My chaotic wanderings through creation and restoration.
A Vibrant Phoenix In Flight Over Blooming Paulownia On Black Silk. Not that I needed another one of these, but you look that birb right the fuck in the face and tell me you don't literally want to eat his candy ass. Which means that I was contractually obligated to buy this just to clean … Continue reading Meiji Uchikake–Mr. Steal Your Girl
I wonder if to some it seems like this piece is taking a long time. To me, it feels like I'm clearing tasks pretty quickly. But I do take large breaks between the bits because my wrist occasionally threatens to leave. And since I don't need my own body parts sending me any ransom notes, … Continue reading Yet Another Update: “Great Big White Birds”
So. We left off last time with a delightful trip into respiratory distress lacquer thinner hell blue-grey shabby chic fuckery removing the shell from the upper portion of the tansu. For a quick recap, here: Cleared off the shit paint without managing to damage my teeth from all of the fucking clenching, restored the locks, … Continue reading Abused Antique Tansu Round Two: Electric Boogaloo
I want you to know, as I started writing this, that I have the pictures of the damage in a folder literally called "MessyAssHikiWhatever." And when I made the decision to buy this, I actually knew I was in for some of this mess. But this particular seller posts a set number of pictures with … Continue reading Restoration: Antique Hikifurisode
Right off the bat, you're seeing me be real iffy about labeling what kind of kimono this is. And there's a pretty good reason for that. I'll get to it. I promise. I didn't just empty all of my knowledge into a ditch somewhere. Sooooo. Let's get right to it. Look at this insanity. I'm … Continue reading Restoration In Progress: Meiji Era Wedding Kimono
Even though you'd think that after eleven months I'd have literally any sense of discipline, I bought this, got to work on it, and said nothing about it. I took a few pictures and gushed about it with friends, but I didn't mention it literally anywhere else that matters and there's actually a few reasons … Continue reading Already In Progress: Antique Gilded Tsuru Furisode
So I have this big ass pile of shattered silk from a Taisho Era furisode laying around, staring at me in the night. Waiting for me to make a goddamn decision about what to do with it. It feels my anxiety. It feeds on my indecisive warbling, my desire to keep it just because it's … Continue reading Experiment: Shattered Silk Into Pigment
As you can see, even though I do a lot of restorations, I'm using the word preservation in this title. Well! Now seems like a good time to have this conversation, because I do make a distinction between the two, and it's a good question to ask: When do I decide that the goal is … Continue reading Preservation In Progress: Meiji Uchikake–Majestic Minogame
This one is close to my heart, so of course I've been driving myself the fuck insane working very hard on it. You'll remember this furisode that I stumbled on, and today I'd like to show you some of my progress. Stain removal has been very hit and miss with this one, so it's turned … Continue reading Update: Restoration In Progress– “Great Big White Birds”
Oftentimes in conversations with other kimono enthusiasts about stain removals, the first thing I describe doing other than possibly licking a stain like a goddamn psychopath is popping open a seam to get an absorbant material between the layers. What I have neglected to do thus far, however, is actually describe my procedure for doing … Continue reading Tutorial–Opening & Closing A Seam
Silk & Bones 