CLOTH

Now on Facebook-- www.facebook.com/clothlint.  I've posted a little collection of "cloth" things that catch my eye.  These are all fresh from Tokyo!  Each one is one of a kind.  Fabrics vary.  And they are all for sale on Etsy.  www.etsy.com/shop/GreenGeishawww.etsy.com/shop/GreenGeisha

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.