I bought Sibella Court's book Etcetera ETC and keep returning to these images .............
which lead to perusing on-line for vintage Japanese textiles and discovering SRI Threads - oh . my . goodness ... and further obsessing about boro and indigo ...............
then I found Kimono Boy and, among lots of other things, vintage indigo hemp yardage ...................
Okay, so I succumbed and two of these are on their way from Japan - one cotton/hemp blend and one all hemp. Both vintage homespun and woven from early 1900. I cannot wait to get my hands on some of this ... I'm thinking hand-stitched curtains in the kitchen, maybe a cushion for my meditation bench, maybe I'll just leave pieces sitting around. Indigo - even the name is enticing.
A couple of shopping notes ... if anyone's interested in Sibella's book, there are several available on Amazon. It was up over $100 for new ones a couple weeks ago, but they're back down to $30. Another note on obsessions - Selvedge is having a sale on their back issues - $11.25 plus a 3% c/cd fee. They're normally $20-$25, so if you're wanting a taste of this glorious publication, it's a terrific deal.
okay - back to work for this little pleeb ...
blessings - kvk
p.s. such a beautiful day but I've had to close my studio window - workmen are digging a trench in my road to bury phone cables - grrrrrrrrr
KVK, did I ever tell you about my visit to a traditional, family run indigo shop in Kyoto? .....invited to the "back room" for tea where, on the shelves, were Bernard Leach pieces (family friend), etc., and the family's history resided books of textile samples? Learned then how the traditional shibori patterns are going "lost" as their designers die.......families "own" patterns apparently. Needless to say, one of the highlights of my life.....just finding the place was an adventure. C
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is WOW, that would have been amazing. This indigo thing has me in its firm grasp.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can compare your visit to is having dinner at Daniel Rhodes' house during a firing of his norborigama. All along the dining room wall was a ledge of tea bowls he had collected through the years - including Hamada. I wonder how many survived the earthquake.
Lucky girl! You got some goodies! I love the color indigo. I think it has to be one of my favorites and you know already that I love Selvedge. My heart swells with covetous desire when I look through those pages!
ReplyDeleteyeah buddy - lovin that indigo. checking the mail straight away every day - can't wait ... and Selvedge, my collection will be complete - looking forward to weeks of intense perusal.
ReplyDeletekathy, you are always inspiring! I must add that you are a little dangerous : ) I find myself wandering down so many beautiful paths, though. thank you.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love indigo. do you know about woad? here is a little path for you.
http://www.bleu-de-lectoure.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=1&Itemid=9&lang=english
Best,
Hillary
Hillary - interesting about the link for woad... the day before at the arboretum there was a section for dye plants, among them woad. I loved the name, but had no idea what color it made and then there you are with a link - Perfect!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think I like the idea of being a bit dangerous - a new one for me ...... best to you - kvk