Recently, I’ve really been enjoying making scarves with pieces of silk kimonos. This came about during my search for interesting scraps of silk that I could combine with hand-dyed pieces to make one-of-a-kind scarves.
As I used the kimono pieces more and more, I became very interested in the history and process. Do they all come from Japan? How are they constructed?
Here are a few neat facts I found in my studies:
- The Japanese save and pass down their kimonos through generations of women, often making the pieces very old.
- Traditionally Japanese women did not wear jewelry, so kimonos were often collected and gifted in that manner.
- All kimonos are the same size.
- Kimonos are constructed of 14″ wide panels. They are sewn together with a small running stitch, which makes it easy to deconstruct them. In fact, the kimonos are taken apart to be cleaned.
Your scarves are gorgeous!
You’ve done a beautiful job with this vintage textile. I think when worn, everyone will get a sense of how cared for these fabrics have been over the years. Great job!