Fabrics

Below are links to our vintage Japanese kimono fabrics. All of these fabrics were once part of Japanese kimono (the plural form of ‘kimono’ is still ‘kimono’). In the first part of the twentieth century, kimono and other traditional dress was worn everywhere in Japan; during the 1940’s the trend turned to mass produced and westernized clothing. Now, this traditional form of dress is quickly disappearing except for use at weddings and other ceremonial occasions. Many of the fabrics themselves are considered vanishing art forms, including  kasuri (ikat weaving), yuzen (silk resist painting), and shibori (tie dye).

·        Fabric Panels (on eBay) – Here you will find longer lengths of kimono fabric of all colors and types. (We only offer our panels on eBay, for now.)

·        Variety Packs  – Comprised of eight pieces of kimono fabric that range in size from 6” – 7” wide by 13” x 15” long (the average size is 7” x 14”) The total yardage is 14” x 48”.

·        Fragment Collections – 30 unique pieces ranging in size from 3” x 5” to 7” x 14”. A popular selection for those who want to see a variety of Japanese fabrics – great for crazy quilts and smaller pieced projects.

·        Yukata Collections - These are cotton fabrics, mainly in blue and white but also some color variations.

·        Larger-Piece Collections – Here you will find larger pieces in a range of sizes and assortments.

Some Fabric Background

I hand pick and purchase individual garments imported from Japan and I divide them into garments I sell intact (see Vintage Garments link on sidebar) and those I take apart and sell as fabric.  The garments I take apart often have areas of damage that I work around, so lengths and yardage varies with those conditions. These fabrics are vintage with most made between 1940 – 1970 although I can only estimate the date.

 The majority of the fabrics you’ll see are silk. Cotton, rayon, wool and synthetic are the exceptions. You will find photos, price and description of each fabric panel or collection including the fiber content. Silk comes in many weights, weaves, and textures and I will do my best to describe what I see and feel when I’m holding the fabric; I do a burn test whenever necessary to help me determine fiber content. Fabrics range in variety from woven designs including elegant brocades, jacquards, damasks and kasuri to surface designs including hand painting, stencil painting, shibori and embroidery. We will be adding to our inventory on a fairly regular basis.