More Vests, part II



More vests please!

That is the I kept hearing after selling out on the four vests made of vintage kimono & michiyuki.  So, Les came over with a big box of assorted kimono etc.  We weeded through them and I threw out more than I kept.  Then, the fun part--cutting away all the stuff I don't want.  Most people are afraid of scissors, well, mine especially.  These shears are made in Japan and are worth the cost.  I put the fear of death in anyone who asks to use my tools.  These are not to be used for anything but fabric.  Upon pain of death!  Keeps unprofessional hands off my scissors!
Step one:
jumble of assorted kimono....

Step two:  cut away all the parts I don't want...

Step three:  Finish the neckline, armholes and hem.  Then figure out what it needs...

(to be continued...)

What to do with a vintage Japanese men's kimono???

From this...a vintage Japanese men's kimono, I was challenged to 'make something'.  The kimono by itself was not selling and frankly, I knew why.  It's a lot of fabric for anyone to drape around their body, a dark brown unflattering color, and what the heck do you do with this?  Where to wear? 

So I took my trusty scissors to it and transformed it into...

 

a vest that is wearable, the stripes are a great feature, showing off the wonderful skill of the weaver. 

Took it to the bazaar at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and it sold right away, had just put it on the mannequin and a lady snapped it up! 

Tenugui…not just a piece of cotton cloth

The history of tenugui dates back to the Heian (794 to 1185) period. It was originally undyed linen used as a head covering for rituals.  However, at the beginning of the Edo (1603 to 1868) period, bleached cotton tenugui gradually began taking the place of linen. 

Today, tenugui, a rectangular cotton hand towel, are sometimes distributed by shops as gifts for their openings or other occasions.  It can be used for anything – a washcloth, headband, souvenir or decoration.  They are found all over Japan in shops that specialize in the cotton hand towel or in department stores that sell them as souvenirs. 

My thoughts on the tenugui are that they are “too pretty to use” so I use it as “art” to decorate my home.  The collection consists of artwork for the season - New Year’s, Boy’s Day; food themes – sushi, fish, rice grains; flowers – cherry blossoms, lotus; hobbies - sake, baseball and many other delightful designs to display during the year.  And on top of all this, it’s so easy to store – in a few folds it takes very little space in a box.

You can find your own tenugui design and create a work of art to enjoy!

By: guest blogger Susan, my friend and fellow explorer.

Didn't eat this....just looking

Tokyo Midtown is a a relatively new office/retail complex in Roppongi.  Have no idea what this building and grounds replaced but it's huge, with a train station in the basement.  It's filled with several floors of shops and cafes and even a dog grooming salon (Green Dog).  The rest of the skyscraper must be offices.  It was the week before Mother's Day and all the shops were featuring temptations aimed at your/our guilty feelings regarding mother.  These strawberry cakes and macarons sure looked yummy.  While our friends were in the sake shop, I was drooling at these pasteries.

Eating our way around Tokyo

 This is the famous waffle shop, Manneken.  Yes, pronounced like "mannequin".  Last year Susan and I followed a wonderful smell to a tiny shop in Kyoto Station.  We were transferring trains and couldn't resist.  Hot off the iron, crunchy and not too sweet.  Love at first bite.
So this year we tracked down this shop on Ginza 4-chome.  Got cookies to bring home and taste-tested a creme-filled version.  Can't beat the original, plain.  I wonder if there is always a line; this was Sunday, Mother's Day.

Ameyoko-cho is what I think of as "shita-machi"  old town Tokyo.  Stalls selling all kinds of foods, fresh meats, fish, produce, clothing, shoes, luggage, sundry items, etc.  Crowded and noisy; an assault on the senses but great fun.  Luckily, I had the rolling cart, which was soon stuffed with goodies!