potd - First Day of Spring

Here are some lovely florals to celebrate the first day of Spring:

potd - Quilting Fabric

I've re-opened after a short but refreshing break! While I was closed these lovely new quilting cottons arrived. Cats and bunnies are always popular but I especially like the very fresh white one with umbrellas and bells.

Winter Break

Every winter when the shop's a little quiet I take a week off just to have some time to myself and to catch up with jobs around the house.  So the shop will be closed from tomorrow (15th August ) and re-open on Tuesday 25th August.

I'm  planning a display of antique bags next month so I just got some more Japanese bag-making books in:

Home Front Textiles

As this month is the 70th anniversary of the Second World War  I thought it would be a good chance to bring out my collection of wartime home front textiles and ephemera. I'll  give  a talk and display  my collection here at the shop on Thursday 27th August  from 7pm until 8.30ish  (we'll have a cup of tea as well). The collection isn't huge but includes propaganda fabrics, senninbari amulet belts, fabric air raid helmets, a comfort doll, magazines, postcards etc.  If you'd like to come along  there's no charge but I don't have a lot of space so please send me an email or give me a call so I know how many are coming.

Late1930's undergarment fabric:

Detail of senninbari ('thousand people needle') amulet belt:

 Imon ningyo (comfort doll) designs by Nakahara Junichi:

potd - Synthetics

Most of my customers are looking for silk or cotton but we have some fun synthetic kimono fabrics as well - mostly from the 60's and 70's

potd - Carving Tools

We've got plenty of wood carving chisels at the moment...

potd - Yukata Cottons

I've always stocked Indigo and white yukata (summer cotton kimono) fabrics and they're still popular for quilts. These ones  date from around the 1970's.  I sell them by the metre or in small pieces.