My chaotic wanderings through creation and restoration.
One of my habits is to collect small damaged items, and then hoard them like the bizarre little goblin that I am until I feel knowledgeable enough to attept to repair them. This is one of those stories. -Law & Order BLNK BLNK- Over the last few days, after tackling an entire iko (kimono stand), … Continue reading Antique Kougai Repair
Bright Gold Medallions In Lacquer Threads On Deep Black Silk. It's trying very hard to be spring occasionally here in Chicagoland, USA, so it seems the perfect time to be showcasing the jackets of my kimono collection. Today, here's a beautiful douchugi from the early Showa Era. I have confirmation that this piece is from … Continue reading Antique Douchugi–Deco Gold
I'm making lots of great progress on this piece, gifted to me for restoration by Nancy from Kyoto Kimono. As predicted, most of my work is sewing. I had to wait for awhile to get the proper weight and color for threads in to get started, but now that they're here, things are going very … Continue reading Update: Restoration In Progress–Castles And Dreams
I sat silently on the floor in my room with both hands over my mouth after I hung this up. My little ritual when I open up a new kimono package is to avoid inspecting it closely until I have it hung up properly. Then I just sank to my knees; I was speechless. I … Continue reading Restoration In Progress–Castles & Dreams
Recently I have been working hard on restoring this furisode. It's been a colossal pain in the ass with a lot of internal screaming and, when the hour is appropriate for the noise, external screaming! Which isn't to say that it's not going well. That's just how I work on things. With angst and screaming. … Continue reading Tutorial–Making Gold Leaf Paint
I'm posting about this delightful vintage furisode early because it arrived to me early and I simply cannot contain myself. Pictured: CANNOT. BE. CONTAINED. I picked this kimono up knowing damn well that it was going to be a restoration, but I gotta admit, guys, I was just smitten when I saw her. SMITTEN. Her … Continue reading Restoration In Progress–Velcro Dreams & Kinsai Wishes
Silk & Bones 