maandag 20 oktober 2014

Paris, some addresses of Japanese shops

Last wednesday I was in Paris for a one-day-visit. I visited some Japanese shops. (I think I am in my Japanese period........)
Since maybe already 30 years I collect japanese teacups. I bought two small ones at IKAT, 36 rue François Miron in the Marais.


I also visited YODOYA, 6-8 rue St Gilles, I bought a mascot of a cat, so cute and they say that the cat brings luck.....

This shop is cram-full with small things, hairclips, key holders, origami work, buttons.....In the corner the owner is sewing with japanese fabric.


In the neighbourhood of the Sacré Coeur, I found a, for me, new asiatic shop, TAI TAI, 15 rue André Del Sarte.
Lots of small things like the other shops, but also some very special things the owner brought himself from Japan and China.
LIke these handstencilled indigo fabric, he is cutting a small piece for me.


There were beautiful jackets/kimono's in indigo and I loved this folded skirt. I took the photo for the owl cushion and you can see the skirt in front .

The owner talked so enthusiastic about his trips to Asia, i will surely go back in january to see what is new ........

If you never were in Rue St Anne, you really need to go there once. Almost everything in this street is Japanese, restaurants, shops even a bakery, at number 16, where i bought this delicious matcha muffin.


AKI, at number 11 is one of the best restaurants in the street, you can eat okonomiyaki, a kind of japanese pizza. It is rather difficult to find.
Another shop in this street is DISCOVER JAPAN, at number 12, they sell bags, Japanese slippers and the high quality,comfortably cloths from the brand EVAM EVA.


If you are looking for a kimono, go to KIMONOYA, rue du Pont Louis Philippe, not far from the Notre Dame.

At last I went to the Quartier Latin to visit JHIN, 5 rue de Condé. I bought some fabric.....

And as usual I went to Keatsu, 8 rue du Roule, près du Pont Neuf, to buy some scraps.....

I think I go back to paris in january for another day of shopping.

donderdag 9 oktober 2014

How I love Japanese fabric

I bought lots of small and large pieces of used, vintage kimono fabric from Japan. I bought them on Etsy and Ebay, and a friend from Australie sent me an envelope with lots of pieces....
The dark blue indigo is beautiful, often not faded at all, they were dyed in the manuel way .
Most of the pieces are with Kasuri patterns, a special way of weaving.
Some information about Kasuri weaving:


The making of kasuri is a painstaking, laborious process–a cultural and economic tradition that stands as a stark contrast to fast, disposable fashion. Below, a few facts about this Japanese wonder fabric:

   • Rather than dyeing and printing a piece of fabric, making kasuri requires tie-dyeing the yarn first, then weaving the various colors into a pattern. As a result of this process, there is a soft, subtle blurring of the patterns on the finished fabric. Because the patterns are woven rather than printed, the design of the fabric is also visible on the reverse side.

   • From designing motifs to applying the finishing touches, this high-quality textile goes through more than 30 different stages before it is completed. Each individual process requires skills and experience specific to that step.

   • It takes about two months to complete a single roll of kasuri (40-cm wide, 12-m long), which yields only enough fabric for one adult-size kimono.

(source http://www.shopethica.com/features/what-is-kasuri)

(source Wikipedia)

I am going to make a bed quilt with the fabric in my favorite quilt block: the scrappy logcabin. I tried several other patterns but finally have chosen the block that is one of my favorite.
I already made 10 blocks, they are 19 x 19 cm.
It is such a pleasure to make them, i choose the fabric hap hasard..........






The pictures are quite dark, it was raining all morning ,fall arrived !

vrijdag 3 oktober 2014

Small things for the Christmas market

I worked with wool felt and the sewing machine this week . Although weather is too beautiful to sit in my sewingroom to quilt, I wanted to do something..... Working with wool felt is easy and quick, I did not line the cases, only sewed some cute ribbon and velcro; the pencil cases have zippers. 
For the birdie wallets I uses the pattern for some decoration birds I made some months ago, i only enlarged the pattern and added some embroidery. 
Easy peasy...... 

Some phone cases.


Pencil cases.


Birdie wallets.