I’ll admit it, it’s what I love to do, organize.
Everything else may be out of control, but here in my studio, all is order.
The reds are together here and the blues over there, sheers on top, solids and patterns, so many ways to categorize.
Which is why I had such a good time last week.
The first step to make one of my pieced scarves is to put together fabrics that go together. And even better, go together so that each piece enhances the next and will look beautiful as a whole.
Looking through my leftover scraps of silk, laying them out into some sort of order, following along, led by accident to new combinations and connections.
After a while, what was once an odd, disorganized pile of scraps is now orderly stacks of color coordinated fabrics. Instead of leftover odds and ends, they are almost, not quite yet, but soon, brand new scarves.
kimono silk
Pick Up Sticks Skirt and Jacket
A beautiful navy kimono silk with scattered silver dots inspired this full skirt and jacket.
I sketched out an idea:
Which wasn’t quite what I was after.
Sketch #2 was closer to what I wanted, little skinny lines scattered along the bottom edge of the skirt.
Kind of like this:
Direction established, I cut and sewed, recut and re-sewed the bits together, cut some more and sewed until there was enough for a full skirt.
The front half.
Final step: Sew into a skirt and make a jacket to match.
And Voila!
Japanese Kimono Fabrics
At first I only used Japanese kimono silks with very subtle patterns and weaves. It was the drape, the unusual colors and textures that drew me in. Anything with a traditional Japanese image didn’t interest me.
That didn’t last long…
Soon I was seduced by the cranes and pine trees, cherry blossoms, peony flowers and Hokusai ocean waves. They were so beautiful and cool and gorgeous. How could I resist?
I found myself buying the older, damaged kimonos and undoing, rearranging and piecing them into new jackets and coats.
The older, well worn kimonos are best. I set aside any torn or stained areas, signs of a life well lived, and find ways to reconnect the elements in new ways.
This is the kind of old kimonos that I use. They usually have the patterns along the bottom edge. The upper half is left undecorated and is where the obi is placed.
Although many of the same design elements are used over and over, the colors, the particular style, the placement and subtle differences make each kimono unique.
As I reconfigure the pieces, I see images flow together in new ways.
Cranes fly up and away, ocean waves crash together, flowers, trees and branches connect.
The fun part, I never know exactly what will happen. I lay out the fabrics and follow where they lead.
This old kimono had enough for a second jacket. I posted a picture a few weeks back. Go here to see it.