potd and Merry Christmas!

 I'll be taking a short break between Christmas and New Year. I'll open again on 2nd January and  I'll start my Photo of the Day again then as well. Many thanks to everyone who has supported Wafu Works in 2014. I'm looking forward to another busy year in 2015 and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season.
This is the sleeve of a kimono in the shop at the moment.

potd - Rummage Basket

I always try to have one or two rummage baskets in the shop for all the odds and ends that don't go anywhere else...

potd - Zokin

We've got another bundle of old hand-stitched zokin cleaning cloths...

potd - Kimono Silk

I've just got one piece of this lovely silk - someone had saved the end of the roll. The colours are stunning.

potd - Egasuri

I just put out this wonderful piece of e-gasuri  (picture -ikat) antique indigo cotton.  This is something very special and one of my favourites of all the kasuri pieces we've had in the shop over the years. 

potd - Shibori

A basket of silk shibori oddments...

potd - Kimono Silk

Oops nearly forgot to post my photo of the day.  This is a colourful kimono silk in the style of  bingata stencilled textiles of Okinawa

potd - Wooden Stamps

I just put out some more of these old wood block stamps

potd - Creative Kokeshi

I'm open today for market day and the start of our Christmas Sale.  I'm putting out some new stock this morning including this very modest young lady.

potd - Striped Patchwork

Detail of wonderful striped patchwork on an old cotton cloth. I'm guessing this has been used like  a coverlet. It looks like a futon cover with the front and back loosely stitched/tied together.

potd - Kimono

I'm just putting out some kimonos from the new shipment. This one isn't very old but the tree design is very elegant...

potd - Wool Kimono Fabric

c1970's wool kimono fabric...

potd - Pure Gold Kinran

Pure gold and silk kinran fabric from Nishijin in Kyoto. Kinran was introduced into Japan from China around 800-900 years ago. It's one of Japan's 'meibutsu-gire- or famed textiles usually associated with tea ceremony  - for mounting scrolls, tea utensil bags etc.  

potd - Old Linings

I love having old things in the shop that are unused and still with their original labels. These are silk kimono linings...

potd - Sashiko Furoshiki

Large, late 19th - early 20th century  well-used  and patched  furoshiki wrapping cloth with sashiko stitching

Boro

I've just added some more well- patched and stitched boro textiles to my website  here.  I hope to add some more in the next few days.

The first one is square mat  in near perfect condition dating from early 20th century.  It's made up of pieces of kasuri, stripes and printed cotton  with  a maroon check on the reverse.

The next one is another slightly older mat. It's quite heavily layered and has some unrepaired damage. i love the red in the kasuri down the side - just gives a lift and some added warmth:

The last one for now is a lovely soft, faded,  late 19th century katazome (stencil dyed) futon cover panel with boro patches on the back.

potd - Uchishiki

Small 19th century brocade uchishiki Buddhist altar cloth. The plain panel of fabric sits on the top of the altar to catch any candle drips and incense ash.

potd - Kimono Silk

More kimono silk from the recent shipment...

potd - Antique Paper

I'm spending the day making up lots of antique paper packs. The paper comes from old damaged books and business records and much of it is over 100 years old. We sell whole books as well. It's great for all kinds of paper art and covering lanterns etc,  and traditionally is also sometimes recycled into shifu ('paper fabric').

potd - Antique Fishing Tackle Box

An early 20th century Japanese fishing tackle box:

potd - Pink Shibori

It's very grey here for the first day of summer... here's some kanoko shibori to brighten things up.

potd - Small Ceramic Figurine

A newcomer to the shop ...

potd - Yukata Charm Packs

I spent last night making up more charm packs of indigo and white cotton yukata fabric

potd - Chidori Stencil

Small chidori (plover) katagami stencil...

potd - Kimono Silk

Another kimono silk that I've just put out...

potd - Mosquito Netting

Antique kaya mosquito netting with patches for character...

potd - Soybean Design

I love this crazy soybean design on an old 1960's or 70's yukata fabric....

potd - Kimono Silk

More silk from the new shipment going on the shelves this afternoon....

potd - Yukata Fabric

I'm just putting out more indigo and white cotton  yukata fabric...

potd - Shibori

I'm having fun today opening up a new shipment that arrived yesterday including some rolls  of wonderful silk shibori....

potd - Silk Threads

We always have a selection of old and not so old silk kimono threads...

potd - 'Boro' Futon Cover

Well patched and stitched early 20th century 'boro' futon cover...

potd - Old Buttons

Old school uniform buttons....

potd - Silk Pieces

A basket of silk. One metre pieces of unpicked kimono silk and roll ends.

potd - Bamboo Bag Handles

We still have lots of these real bamboo bag handles in varying sizes.  Very retro and cheaper than plastic ones.

potd - Sakura Beer

Old reproduction poster of a Sakura beer advertisement

potd - Donsu

I'm selling these bundles of silk/silk-blend donsu online.  Donsu are beautifully subtle Japanese damasks which  are traditionally  used for special items such as scroll backings and tea ceremony accessories.  More information here.

potd - Yellow Silk

Bold yellow kimono silk - probably from the 1970's. We rarely get  silk in such a bright yellow.

potd - Katazome

In katazome (lit. stencil dyeing) a rice paste resist is stencilled on to the fabric before dyeing. Most of the indigo cotton katazome we get is old futon fabric but a very small fine design like this is more likely from clothing.  This is quite a quirky piece with chairs, eggplants, walking sticks, and butterflies. It  dates from the late 19th century when there was a huge influx of western culture in Japan. (Sorry the colour is a bit washed out in the photo)

potd - Kokeshi Couple

Kokeshi love...

potd - Boro

A well worn and patched and stitched boro mat or kotatsu cover from the early - mid 20th century. I love the browns and tans in this.

potd - Kimono Design

An original kimono fabric design from around the 1930's handpainted on paper...

potd - Marbled Silk

I still have a small amount of this  unusual hand-marbled kimono silk. I'm guessing it's from the 1970's.

potd - Sewing Books

I stock Japanese craft books in both English and Japanese. It's great that quite a few Japanese sewing books are being translated into English now - particularly women's and girls' clothing....

potd - Geta

We always have geta in the shop but they're more of a talking point than a big seller!