Playing with new Fabrics

I love playing with new fabric finds just as much as I love shopping for them.  These are pieces of a few of the kimonos I bought recently at the flea markets in Japan.

This stunning black and red pattern came from a woman's haori (a mid-length coat worn over a kimono).  I don't have a lot of the pattern, so I think I'll have to keep a few pieces from it for myself.

The beautiful blue and red came from a woman's wool kimono.  I can imagine it having been worn on those colder autumn mornings.

These all came from the same kimono, a gorgeous girl's kimono with stunning gold highlights.  It's the type of kimono that would have been worn to the shrine for a festival and prayers would have been made for the girl's future.  

These are all from another haori, a lovely fine silk one.  Does anyone know what this flower is?  It's done in a lovely dark pink, blue and also white, so striking on the black background.

And some yummy purple.  The Japanese do purple well, especially in older kimonos like this one.  It's a very fine silk and scattered over it there are a few red and blue flowers.

All of the kimonos I buy are flawed in a way, be it a tear or marks of age, so they can no longer be worn.  I love imagining what life they have seen before, where they've been worn to and then to what new life I can give to them.

These brooches are all about to packed to be sent to Hanasho and the new Piece Together store opening on the 11th, as well as to go with me to Young Designer Markets tomorrow and the BrisStyle Indie Markets next Saturday.  I do have to say, lately I really haven't been my online store enough, but please feel free to drop me a line if ever you see anything on the blog you like.