Friday 24 April 2015

Katazome Japanese Paste Resist Simple Demonstration

Ella was a bit loud in background.....most guys today that woman prize today are just silly gigolos...

pasting stencil video (two minutes):

After being dipped in indigo it looked like this.

Edita found this gorgeous old piece of stencilled fabric in Kyoto. You can see soot and soy milk were used to get the grey and soot and iron oxide were painted on for the reddish accents. The background is indigo.



Sunday 19 April 2015

Great Three Days With Australians at the House.

I had an email last year asking if twenty three Australian textile teachers could  come and study at my house.

I am not sure how I allowed myself to be convinced that it was possible to have that many people stay at the house but somehow the day arrived and so did they.

Strong willed and full of laughter and good will. We had great food, music, weather, baths, campfires, indigo sessions and Japanese textile discussions. A very special special time. Thank you ladies.

They should be boarding their plane now back to Australia.

Best to you all from Hiro and Bryan.

(click to see the pictures)




Saturday 4 April 2015

What to do when visiting Japan. Akemi Cohn visit. Spring Woprkshops

http://www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/publicity/book/hlj/

I didn't know that the Japanese government was publishing these books about Japan.  There is an issue on Japanese textiles. You can find an article on some Canadian silk farmer on page 28 of this month's issue.

I've been here so long I am sort of lost at what advice to give travellers to Japan. These books seem to have some good ideas.

The spring ten-day workshops are underway.

Group one left a few days back. The weather was perfect. Everyone got along well. A lot of creativity and kindnesses exchanged. The food was overwhelming with Hiro in the kitchen and on barbecue duty.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Karen, Sonia, Susanne, Rosey, Edita, Shree, Jean, Nathalie. The house is lonely without you.

We were all honoured to have master stencil maker/dyer Akemi Cohn to drop by for a day and help with netting the stencil homework. She was in Japan for a visit and made the journey out to the house to help. Check out Akemi's work here: Akemi's Website


Here are just a few of the things that came out of the indigo vat during this early spring workshop. Amazing work so early in spring.