Tuesday, June 30, 2015

potd - Dishes

I'm always looking for something for my photo of the day  - these designs are from small, cheap, everyday dishes that we have in the shop at the moment.







Friday, June 26, 2015

potd - Patches

I'm ironing up pieces of old indigo cotton (sorry, the colour is never right in the photos). The patched pieces are my favourites...








Thursday, June 25, 2015

potd - Notions

Notions... Japanese thimbles,  old and new Japanese and Australian buttons and  wonderful  Japanese bronze zips .




Wednesday, June 24, 2015

potd - Black Kimono Silk

Most of the black kimono silk we have by the metre is plain or has a pattern in the weave - here are a few exceptions...






Monday, June 22, 2015

potd - Printed Shibori Boro

This is a post-war patched and stitched futon cover panel  in the make-do boro tradition. At a distance it looks like shibori dyeing but is actually printed.  This is for sale on my website or in the shop.



Sunday, June 21, 2015

potd - Kimono Silk Buttons

I sat in front of the fire last night (absolutely freezing here!) and covered some more buttons with kimono silk. It makes me look at the finer details of the fabric....




Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

potd - Shoiko

We haven't had one of these in the shop before. It's a shoiko wooden  back pack - probably mid-20th century.


Monday, June 15, 2015

Home Sewing 1933

These are illustrations from a Japanese sewing book in my collection dated 1933...


potd - Yatate Inro

I've just put this yatate inro on my website. It's a small bronze ink case that would be paired with a thin brush case and hung from a man's obi with a netsuke. The top compartment has a little wad of cotton and would be filled with ink  to make a portable writing set. It dates from the 19th century and is only 3 or 4 cm long but is very solid and weighty. I love this - but I can't keep everything!


Friday, June 12, 2015

potd - Winter Sale

We're open tomorrow for market day (10am  - 3pm) and the start of our Winter Sale. It's on until 4th July.  Lots of discounted fabric, thread, paper, kimonos, obis and more. I hope you can come along.





Thursday, June 11, 2015

potd - Japanese Paper

I've just been making up some paper 'play packs' - a mix of origami, handmade washi etc