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.

Japan Relief Auction - Kimono Crane

As most of my regular readers will know, Japan was my beloved home for six years.  I lived there twice, once when single and then later as a newlywed.  It's a country I adore and is filled with people that I love.  A place I hold so dear to my heart.

Last week's tragedy broke my heart, as it did people all around the world, whether you've ever been there or not.  I found it hard to talk about and still do.  I am so lucky however that my friends and their families are all safe, even though quite scared and nervous.

I'd like to help give back to the country that has inspired me for so long now.

I'm going to open two blog auctions today.  The Kimono Crane pictured below, and in a moment, in another post, a bundle of vintage kimono fabrics.

This Japanese origami crane has been hand folded the traditional way, but in antique kimono silk.  The particular kimono this crane comes from was a celebratory gown so comes infused with well wishes.  The words "Joy" and "Love" have been hand embroidered on the wings.

It hangs from a looped ribbon, like this one.  The ribbon is also adorned with Czech and Japanese beads.  The wingspan is about 18cm.

The origami crane is a well-known symbol of peace.  In Japanese culture, the crane is also a symbol of longevity, fidelity and a happy marriage.  

The nitty-gritty of the auction...

1. The auction ends at 9pm (Brisbane time) on March 26th, 2011.
2. To bid, leave a comment on this blog post with the amount you wish.  You can keep checking on the post during the week to make sure you haven't been out-bid.  The starting bid is the first bidders choice.
3. Bids are to be made in Australian dollars, in dollar amounts.
4. Make sure that when you bid I can contact you somehow if you win, either with a link to your own blog or an email address.
5. I'll post the crane to yourself (or someone of your choosing) anywhere in the world.
6. The full winning bid amount will be donated to the Red Cross Japan Disaster Appeal.

For other great Japan Relief auctions and raffles, please visit A Bit Of This and A Bit Of That, the organiser of this event.

So, without further ado... let's get this auction started!

... update... the other auction, a bundle of gorgeous vintage kimono fabrics is now up, over here....

Nouss Nouss Nice!

Sorry, I know that title was not my best work, but in my won defense, I have a head cold and so my brain is a bit muddled....

One thing that I really liked about my first fabric giveaway was that I found many more bloggers and Flickr-ers. The scary thing was that I found lots more stuff that I want to buy....

On these freezing cold days one that really caught my eye was this fabulous scarf by Alice over at Nouss Nouss. I love the rich colour combination, something that would cheer up a dreary day like the one outside my window today. She makes fabulous bags too, lovely and girly, gorgeous fabrics, velvet ribbons, I'm such a sucker for velvet ribbons.

I love this style of scarf as well. I have to confess, being a Queensland girl, I'm lost when it comes to scarves. I know that must sound really silly. They look like such a simple item and most women here wear them with such panache. Where-as on me, they just look like something I've wrapped around my neck with the ends hanging like some dead animal. I figure, with a scarf like this, I couldn't get it wrong, right?