japanese butterflies

As there are over 125 million Japanese, it makes sense that there would be a lot of different cottons for their summer kimonos. Here are four more butterfly patterns—these ones from the contemporary Heisei era.

I expect these yukata bolts to arrive in Seattle in late October.

van gogh buttterflies and more!

The Japanese render butterflies in endless ways! The butterflies on indigo are simply irresistible.

This bolt is from a collection of eleven I just bought from Osaka that includes a lot of colorful and bold patterns.

blue/green theme

These bolts are for making men’s yukatas. Expect them in early October, just in time for Fall in Seattle.

simply luscious

Vintage yukata fabric like this doesn’t become available very often. These bolts are some of the most gorgeous cottons I’ve imported—in color and design.

noren jacket

Diane Roubal made this jacket for me with three vintage yukata cottons. The “Noren Jacket,” designed by Ruth Vincent for Lorraine Torrence, has a little Japanese-style curtain at the back. I look forward to wearing it to some Okan Arts trunk shows in the coming year—to show shoppers another use for the indigo and white fabrics besides quilting.

e.t.a. august 20

Today I bought 26 bolts of yukata cotton from a warehouse in Osaka. There’s a mix of hand-dyed fabrics—classics with indigo and white, ones with color added, and some with a non-indigo focus. They’ll travel by sea and take a couple of months to arrive in Ballard.

yukata table runner

I rolled out four yards of 80’s yukata fabric as a runner for my daughter Liz’s graduation luncheon today at Tutta Bella.

At 14" wide, the modern fabric was perfect with its colorful butterflies—celebrating her metamorphosis from student to a “member of The Learned.”

museum store success

Within one day of delivering ten yards of yukata cotton to the La Conner Quilt Museum store, three yards sold. Then two more yards in the following week.

Today I brought 60 more yards, in a teak tray, to the museum. With lots to choose from, more customers should be able to find something they like.

new design wall

I bought a Fons & Porter flannel “Design Wall” to help me sort out my newest indigo quilt. The portable wall has grommets along the top, 10" apart, to hang it up anywhere. I screwed seven brass tea cup hooks into a wall in my formal dining room (aka quilt studio) for the installation.

(See the finished quilt.)

more color coming

Typical vintage yukata cotton is indigo and white. In the hippy days of the 60s and 70s things starting getting more colorful—all around the world.

I just bought these hand-dyed fabrics from an “antique” shop in Osaka. They're on the slow boat and should arrive in Seattle mid-July.

museum store test

I am sending off ten yards of assorted yukata cotton to test in the La Conner Quilt Museum store. With its major biennial Japanese show at the end of June, the fabrics might be a perfect fit—especially since half the proceeds support the museum.

The hang tags, with different photos on the back of each, were printed with MooCards.com.

mother’s day gifts

For my mom, I made a photo book of her quilts and a kit of yukata cottons. I selected ten bolts that looked good together, cut off two yard pieces, then washed and pressed the fabric for immediate usage.