Japanese kimono silk

Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland

I'm wondering about that myself. The silk DH brought back from Viet Nam is
waiting for the perfect project. Mine is beautiful on both sides and I
eventually will have to decide which side I want to be the right side!

--
Bonnie
NJ
"Johanna Gibson" wrote in message
...
Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland

If you do clothing... I can see a beautiful blouse with a mandarin collar.
Bet it would sing look gorgeous!!!

--
Kate in MI
http://community.webshots.com/user/K_Groves


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Johanna Gibson" wrote in message
...
Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland

Johanna Gibson wrote:
Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! .................
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.
-- Jo in Scotland

OOO -- How much kimono silk do you have? If the pieces aren't
large enough to make a garment out of, then I think you should get some
neutral color silk that is about the same weight and make yourself a
lovely blouse or jacket. If you aren't in a hurry to use your silk,
wait until I finish the projects I have planned for my kimono silk and
I'll send you some of what I have left.
I have panels and panels of Japanese kimono silk (all between 12 &
14" wide and most between 40" & 50" long)) I have been collecting for
several years. Some of it -- intended for a "decorative" quilt -- will
be strip pieced together so that I don't have to cut away any of the
lovely fabric. I'll add a border and that will be it for the front.
The rest of my kimono panels will be made into a VERY scrappy
lightweight dressy jacket for myself. The only thing that will be made
of the same fabric is the shawl collar and the facing for the roll back
cuffs. I will line the whole thing with plain off-white silk. I have
one absolutely gorgeous panel that is much longer than the others --
almost 80" long. There is a lot of design and embroidery (about 30") on
one end and a smaller amount of design on the other end (18") with
lovely mottling in between. That piece will be cut for one jacket front
and part of the back on the same side so that when sewn together it will
look like the design continues unbroken from front to back. As for the
rest, all the pieces will be trimmed so that only the most decorative
parts are used. Then I will sew all the strips together to make a piece
of fabric large enough to cut the garment pattern pieces out of.
Now all I have to do is get the backyard finished, decide how I can
"bustle" the wedding gown I am altering, make the pirate dress for the
SMDGD, finish the white silk quilt for my DNiece...........I think I
need a nap -- LOLOL! CiaoMeow ^;;^

PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about
their whiskers!
Visit my Photo albums at http://community.webshots.com/user/tiamary

Kumiko Sudo has several books on little things to make with silk (or you
could use cotton): little pouches, pincushions, etc. are in "Omiyage". Good
directions, easy to follow. I started at the front of the book and couldn't
stop for a while, made lots of fun little things, great for little gifts.
Or use the silk in quilts -you can combine with cotton of about the same
weight. Silk is a wonderful strong fiber and no trouble to care for, as long
as you avoid enzyme detergent. Check first for runny dye.
Roberta in D

"Johanna Gibson" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland

A lucky friend recently finished a quilt made with fabric her son sent her
from Vietnam. Must have been similar stuff. She did simple quarter-square
triangles, using both sides of the fabric, alternating silk squares with
black cotton. Looked stunning!
Roberta in D

"Bonnie NJ" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news
I'm wondering about that myself. The silk DH brought back from Viet Nam
is waiting for the perfect project. Mine is beautiful on both sides and I
eventually will have to decide which side I want to be the right side!

--
Bonnie
NJ
"Johanna Gibson" wrote in message
...
Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland

A friend of mine has a RTW silk outfit---not the kimono silk, but a pretty
print---that is pants and a matching jacket. Maybe your silk would work for
that, even if it is pieced with a solid to make it wider. Since I really
don't want you to spend much time worrying, you could send it to me and I'll
see if I can get it to work into me an outfit.
Barbara in SC, practicing on my begging

"Johanna Gibson" wrote in message
...
Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland

Oh, that really sounds wonderful and simply too. My DH said that the silk
shop was right across from the hotel - made shopping very easy ;-).

--
Bonnie
NJ
"Roberta Zollner" wrote in message
...
A lucky friend recently finished a quilt made with fabric her son sent her
from Vietnam. Must have been similar stuff. She did simple quarter-square
triangles, using both sides of the fabric, alternating silk squares with
black cotton. Looked stunning!
Roberta in D

"Bonnie NJ" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news
I'm wondering about that myself. The silk DH brought back from Viet Nam
is waiting for the perfect project. Mine is beautiful on both sides and
I eventually will have to decide which side I want to be the right side!

--
Bonnie
NJ
"Johanna Gibson" wrote in message
...
Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland

Well, I thought this would be an obvious idea, but since no one else
wrote to you about it...maybe I'm the only one thinking about it. Why
not make a kimono quilt? There are several paper pieced patterns out
there that are really cute and it would be an awesome way to use the
fabric! (I forget who was trying to figure out what side of the fabric
to use...but you could use both in this project!!)

Sue in Ithaca


In article ,
Johanna Gibson wrote:

Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland

My friend makes wonderful scarves from scraps of silk. She mixes the
kimono silk with new silk or silkie fabrics which are the same weight.
She starts with 6" squares mixing the colors for a pleasing linear
layout. The length of the scarf determines the number of squares. She
then chooses one piece of new material for the backing sewing around
all sides with an opening for turning. Once the scarf is turned to the
right side and the opening stitched closed the scarf is finished. They
look great with a suit jacket or coat. Of course I have a collection
of kimono silks to make similar scarves but they are among the many
projects that never are made.

Susan
On Thu, 17 May 2007 12:30:44 +0100, Johanna Gibson
wrote:


Hello,
Some of you may know I've been helping out with my friend Keiko's
triplets for nearly a year now. Keiko often has live-in helpers from
Japan who stay for 6 months or so, helping with the day-to-day routine
of living with 3 babies, while I come along in the evenings to help
with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine.
One of Keiko's friends has sent me some kimono silk, after
discovering I like to sew! I have two pieces of salmon/pink with red
and white flowers, one of lavender/white with pink and red flowers and
one red with white and taupe flowers. I have no idea what to make
with silk! Akiko also sent a book of Japanese fashion sewing, with
pictures of bags, hats and a cute little stuffed cat. I did have the
idea of making a little cat out of the pink silk and sending it back
to say, "Thank you!"
I need ideas of what to do with this silk, to do it justice.



-- Jo in Scotland