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@mamedorilabo
Hello, spring
Again, it has been a long time since my last post. April, that is the beautiful season of cherry blossoms and April is the beginning of a new school year in Japan.
In the middle of the month I live-painted my favorite Leon Russell painting on a large glass window.
And May. The delicious bounty of the mountains begins to be harvested.
A lot has happened in May. To be continued. See you soon!
It's been a while.
Winter is coming to a close. I should at least make time to relax and blog. After a summer filled with persimmon dyeing, autumn has passed in a flash, and before I know it, winter is coming to an end. I am looking forward to the coming of spring after the winter, which is not my favorite season.
Recently, in addition to previous indigo-dyed and persimmon tannin works, I have been creating new tastes.
All of these bags are made of old Japanese fabric. There are many authentic plaid patterns like this one in old Japanese cloth. I recently met a woman at her exhibition who introduces Indian kantha or handicrafts to Japan. I have always loved Indian Kantha, Because it is so beautiful and I relate to the background of the work. This year, I would like to create sustainable works that transcend the borders between Japan and India! And update my blog, too!
See you soon!
Japanese summer wear, Yukata, Kimono
The other day, I wore a yukata for the first time in a long time. Not many people in modern Japan wear kimonos as everyday wear.Most people wear kimonos for formal occasions such as weddings or for Japanese cultural scenes such as tea ceremony and flower arrangement. However, many people wear yukata at summer festivals.
"Yukata" is a cotton kimono worn by itself, and is worn in the hot summer or after a bath.
↑Japanese festivals. What they wear is called happi or hanten.
These bags are made from fabric of cotton kimono. There are many authentic patterns in Japanese kimono fabrics from over 100 years ago.
Have a nice summer!
It's season for persimmon dyeing
July is already over. Summer in Japan is very hot and humid. On this day, I went to a persimmon field to harvest unripe persimmons that would be destroyed. I harvested 6 containers of persimmons. I can only make enough persimmon juice to use up in one season.
These are crushed into small pieces and soaked in water. When bubbles appear, move over the persimmons inside and wait at least one year. Various parts of my body hurt :)
The photo below shows dyeing with persimmon tannin solution more than two years old and exposing it to the sun; after dyeing four times, the color will look like this.
A piece of work made with cloth recently dyed with persimmon tannin.
Japan is famous for its lack of holidays, but there is an Obon holiday in summer.（Mid-August, 3days) Obon is a Buddhist event, a ceremony to welcome the spirits of ancestors and send them off to heaven. In my city, festivals related to Obon have begun. Here is a poster I designed.
See you soon!
Beginning of summer
Hello, I make apparel out of old fabrics and things.
↑These bag are made from very old Japanese textiles and vintage feedsack. The barbershop-like colouring is very attractive.
And I also work as a graphic designer, painter and art director. Today, unusually, I also publish photos about the work of graphic designers. The video below shows lettering on a record shop sign. (Husband owns a record shop)
Each day brings me closer to summer.
The sun is beginning to shine, perfect for persimmon dyeing!
see you later!
Rainy season,June
Japan will soon be in the rainy season. It is gloomy, humid and disgusting, but for the fields it is a blessing. And, Ajisai(hydragea) is so beautiful!
When working in the fields, an insect repellent spray made from dokudami is useful.
The Japanese rainy season is the plum blossom. In Japan, plums are eaten in an ingenious way. UMEBOSHI(Dried plums), UMESYU(plum wine), etc.
In the production of the work, it's business as usual.
I unravel old cloths and wash and dry them over and over again. For the people who buy my work, it is brand new.
I have uploaded a lot of products, so please have a look at my webstore. I have also added the popular hair bands made in summery fabrics. See you next issue!
Hello, May
Before I knew it, it is already May! I have finished planting summer vegetables in my kitchen garden and they have begun to grow. In Japan, wild vegetables are in season and our family enjoys them every day.
↑Japanese wild vegetables(Takenoko, Warabi, Mitsuba, Yukinoshita, Watercress)
I have recently uploaded these pieces to our web store.I still use old Japanese fabrics as materials, and sometimes combine old pieces from different countries in my work. I try to make good use of scraps from the production process. I also try to make clothes in a way that produces as few scraps as possible.
Recently Recently I made this. I made an apron from a vintage tablecloth. It's for me.
See you next issue!
sashiko stitch
Hello,April. Time goes by quickly. Spring has come at my hometown. Sakura are a special flower for Japanese.
let's get back to the today's topics. Today, I would like to introduce a new works.
I recently made a bag from an old stained jute bag, dyed with persimmon tannin and reinforced with many stitches. Sashiko is an old Japanese technique to strengthen cloth with many stitches. I used up the old jute bags without any scraps. It is made entirely from vegetable materials, so it go back to the soil.
This bag is hand quilted with cotton inside. The handles of this bag are stuffed with old cloth. All the cloth of this bag is recycled from very old items. It takes a very long time, but we have created a very beautiful, durable, and environmentally friendly bag. See you later!
Darning & Embroidery Workshop
I recently held a darning and embroidery workshop. This was the second time for most of the participants to attend this darning workshop. Participant who run a natural farm brought delicious snacks and we ate them while darning. While darning, they were immersed in the memories associated with the garment. That time is also rich.
Next was an embroidery workshop with simple stitches that do not use frames. I prepared a white linen and cotton handkerchief for the embroidery base. Since no special tools are used, you can make your own favorites in your spare time of daily life.
Girl who are 10 years old was joined. Her little hands and pure eyes are so pretty!
She embroidered her own hat. I make a tasseles by leftover threads, She sewed it onto a hat. It looks great on her.
I hope it will be warmer around the time I write next post. Thank you, and see you next post. Bye.
Spring has just around the corner.
The sunlight has started to reach my studio. It is proof that the sun is getting higher. I love my house & studio surrounded by trees.
Accordingly, I feel like creating with spring-like colors. There are a lot of color varietions of plaid patterns in Japan. I made these from old Japanese fabrics.
There are This white cloth is made by a weaving technique called shijira-ori. It is wavy and used mainly for summer kimonos.
I recently gave a workshop on visible mending. I will have two more workshops this month. I will report on them in the next issue. See you soon!
It's February already.
We recently held a small market at our house. Hanging on the wall are my works.
I made and selled small handkerchiefs out of old fabrics so that people could appreciate the quality of the old fabrics I use to make my artwork. I also made handkerchiefs that were natural dyed. Pink handkerchiefs are dyed with cherry blossoms, Yellow are dyed with onion skins.
The days are still cold, but there are signs of spring. These flowers are called "roubai" and have great fragrance.(rou=wax, bai=plum) My neighborhood is as beautiful as this!
Lately I have been relearning English. It is quite difficult. Especially listening skills! See you later!
quilt & kakishibu dye
I wrote about quilts in a recent blog.
I love colorful American quilts and rally quilts, and I use some of those fabrics in my own clothes, but I have been thinking about what makes a quilt unique to my brand.
I made this quilted mat using Japanese fabric that is over 100 years old.The brown part was made from unraveled bags that were used to import flour and dyed with persimmon tannin in the summer. I matched it with indigo-dyed (aizome) striped fabric.One part is blue because the top of the sack was dyed with indigo to prevent insects from entering. This were covered with stains, but the persimmon tannin dyeing gave them a nice texture.
I made this pillow case from old indigo-dyed kimono fabric and old white plaid kimono fabric dyed in persimmon tannin. The hardest part of the production process is actually the unraveling of the kimono.
And now I making bags using very old mosquito nets. This fabric was also dyed in persimmon tannin during the summer.
See you soon!
Happy new year!
It finally snowed in the mountains where I live. I don't like cold weather, but I am really excited to see snowy scenery. The sunlight reflects off the snow, making the area glow white and absorbing the sound. The contrast between the evergreen trees and the snow is very beautiful. However, my muscles are still sore from falling down, shoveling snow, and picking up firewood. A scene of my son going to school.
Now let's return to the main subject As I have mentioned before, I love different fabrics and different techniques of recycling fabrics. I especially like Indian rally quilts, patchwork quilts from around the world, and Japanese stitching. So this year, I am trying to make a patchwork quilt using old Japanese indigo-dyed fabrics and my own persimmon tannin-dyed fabrics. I love the combination of navy and brown.
Work pants and bags using these quilts are now available in our web store. I would like to try larger pieces that would decorate a room.
See you soon!
Finally, it's December.
It's cold, cold, cold! I am so bad at cold weather. The oil heater doesn't warm up the room at all (and the kerosene cost is very high), so we installed a wood stove. I asked a contractor I know well to install a wood stove in a room that requires a hole in the wall, and my husband's record store installed it ourselves. ↓It was very warm that day. He is my son.
あぁ寒い寒い寒い。私は寒さが大の苦手なのです。灯油ストーブでは埒が明かない。ということで薪ストーブを設置。壁に穴あけが必要な部屋はいつもお世話になっているガス屋さんに設置をお願い。 夫のレコード屋の方は自分たちで設置しました。 写真のこの日は暖かかったなぁ。
At first, we couldn't get used to using it and the room was full of smoke, but we gradually learned how to use it.
It's hard to chop firewood every day. It disappears in no time. However, the physical exertion of chopping wood warms me up before I turn on the stove. It also boils water. The ashes can be used as a substitute for abrasives and as fertilizer for the fields. It is also fun to think, "If I put the wood in this way, will it burn better? Inconvenient things are surprisingly convenient.
最初は使い方になれず煙もくもくだったりと苦戦しましたが、最近では料理やおやつまで。レモングラスの効いたカレーは大好物！ 毎日の薪割りは大変だしあっという間になくなるし。 でも薪割りのおかげでストーブをつける前に体があったまる。お湯も沸かせる。そして日々、薪の置き方を変えてみたりと工夫も楽しい。不便は楽しい。
I can cook curry and bake snacks on the wood stove!
I have added more curtains to the front door where the drafts are coming in. I made them out of linen that I had dyed with persimmon astringent dye in the summer and an old Japanese check cloth about 100 years old. I will try to get through the winter with modest Christmas decorations with plants around our house.
隙間風が入ってくる玄関にはさらにカーテンを追加。夏のうちに柿渋染しておいたリネンに日本の100年ほど前のチェックの古布をで作りました。植物でささやかなクリスマスの飾り付けをしながら冬を乗り越えようと思います。
see you soon!
Let's have fun mending.
洋服にすぐに何かをこぼしたり穴を開けたりしてしまう私。畑仕事でも膝をついて作業をしてしまいます。そこで出会ったのが古着に施されていた補修の跡。それからというもの、服のダメージを見つけると嬉しく感じるように。
I often poke holes in my clothes or spill something on them. Especially when I work in the fields, I work on my knees and the fabric gets thin. That's when I came across the repair marks on the clothes I bought at a thrift store. Since then, I have been happy when I find damage on clothes.
最近はお直しの注文も受けるようになりました。目立たないお直しから、アクセントになるお直しまでさまざまです。
Recently, I have been taking orders for mending. The repairs vary from inconspicuous repairs to accent repairs.
私には６歳になる息子がいます。彼の服は直し甲斐がある！
I have a six-year-old son. His clothes are very worthwhile to fix!
12月6日のお直しの注文に備えて、お直しの参考になるブローチを制作中です。バッヂへのお仕立てや服からバッグへなどの相談も承ります。それではまた。
In preparation for the December 6 alteration order, I am working on a brooch that will serve as a reference for the alterations. I am also available for consultations on tailoring to badges and from clothes to bags. See you soon.
服のお直し相談会 12/6 10:00 - 18:00 〒376-0101 群馬県みどり市大間々町大間々１４６６ instagram : @nanashi_oomama
Winter has come.
Winter has finally arrived here. This is the view around 7:50 after I dropped off my son (he is six years old) at the bus stop. In Japan, it is normal to walk to elementary school, but our school is very far from the school, so a school bus picks him up and takes him there. ついにここにも冬が来ました。息子を送った後、朝7:50くらいのうちの周り。
Our house is a former weaving studio, so it is very cold without sunlight. And since Japanese windows are aluminum sash, it is very cold ;(
I make curtains to block the cold air from the windows. I like natural light, so I didn't want it to be dim, but the cold is not an option. I decided to enjoy the shadows until it gets warmer. I decorate with plants picked from my morning walk.
うちは元機織り工房のため、日差しが全くなく断熱材も入っていないのでとても寒いのです。ブルブル。
窓からの冷気を遮るためにカーテンを作っています。自然光が好きなので薄暗くなるのは嫌だったのですが、寒さには勝てない。暖かくなるまで影を楽しむことに。朝の散歩で植物採取。
Today I took pictures of the finished piece today and uploaded it to the web store I can't wait to install the wood stove!
今日は作品を撮影し、ウェブショップにたくさんアップしました（苦手な作業笑）早く薪ストーブを導入したい〜
Have a good day!
November life in Japan, Gunma
急に寒さが深まったここ、群馬県みどり市の小平です。 展示会が終わり、制作や冬支度に忙しくしています。Recently it’s become cold in Kodaira, Midori City, Gunma Prefecture. My exhibition is over and I am busy creating artworks, grashic design work, and preparing for winter.
たまには作品についてでなく、日本の暮らしについて書いてみます。私たち家族は日本でも山間に住んでいます。とにかく広い場所で制作したくてこのうちに引っ越してきました。Sometimes I write not about my works but about life in Japan.Our family lives in the countryside near the mountains in Japan.We moved here because we wanted to create in a large place anyway.
これは私が柿渋染めに使っている柿で、写真に写っているのは食べごろの柿です。染めに使うものはこれとは違い渋柿で、青いものを使用します。This is a persimmon I use for persimmon tannin dyeing, and the one in the photo is a ready-to-eat persimmon. The same persimmon I use for dyeing is an astringent persimmon, and I use one that has not yet ripened.
日本の冬といえば柚。The best thing to eat in winter in Japan is yuzu.It is sour like a lemon and can be processed into jam or squeezed into something to eat with its juice.
このブログを読んでくれている人は知っていると思いますが、私の作品は古い布を使っています。100年以上前のものがほとんどです。 写真はまだ着物の状態。これを解くところから作品作りは始まります。If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that my work is made of old fabrics, most of which are over 100 years old. The photo is still in kimono. The process of making my work begins with unraveling it.
左の写真は錘として使っているもの。これは組紐を作るのに使われていたもので、古道具屋で買いました。These one in the photo on the left are what I use as a weight. This was used to make kumi-himo (braided cords) and was purchased at an antique store.
ちなみに日本でストライプのことを「縞」と言います。島々＝インドネシア諸島から持ち込まれた模様だからこう呼ばれるようになったそうです。Incidentally, stripes are called "shima" in Japan. (Shima means island). It is said that it is called this because the pattern was brought from the islands = Indonesian archipelago.
それでは今日はこの辺で。また。See you all soon. Stay warm if you are in the northern hemisphere. For those of you in the southern hemisphere, enjoy the coming summer!