Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Silk and feathers, cherry blossoms and cranes

For ages now, I've had a spectacular Uchikake, Furisode or wedding kimono hanging over my balustrade. As time goes by I find myself taking these textile treasures for granted which is a good thing as it's the only way I can come to terms with cutting them up! It sometimes takes years to take them enough for granted.
 The embroidery on this one is so incredibly thick that it was REALLY hard to cut.

 I'd saved some beautiful ribbon from my last trip to Australia that I brought out for these cushions. I bought them at an Aladdin's cave of a shop called Jimmy Buttons
 There are some pieces of Florence Broadhurst fabric that my sister sent... they too came out of the stash for these.
 The striped silk around the edges comes from the silk mill in Sudbury
 The beautiful fan in the background is one Richard & I bought when we went to visit our Stepdaughter Maude when she was living in Macau.
 I love the link of the feather print in the perfect colour match to the rest of the cushion.

 ...and I love the amazing Vermilion colour that always lines these beautiful works of Art.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Thoughts for September

Even though I’m in Kyoto,
when the cuckoo cries,
I long for Kyoto.
- Issa




Ambition:


To have nothing to show at the end
But love, to have left no footprint
Save the soul’s soft breath
Moving without disturbing
An October leaf, a busy ant, the human heart,
Leaving such trace as a smile on the face
Of a child of a child of a passer-by
And to have this lightness satisfy
Ones idea of a fitting epitaph.
 - Vicky Kimm