Finally both the Yuzen dyeing of kimono and the obi weaving are complete! Mamiya-san sent me several photos. The smaller design in on my left shoulder, and the larger one on the bottom front. On the back the obi’s design incorporates with the bokashi like a river flow. Mamiya-san asked me when I will be …
Jizome 地染, the process of dyeing the kimono fabric with the base color, is done. Fuse-nori has been also washed away, but Itome 糸目, the fine thread-like dye resist still intact on the fabric. At this stage, the craftsman moves on the the next step: Irosashi色挿し. Iro means colors. Sashi means to apply. In this …
Once the 糸目置Itome-oki is complete, that area is covered with 伏糊Fuse-nori. Fuse-nori is a mixture of sticky rice, rice bran, and salt with water, making the texture of thick paste. By applying Fuse Nori evenly and sprinkling saw dust on Fuse-nori, the covered area is left intact when dying the fabric with the base color. …
In my previous blog post I showed you Kosaka-san’s sketch sketch with aobana ink. Once the sceth was completed, Kosaka-san disassembled and stitched back the kimono fabric into the long narrow shape. The next step is to directly place paste dye on the lines of the aobana ink sketch. In a similar way as using …
Yuzen is a resist dyeing technique that became the fashion for kimono at the end of the 17th century in Japan. Applying paste dye directly to fabric to prevent color transfer to other areas, Yuzen technique enables creating elaborate freehand designs with multiple colors. The first step is to sketch design on the white fabric …
6/28/2021: WHAT IS YUZEN–WE LOVE KIMONO PROJECT 7 Read More »
It’s been a while since I posted the progress of this project. The project has been going on but it’s me to blame not updating you about it. I’m sorry. Based upon my feedback, Mr. Katsuyama made the second medashi, this time without gold thread. The pink color is gone, too. Only bluish colors. Maybe …
How the Second Medashi Look Like –We Love Kimono Project 6 Read More »
November 15 is a holiday called Shichi Go San in Japan. Shichi means 7, Go means 5, and San means 3. When a girl becomes 3 and 7, and a boy becomes 5 years old, we celebrate it by visiting a shrine or temple dressed up. I don’t know much of the history, like why …
In my previous blog post “Wearing Gold – Japanese Way”, I mentioned about my obi that is woven with 24K gold thread. It is not easy to imagine how that is possible with only still photos. Thanks to NHK’s on-demand video, I can share with you how it is done. The video is available until …