Kimono textile totes

Hello folks! Like I wrote in the last post, today I am going to share the photos of two Tote bags made with Japanese antique and vintage Kimono textiles. I patched several Kimono remnants together and embellished them with Sashiko and beads. I hope that gave some interesting elements to these bags.


The tote #1, I used three different Kimono silks. I picked red and green Japanese medium weight cottons to combine with those beautiful Kimono silks. Because there are red and green in the design of the silks. But just now, I found that's a Christmas color combination!! Which I have never meant it.

One side. I love this beautiful flower pattern. Chrysanthemums and Japanese apricot flowers are symbols of happiness and longevity. The leather handles are firmly attached with hand stitches.

The other side. I added simple Sashiko stripes on the cotton. This side looks very different from the other side. It is like you have two different bags in this one tote.

The Tote #2 (below). This is made with cottons and linens. It is not as fancy as silk fabrics but I like the natural, artless feeling of the woven (Kasuri) patterns.

This is the other side (below). I stitched tiny beads along the stripes. The cotton for the lining is not an antique or vintage. But it has a Japanese traditional arrow motif called "Ya-gashuri". I also added two strings on the sides. By tying the strings you can make the bag compact. The shape of the bag transforms into a cube(ish). Both totes have magnetic closures.

I love to play with patchwork. Especially when I pick out fabrics to put together. When I only have limited amount of materials, sometimes I find very interesting fabric combinations that I have never thought of . Since my collection of antique/vintage Kimono textile is not so big. But I like it. It is like solving a subtle puzzle.

I will write about some jewelries I made recently next time. It is shocking to me that Thanksgiving comes in only two days. It seems my time flies faster than others'!! I hope you all in the US have a safe, happy Thanksgiving. Folks in other places in the world, please have a beautiful week.

Nina's Ballet Bag made with Kokka's Retro Animal Print

Nina's ballet school students and company members will perform "the Sleeping Beauty" this weekend. Nina has been performing in the Nutcracker for five years but this is the first time for us to participate the Spring Production. I made a ballet bag for the last Nutcracker performance. She's been using that for going her lessons and rehearsals three days a week since then. The bag seems getting dirty and worn-out a little bit, so I decided to make a new one for this Spring production.

I had this super cute half linen fabric from Kokka. This is one of fabrics I got in Japan last Summer. As you can imagine, I fell in love with this retro animal print at a first sight. The color and the style of these adorable characters feel very nostalgic. I think many women grown in Japan in my age would feel the same. I had a flannel Kimono pajama in the print just like this when I was so little! I am not going to tell you how many,  but its sooooo many years agooooo! \(*o*)/

Starting with a very rough sketch with the dimensions I want.

All the parts prepared. I made bias tapes with my favorite gingham check cotton for trimming.

Assembled all together....... then....... Ta-dah! It's finished!!

I put two outside pockets and one inside pocket for keep a pen and a little note book. There is a inside bottle holder as well. The top opens wide so she can easily see and reach the whole contents in the bag.

Oh, my. She's grown. I really need to get new Summer clothes for her. Things she wore last Summer are all shrunk! Well, of course. She has turned nine on May 15th. On her birthday we talked about the day Nina was born (in Japan). I feel that it was only a few years ago, and sometimes it feels many many years ago (or even that's somebody else's story!). Have you ever felt like that? Here is a snap shot of her and her birthday cake. The tie she is wearing is a gift from me. The tie and the cake were homemade.

Today they had the first run through on the actual stage. She took her brand-new bag to the theater. This week is going to be a busy one!! I hope you had a great holiday and started a good week. Happy sewing!

Things happning on my work table (and around the house)

 Wow, it's October? No kidding. Wow. I say this approximately twelve times a year. "Where did my last month fly away?"

Collecting myself, I have been too busy with working on my original pattern making and other chores to write for the blog so long. I am almost there to finish moving my studio from the basement to upstairs. It was very hard to start any new projects when I was in the middle of moving. But the furniture setting is finally decided and many of my stuff which need to be stored in this room got their new home. So at last I can start my work in this incomplete studio. (But now, I have the feeling of success about this move pretty much!) Today I want to share what's going on my work table recently with some pictures you might want to take a look.

I fell in love with this fabric collection "Spring house" by Stephanie Ryan when it was released right away. I didn't have any plan yet but anyway I needed to get some or all of the patterns of this collection! It is rare that I really love whole prints in one collection. This was one very rare thing which happened to me this spring. I wish I could buy all in yardage. But you know, I couldn't. So I got a set of layer cake and conserved (^.^) until a perfect idea flushes on me. I am making a patchwork window treatment for my new studio with these! It is going to be a fabulous, beautiful curtain! I will report you the progress. Please be patient and look forward to it!

Every year, the first day when I feel Fall in the air, I want to start knitting like as many of you do. And also I swore myself to use up my yarn stash or clear them out. So I picked some of my old balls of yarn and just started knitting. This is going to be a long scarf. I will just keep going until I use up the balls. I want to make it look a bit fancy (not only something for spending my stash quickly). I consider this project as a relaxation. So the pattern has to be a fun and also simple enough to meditate! This lacy Rickrack kind of pattern is perfect.

This one below is nothing special. It's practical. I am knitting a pair of leg warmers for Nina. Her ballet school locates in an old building. Sometimes her classroom gets cold in the Winter. She takes two lessons and two rehearsals for Nutcracker a week in the building. Keeping muscles warm until their bodies get ready to move is very important for dancers (and other athletes). I am hoping that these will keep Nina away from injury when she has fun dancing.

Do you remember these old school chairs? We got these from a big school auction. Tim refinished them really beautifully and they are ready to go. We are planning list them in Craig's list soon. Hopefully we will find nice happy homes for them. (To be honest, I really don't want to part with them. Because they are so adorable!!!) Well done Mr.W!

I walk for half an hour in the Wooded Estate every weekday morning. Seeing the nature changes seasons is my favorite. I see some Autumn colored leaves. The most beautiful time in South Bend is just beginning.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this. Have a great week.

Material shopping trip to Shinjuku (in Tokyo)

I can't believe that we only have ten days left in Japan. I didn't plan many things to do this Summer because my schedule in Japan usually tends to be congested and I get very tired. But material shopping to Tokyo is crucial to me. So I went for it last Saturday. The destination was Shinjuku. There are two large well known mass-sales craft stores close to Shinjuku station.

 I usually take trains which go along Tokyo Bay to Tokyo from my home town. This is the view from the train window.

The view of the east side of Shinjuku Station. 

There is "OKADAYA" about three minutes walk away from the station. They have good amount of various fabrics. Especially materials for making costumes and clothing.

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This picture of the train trucks is taken from 11th floor of TAKASHIMAYA Department store. That is on the South side of Shinjuku station. There is "YUZAWAYA" in this building. It is a craft store chain in Tokyo area.

Oume Highway goes in front of Shinjuku Station South exit.

This year I got some colored lacy crochet threads. I like the quality of Japanese yarns. There are many choices.

Japanese Sewing books.

Cute prints of Suzuko Koseki.

Basic Polka dots.

Soleiado is a long seller series in Japan.

Bias tapes made of Soleiado fabrics.

 Naniiro Double Gauze.

Liberty print seems very popular in Japan as well. The store was showing beautiful products made of Libarty fabric too.

I forgot to check who make these pretty floral prints. They were very attractive.

My favorite material heavy weight felts. They are 2mm thick. You can get 3mm thick ones in rolls. Very handy.

It seems needle felting is still in trend in Japan. I saw many of super cute needle felting kits.

These are some of my purchase this time.

And I keeps making things. This motif is made of the thread I got here.

If you are planning a trip to Tokyo and need information about material shopping there, please let me know!

Thank you for reading such a long post! I hope you enjoyed it. It is hard to find time to write now, but I will try to update my days in Japan. I have a lot more to telly you!

Sewing garments for Nina and ....

I sewed a pair of school pants for Nina a couple weeks ago. We had unusually mild Winter in December. Then it changed pretty much dramatically and we have been having a very severe cold weather since last week. One day Nina said that she needs warmer school uniform pants. I remember I wrote a post last Winter about commercial school uniform pants are all made with thin cotton twill and those are not appropriate materials to wear for students living in the cold latitudes like here. So I got a couple yards of corduroy and sewed it up like I did last Winter. (She still wore those last Winter pants but they look like Capri pants now.) l*o*l

The pattern is different from the last year's pants. But it is from the same Japanese sewing book. The pants have two pockets in the back with those cool flaps. I like the detail of the flap's lining with a fancy cotton print (DSQ Sugar Creek Diamond Check).
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The waist band is doubled with the corduroy and the print. It looks like she is wearing another pair of pants (or shorts) underneath.

I am making another pair with the same corduroy and the other cotton print. I will share it when it is ready!

I also made garments for Nina's good friend. It is a fancy white cat! Nina was invited to a slumber birthday party by her school friend. She was super excited because that was going to be her first slumber party! Guests were required to bring a stuffed animal (from Build-A-Bear Workshop if they have one) and this is her only one animal from BAB. (She has a hundred or more animals in her treasure chest though...) The kitten originally had a swimming suit as you can see a bit in the picture above. It definitely needs one nice set of PJs to attend on Nina going to her special party.

The flower printed fabric is a remnant from this project. I realized that I have been kept this remnant for more than two years! I hove to be more careful not to be a material hoarder. Seriously.

The PJ pants pattern I drafted for this project.

I made a little outlet for her tail in the pants.

The top can be worn as a pretty little dress too!

Thank you for reading such a long post and a lot of pictures! Happy clothes sewing!

***A Valentine's day project tutorial is coming soon!