The Kimono Culture of Japan

Take a fascinating journey–via trunk show–to an exotic land where people wore silk and developed their national dress into an art form.  Learn who wore what, for which occasions, how they put kimono on, how much they cost.  Garments and history combined with delightful anecdotes bring a lost world to life.  If you enjoyed reading Memoirs of a Geisha, you’ll love this lecture.

90 minutes (shorter, if necessary)

Japanese Design 101

Many of us are attracted to Japanese art and design without really knowing why. There are some definite principles which combine to create the serenity we recognize but don’t know how to

Many of us are attracted to Japanese art and design without really knowing why. There are some definite principles which combine to create the serenity we recognize but don’t know how to translate into our own design work. Learn some easy steps to adopt for styling quilt, wearable art, and surface design projects. Each design principle is illustrated with quilts/garments—a feast for the eyes!

90 minutes (shorter, if necessary)

From Kimono To Fashion

When Japan opened its ports for trade with the West in 1853, sailors, traders and diplomats returned home with kimono for their mothers, sisters and wives. Artists and their models were among the first to adopt the exotic garment and fashionable ladies were wearing European styles made from kimono by ateliers as early as the 1890’s! Ever since, couture designers have created wonderful clothing from kimono and obi fabrics.

Learn how easy it is to adapt garment patterns for 14” wide fabric and which styles are best suited to using kimono. The trunk show includes blouses, tunics, suits, dresses and evening wear, some featured in Threads Magazine. Ideas and tips for all who love Japanese textiles!

90 minutes (shorter, if necessary)

SHISHU: Masterpieces of Japanese Embroidery

Beyond words—view June’s collection of museum-quality Japanese obi, dating from the Taisho-early Showa eras, 1920-30’s. The hand-embroidered silk-on-silk motifs are so fine, they look painted! Learn from color and design choices ranging from floral to landscape to cultural and mythical. See the silk fibers, learn the importance of twist in silk thread embroidery. Bring your camera to save and savor these delights.

90 minutes (shorter, if necessary)

BORO: Making Something Out of Nothing

The story of boro in Japan is the story of lives lived in extreme poverty, by hardworking people who had little but still admired beauty and kept/repaired their valuable textiles—not just for years, but for lifetimes. The word boro means rags—tattered clothing and bedding mended, re-mended, and patched to make it usable as long as possible. Examine some authentic examples of indigo-dyed cotton with boro patches holding parts together. Not patchwork, just mending, and mending, and mending. . . . Samples include kimono, futon covers, and modern quilts using the old indigo fabrics.