Fabric Friday

This week's fabric of choice is a stunning vintage black Japanese kimono from my collection. It had been packed away when I moved house and I only recently rediscovered it. I love the bold florals and use of colour and it appears to have a 1930s Art Deco feel to it. I'd love to know where it came from originally. I picked it up at an antique fair in Tokyo a few years ago, but have no idea of its heritage.

I'm planning to make it into a stunning clutch bag with a vibrant red lining. Watch this space!

I love the bold design and use of the red, yellow and cream colour theme on a solid black ground with a touch of metallic gold here and there.

The blossom design is a traditional Japanese motif and often found on kimono fabrics.

This stylised chrysanthemum design reminds me of firework displays.

Kimonos are often worn in summer to go and view the popular firework displays around Tokyo.

Fave Fabric Friday

I always gravitate towards the kimono fabrics and this week's favourite fabric is a beautiful red silk kimono piece that I have had for a while but am loathe to cut up. I bought it at Gallery Kawano, one of my favourite kimono shops in Tokyo, tucked down the backstreets of Omotesando. The pieces are good quality and displayed in colour sections. It was always a pleasure to go there and forage for a while, serenaded by the jazz music they play in the background. This was often followed by a trip to Omotesando Koffee, the best coffee in Tokyo, served up in a 60 year old Japanese house.

This kimono piece combines classic Japanese images of flying storks and blossom sprigs, two delicate motifs on a vibrant red ground. I love the fact that negative space plays just as an important role as the design itself in Japanese art, and this has been used to great effect here. Instead of cutting it up, I may use it as inspiration for a new fabric design group I am in the process of creating.