day, however, was far more rewarding. We saw lots of weaving in action, kimono fashion parades and most of all, I had the chance to do a little bit of yuzen dying. Although this is a dying process with which I am familiar and I've handled many yuzen dyed silk bolts, I gained a greater appreciation of the time taken to perfect this painstaking process.