Japanese Textiles

My interest in textiles goes back to the time I lived at home with my mother. My mother was doing boro and mending long before it became fashionable. When I find patches on vintage Japanese fabric these days, it reminds me of my mother who used to mend and patch our clothes. Little holes or tears would be patched with a piece of fabric as close to the  colour as the main garment. Neat stitches would be applied to the patches. 

When I started quilting about 20 years ago I of course like every other quilters would buy new quilting fabric (100% cotton). A few years on I discovered the Victorian style crazy quilt. Those quilts were made from used fabric, old clothes and remnants. I was very satisfied using that fabric as well as quilting fabric. Today I only seek out used clothing, old fabric and vintage kimono fabric to use in my quilts or art pieces. Many of the quilts I made represent my travels. 

Click on the photo to enlarge for more details

With my trip to Japan for the Japanese Textile Study Tour in April I decided to make a Trip around the world quilt. I got inspired by A Peaceful Life blog. I found superb instructions by Bonnie Hunter. I'm using only vintage Japanese fabric that I have been collecting from many of my trips to Japan. I'm machine piecing the top and will hand quilt it. The block is 12" finished I might need 42 blocks in total. I've made 6 blocks so far. It's a long way to the finish line. Please come along with me on the trip around the world quilt.

Click on the photo to enlarge for more details

Another Japanese textile that inspires me is this Sakiori rug (rag rug). Weaving is another one of my interests. If I ever learnt weaving I would only learn to weave the Sakiori rug. Can you imagine using my own eco-dyed silk to weave it! I have also got a stack of saris I brought when I lived in Abu Dhabi and got more when I visited India. They would be perfect for rag weaving. The above rug was from Ziguzagu. It was one of the two rugs in their latest shipment. It's made entirely of vintage kimono silk. It has indigo boro backing. It was meant to be for me...! 

I can't have a post without showing you my eco-dyed fabric and threads. I love using my own dyed threads for stitching. Every time I do eco-dyeing I throw in a ball or two of pearl cotton in the dye bath. The colour I get from it is amazing. Not strong colour but a very subtle colour thread for natural dyed fabric. 

I dyed this scarf at the Naturally Dyed workshop last month. I used prunnus and eucalyptus leaves wrapped over a metal rod. I added my own indigo dyed silk to the ends and stitched and weaved all over it. 

I would like to share this comment from Bev with you: I love reading your posts, other blogs show off material made by so and so and you have the most divine fabric dyed by you and your garden. Tell me please how long do you leave the thread in the the carrot water, any details greatly appreciated. Happy days Bev xoxo. I told Bev how to dye thread and encouraged her to try eco-dyeing. I hope she is on her way to use what Australia gives us, eucalyptus trees...!

As a lover of Japanese textiles I couldn't pass this gorgeous, gorgeous piece of fabric! Haru hung it out over the counter at Ziguzagu knowing I would be there! It's vintage silk that was once a kimono! I know I won't be able to cut it, it's too beautiful! 

May I introduce you to Robbie, the exhibitionist of Ziguzagu. Robbie is a dear. He would never fail to come over from the furniture restoration section of the store to say hi and entertains us whenever we are there. That day Robbie tried on a cotton yukata for us. I don't think the work boots suit that yukata! Uhm, I just spotted another sakiori rug behind him and what is inside those baskets? No, I can't go back there again for a long time! 

Enjoy

Nat