Amuse Museum: BORO Exhibition

My interest in Japanese textiles started from boro cloth I saw at my neighbour's home in Bangkok thirty years ago. It was an amazing piece of boro cloth that held the history of the maker and the users for generations. My Japanese neighbour told me that it belonged to her family for as long as she could remember. Having traveled to Japan in the last few years I have now seen more boro cloths in various shops, museums and private collections of friends. Of course I haven't owned one myself. I have one started and it is still a work in progress. You can read about it here. On my recent visit to Japan I was very fortunate to visit a boro exhibition of Chuzaburo Tanaka's collection at the Amuse Museum,  Asakusa, Tokyo. It's an exhibition you can touch, photograph, and try on the boro clothes. We thoroughly loved it. And here are the photos I took to share with you. Enjoy...

Tabi boots (toe boots)

boro futon cover

boro quilt with cotton padding

Sakiori rug (rag rug)

boro curtain still in good condition

boro kimono jacket

Cynthia was trying on boro jacket

Cynthia was showing the back

Museum shop which has fantastic blue collections

Here is a boro vest I started since my return. I'm using vintage kimono fabric I brought back and some of the indigo fabric I dyed during the tour. I used an old vest I found at an op-shop that was perfect for the job. I have started putting some stitching on it now. Click to enlarge and see a close-up of the stitching. I used Instagram app on my iPad/iPhone to take the photos to give me the aged look!

Three books of boro collections from my very own Japanese library. I'm so lucky to have access to many Japanese books about culture, textiles, history, art and crafts. I can also request books that I'm interested in. I have put an order for books on kumihimo. Apart from Japanese collections, I also have a Korean collection at my library too. I have lately been interested in bojagi. I enjoy working at my library. I usually bring piles of books home in the weekends. Even though I can't always read everyone of them, I'm happy just to have them with me. Lis also posted about her visit to Amuse Museum so do visit her blog. 

I think I only have enough photos for one more post on Japan. It's shopping in Japan. Sadly I didn't do very well on that one. Not a lot of opportunity and time, but I do have a few things to show you. 

Till next time

Nat

How Many Scarves?

How many scarves do I need? I wondered that too. I love scarves and wear one everyday. I wear scarves when I go to work, at home, and when I go out! A scarf has become an accessory for every outfit. While in Japan I dyed seven scarves. I made one for everyday of the week, almost. A scarf has become an item of clothing for most women and men today. I feel undressed without wearing one. Enjoy my scarves with me...!

There are eight scarves in the above photo. The red shibori scarf I made using two lengths of a metre long kimono fabric I found at Asakusa market when we visited the Amuse (boro) museum. The green and red one on the left is the most beautiful chiffon silk. I dyed it using yellow dye from Gardiner pods and red from Maddar root over dyed with indigo. 

This red shibori was from vintage fabric joined in the middle to make it long enough to become a full length scarf. Most of my scarves are blue (surprise, surprise!) so when I found the red shibori pieces I had to have them!

One of the highlights during the tour for me was a visit to Noguchi-San indigo master's studio. I pre-stitched this piece of shibori hoping to dye it in the fermentation vat and I did. I dipped it so many times in order to get that dark indigo blue. Don't you just love how it looks? 

Snow dyed effects. We all dyed this scarf almost at the end of the tour. It was easy, but effective. I love the feel of this silk. Not sure what kind of silk it was. All silk keeps you very warm even though it is thin material. 

Moon scarf. I dyed a lot of moon pieces on the tour. I also wanted a blue scarf so when I was planning to dye this cotton scarf I decided to add a few moons at one end.

A loose cotton scarf. This is my most favourite of the seven scarves I did. I made a shibori stitch using simple line of stitching in a zig zag pattern. I dipped half of it seven times and three times on the other half. The results is light and dark diamonds alternatively. I have been wearing this scarf ever since I dyed it.  

This is the last scarf I did on the tour. It took the whole evening to stitch it. I cheated by folding it in half and stitching it. I tied both ends in the same pattern. It's my second favourite scarf from the tour.

I hope you enjoyed my collection of indigo dyed scarves. It's coming to winter here in Australia so these scarves are handy to have. Well, how many scarves do you need? 

PS: DS's Bike Babies blog. They have taken their babies to Malaysia a few days ago. If you want to know where they are please visit their blog...

Till next time

Nat

Let's go for a walk: In Fujino

It's 6.5 kilometres from the farm to Fujino train station. It's harder to walk from the station uphill to the farm . The day before the tour end was an easy day for us. Cynthia, Janine and I decided to take a walk down to the station and take photos. We had seen lovely houses and gardens along the way by car and decided a walk is a better way to get photographs.

Making a trip both ways would have exhausted us, but Bryan had to pick up his friend Tae, our lovely Japanese tea ceremony master that afternoon, so we took the opportunity to get a ride home with them. In this post I will share with you the photos of the walk in Fujino. Enjoy!

Map of the area displayed at Fujino train station where the red 
bubble is. The farm is near the last turn off on the top left.

The green tea field belongs to Bryan. You can see it from the farm. 

Cherry tree at the corner of the farm welcomes you on top of the driveway.

ひとりしずか/ Japanese name: By Myself Quiet. (name obtained from Bryan's blog)

Village signs as you enter. I guess they say, 'Bryan's farm left' and 'Fujino train station 

right'.

Passing all these wonderful blossoms and trees along the way

Round the corner down the hill. 5 kilometres more before the train station

Passing cedar pine forest. Slender and tall. Cedar bark is great for eco-dyeing as well!

Crafted motif on headstone from the village cemetery

We met a local on his way to fish

 A cute coffee shop just outside Fujino train station. I love the cat Nolan 

Cross the creek down the hill from the farm

Green tea plantations in the valley

Cynthia and I stood and let cherry blossoms shower over us.

Walked over the horse bridge

Attractive looking leaves

Some yellow flowers instead of pink

Rusty roof calling for a photograph. 

Boy's Day May 5th. 

Yeah we reached the tunnel! Janine posing at the mouth of the tunnel

Thanks for coming along for a walk with me. I hope you enjoyed the scenery along the way.  Fujino is a hidden treasure yet to be discovered. When we took the members for a drive one afternoon one of them mentioned what I had told them before the tour started, "If you did not know anyone in Fujino you would never go there", and they agreed. If you happen to be in Tokyo and have a day to spare do make the trip to Fujino. It's only just over an hour's ride by train on Chuo line from Shinjuku station or Tokyo terminal. 

Till next time

Nat

Indigo Sisters and the Japanese Textiles Study Tour

We called ourselves Indigo Sisters on the tour. It was strange because I thought of the name well before the tour started and kept it to myself. The other members thought of the same thing. Great minds think alike I guess!

Thank you, thank you Indigo sisters. You were all delightful to spend 10 days with. Each and everyone brought unique experiences to share with the others to make this tour a success so thank you.

Eight months of planning and renovating packed into 10 days. It was a busy and enjoyable 10 days of fun! I have to thank all the helpers in Japan who tirelessly gave a hand to one thing or the other to get the preparation and renovation completed by 20 minutes before the members arrived!

We didn't keep the program down to the T due to the weather and local artisans' availability. We filled the program and packed in extras. I took about 900 photos using my iPhone and will sort them by activities instead of days.

The results of the first day dyeing at the farm. There were two indigo vats ready for the members to use. These were dyed using chopsticks resist (itajime). 

My silk scarf I pre stitched and dyed at the indigo master Noguchi-San's studio. I'm so happy the way it turned out! 

Two of the Indigo sisters, Lis and Blandina. They were just taking a quick break from dyeing!

This is Noguchi-San's studio and residence. Visiting Noguchi-San for me was the highlight of the tour.  

Myra on the steps of Fuji-Sengen Shrine. The Fuji-Sengen Shrine is located at the northern foot of mount Fuji. Fuji-San is only 45 minutes drive from Fujino. Unfortunately we didn't see the mountain that day. It's quite common that people go to Fuji-San for five or six times without seeing the top of it! I made a wish to go back and see it on a clear day...!

Jean was holding the knitted cloth knitted by Kurihara San on an old knitting machine. The members dyed cotton threads at the beginning of the tour and Kurihara San took it away to knit it. He brought the cloth back on the last day of the tour for members to share.

Judi showed one of the scarves she dyed during the tour. Judi is a real Indigo sister. She was a wiz at the vat! 

Here is a list of tour members with blogs. Do visit them and see great photos from the tour.
Lis Harwood
Cynthia Tomaszewski
Myra Dunn
Jean Betts
Blandina
And Bryan

I have to share with you DS's Bike Babies adventure blog. My son and his family left for their bicycle adventure holiday with their two children age under four. They are keeping a blog in order to share their experiences with young families wanting to go on this kind of holiday. Please leave them an encouraging comment when you visit their blog.

Till next time
Nat

Japanese Textile Study Tour

This blog is unattended at present. I'm away on the Japanese Textile Study Tour. You can follow the tour on Facebook. The tour Facebook is operating now. I have been posting some interesting things about Japan and the tour. 

The Facebook tour page is open and does not need a login. I hope you are coming along to see what we are up to. 

See you on my return. 

Enjoy

Nat