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 selecting pieces for the shop, but yesterday was a special treat. Our friend and guide Megumi san took us to see new kimono shops and introduced us to the owners. We visited department stores, small shops in malls, and one very special high-end boutique, where we saw some exceptional pieces.

I’ve been selling used kimono since 2005, starting off with just the fabric bolts and eventually learning how to wear kimono and dress myself and others. The geometry of the garment is fairly simple; complexity comes in the execution of it. From design and embellishment to the wearing and accessorizing of it, a kimono can be as timeless as a Chanel suit or as tacky as a polyester leisure suit. A quality kimono is evident from a distance, but not by shouting. It expresses itself with a subtle but distinct voice. And it isn’t cheap.

Many of us who buy used kimono are accustomed to spending $100 or less for silk, and even less than that for cotton yukata. When new, a quality silk kimono can cost thousands of dollars, and yukata may cost hundreds. For example, the yukata in the above image are roughly US$320 apiece, and that was at a mid-range mall boutique. At a high end shop they may cost significantly more, depending on the material, weave, and artist.

Customer service is reflected in the price, too. At a bargain shop you may find busy ladies dressing their customers, matching up kimono and obi with obijime, zori, and other accessories. The space is cramped, the shelves crowded with layers of colorful chirimen, kasuri, meisen, ro, etc. the prices are decent and the quality is fair. These shops are fun and affordable for many young women who are learning to wear kimono and building a wardrobe. Higher upmarket you’ll find mall shops with clean and tidy displays of kimono waiting to be custom tailored, and bolts of silk waiting patiently in drawers and on shelves. Some stand-alone boutiques offer new and used kimono in an elegant setting, with sales people who will shadow the customer through the shop, offering suggestions and advice with patience and grace.

At the high end… That’s where things get really special. I’ll talk more about that later.

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 time. For decades this was a major silk producing region, but cheaper labor from other parts of Asia have made it difficult to maintain that distinction.

This photo shows a bit of my stash so far on this trip: two packets of cocoons (the yellow color is natural and somewhat rare) and a bundle of scrap cotton from a local textile mill.

More to come as I follow ShiboriGirl through our Japanese textile tour!

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 been to Asia in a looong time, and I’m very excited to be heading back. I’ve spent the past month brushing up on my Japanese language study, looking at maps, and anticipating all the lovely vintage fabrics and kimono to find over there.

The latest shipment from Kona Bay will be waiting for my return to be listed in the shop, and I’m expecting new fabrics in early June from Alexander Henry. I have a pile of vintage Japanese bits and bobs that have been waiting to be listed in the shop, and I will have plenty more to add to that pile when I get back in late May.

There’s a quilt being pieced together on my worktable right now, which seems to be how I cope with the stress of travel: I make quilts to feel more grounded to the place I come from. I started a small quilt before heading to London last year, but I can’t seem to find it now. The current quilt is based on Kaffe Fassett‘s Moody Blues pattern from his Passionate Patchwork book. I’m using all Kona Bay fabrics, mostly a mix of Ginkgo Tonals and designs by Nobu Fujiyama, including several from the new Hana Bashi collection.

Pictures of the new quilt, as well as travel photos, will be posted as I go along.

I hope to keep you interested and entertained!

Kona Bay’s Hana Bashi Collection by Nobu Fujiyama

Kona Bay Fabrics is known for their wide selection of Japanese-themed fabrics, and two prints from Hana Bashi, the lastest collection from designer Nobu Fujiyama, are now in stock, ready for your spring projects. The colors are a bit darker than they appear on the images, and the metallic gold details are far nicer than they appear in a flat image. The blue swirls and waves will look gorgeous in summer projects, and the chrysanthemums will look great for autumn. The cool blues round out an elegant winter look, making this a four-season fabric.

I find the swirls especially appealing as they lend a feeling of movement. Rippling water with tiny chrysanthemums and leaves dance across sun-splashed tones of blue or teal. You can click on the images to see them in my shop.

I’ve also included the blue version in a fat quarter trio with two of Kona Bay’s Ginkgo Tonals (“sand” and “jute”). I think the grouping looks fresh, light, clean, and elegant. The group of three fat quarters is $7.50 plus shipping in the KimonoMomo Etsy shop. I offer several trios of fat quarters, and would be happy to make a custom listing just for you with any prints I have in stock. Just ask! 

Shop news and updates for April, 2013

I have no idea what happened to March. It was here, then it was gone.

April seems a little more grounded, rooted, and thriving. The shop is buzzing with sales (use the code SPRING at checkout for 15% off until May 1, 2013) and sashiko items have been flying out the door. Going through my stock this week I found notes and inventory lists from 2010, a year or so after I first starting selling sashiko supplies. Over the years I’ve taught myself sashiko, taught classes, written articles for Stitch Magazine, blogged about vintage pieces I found interesting, repaired my favorite pair of jeans with stray bits of sashiko thread, and generally allowed sashiko to take over a happy portion of my life.

*How has sashiko affected your life? Do you go crazy for colors, or do you seek out unusual fabrics for embellishing? Are you still getting by using embroidery floss for your projects? Post your experience here and I’ll pick my favorite for the sashiko sample pack above including needles, thread, and Wagara fabric. Deadline is Sunday, May 5, 2013. 

Tell your friends to get in on the giveaway! The bigger the response I have to these little freebies, the more of them I’ll do in the future. I’m heading to Japan in May and will be picking up loads of new goodies to share.

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, this kimono has some hidden charms and plenty of class. This is another kurotomesode, solid black with five white circles reserved for family crests and a colorful design along the bottom hem. On the surface it appears similar the previous kimono, but that’s about to change. First, this one has a woven design, not just a dyed one. This is not terribly common, so already she stands out among the crowd. The woven details are charming, especially when you consider that no one would be down on hands and knees looking at the hem of this kimono while it is worn in public. At least I hope not. That would be rude. A Heian era scene shows a garden, boats on the water, a daimyo‘s procession his castle. Click on any of the images to see a closer view. Subltle woven details shift to bold red waves splashed with gold. Look at the amazing detail on the horse and rider! Keep in mind this detail is less than two inches tall. And here is what it looks like from the back. Delicate brush strokes in pink accentuate a peaceful sky above the woven scenery.

A bit of design overlap. One of the things about this kimono that makes it a work of art is how even the inner lining is dyed to match the outer. This is more typical in kimono of a century ago or older, but it is not done as often in today’s formal kimono. All of the woven designs go to the selvedge, but there are a few exceptions with the dyed parts. Not all, but some.

Again, unlike the previous kimono, most of the hand dyework is selvedge-to-selvedge, including the metallic gold splash accents.   This crest circle was reserved for filling in later, and covered by a scrap of white silk to keep it clean and protected until a customer has chosen the kimono and sent it out for the crest to be applied by hand. Basting threads tearing apart with the greatest of ease. Stamp noting the fabric is 100% silk and 12.3 meters (13.45 yards) long. All rolled up!

 

So what happens now? Both karinui will be used for other projects I have in mind. Those will be disclosed a little later this year after I’ve had a chance to sit down with needle and thread. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please leave a comment below.

Karinui Comparisons, part 1

I am a fan of karinui, those incomplete kimono that require expert tailoring skills to make wearable. Why? Because when it comes to disassembling a kimono, it doesn’t get any easier than tearing apart basted-together karinui. When purchased new, kimono are made to order. The weave, design, dyes, and family crests (depending on the formality of the kimono) are all taken care of by various craftsmen and craftswomen to the buyer’s specifications. Karinui are kimono that have not been fully tailored, and remain roughly basted into shape with all parts where they need to be so the buyer can try it on for size. Maybe the buyer changed her mind, maybe it was an item a shop had on hand in hopes of a quick sale but it got stale sitting on the shelf. Who knows?

The comparison in this series is between two different karinui kurotomesode (high formal women’s kimono). Both are black, both have richly colored designs along the hem, both are reasonably modern. What they differ in is the quality–and the price! The first one was fairly inexpensive, less than $75 including shipping from Japan. The second was more than double that. In taking them both apart, I’ll show you what makes one more valuable over the other.

Part 1: The Cheap Date

Sure, she’s pretty, looks like she knows what she’s doing, but perhaps underneath all that glamour something is a little… off?

I chose this kimono for the depth of color and vibrant images. It’s not a bad piece, really, and would look lovely worn at a formal occasion. This is a mother-of-the-bride type of formal, which means a woman wouldn’t be wearing it very often. The design shows elegant fans, swirling water with shimmering ripples, and mandarin ducks. Click on any image to get a closer view.

Here is the basic layout of the design. In this photo you can see three panels wide, plus the lapel to the far left. The panels are not cleanly lined up yet, as they are only basted. This gives a hint of how much image overlap there is built in to the design.

Basting stitches and blank crests. The silk starts out plain white, not black. These circles are carefully reserved during the dye process as the fabric is dipped into vats of black dye or brushed on by hand. The careful application of specific family crests is done by a limited number of small, family run businesses who have been involved in this highly specialized industry for decades, if not centuries.

Mandarin ducks are symbolic of fidelity, making them ideal for wedding attire. Maple leaves and chrysanthemums are often seen in an autumn wardrobe, but can hold over into the winter.

I like this section so much I added it to the back of some of my business cards! Rocks, branches, bamboo, waves, and plum blossoms. Very wintry, nudging into spring. With the autumn-to-winter images, this kimono could be worn during two seasons, making it more of a bargain than a single-season kimono.

Signature of the artist. It’s a crane, and the white image below it appears to be a gourd. At any rate, that “gourd” is unfinished, which I suspect means it would be filled in by another craftsperson who had yet to add his or her work.

The deconstruction begins! The crease visible down the middle of the image shows where this panel was basted to another. The image runs a few inches beyond that, but not to the selvage. Why all the extra inches where they’ll never be seen? They exist in case the kimono needs to be let out or otherwise altered in the future. Considering the hefty investment of a custom kimono, the owner might very well pass hers down to a daughter, and eventually to a granddaughter. Modifications will need to be made at some point. A taller or wider woman may inherit it, or someone may stain it in an area that can be concealed by adjusting a seam.

Once the fabric has been completely disassembled, it can be rolled back up to how it was before it was sewn. Here the unfinished edges are more obvious. For a panel that is 14″ (36 cm) wide, only 8″-10″ may be visible. Some of the narrow lapel panels were cut into half-widths, which makes them a little tricky to roll back up without basting together into a full-width panel.

At the end of the bolt, the original white is apparent, along with stamps of the manufacturers and verification that it is 100% silk. They aren’t pretty, but for some reason I save these unartistic bits and bolt ends.

 

Here it is, all rolled up. An entire kimono!

In part 2 of this series, I’ll share the Hot Date and explain what makes her so gorgeous, inside and out.