PATCHWORK QUILTING

Many years throughout my professional patchwork quilting career I found myself working with, and for Japanese companies and quilters, both here in the United States and Japan.

You can see evidence of this in the quilt I submitted to the Blogger Online Quilt Festival last week, in my original Fairfield Fashion Show Finale stopping garment,  as well as in my quilt patterns, if you are familiar with them.

Since I have a number of people emailing me asking various questions concerning the Japanese influence in patchwork quilting I thought I would share with you some resource terms that might be a jumping off point for you… they were for me.

So flip over to page 2 if you are looking for inspiration…  

Aizome -indigo dye

Chirimen – silk crepe with fine wavy wrinkles (also available in paper)

Chiyogami – colourful paper with beautiful traditional designs

Daruma –  a round Japanese wish doll, aka Dharma

Fukuro Obi – a type of obi, developed from the Maru Obi, but easier to wear

Furisode – a colourful and ornate kimono, made for single women, featuring wide, long flowing sleeves

Furoshiki  -wrapping cloth

Geta  - Japanese style footwear, like wooden clogs

Hachimaki – headband

Hakama  -mens formal divided skirt

Hanhaba Obi – an obi half the width of regular obis, worn with casual kimonos & yukata

Haori – a jacket worn over a kimono – MY JASMINE JACKET PATTERN IS A VARIATION OF SAME

Hina Matsuri Girls Doll Festival – celebrated March 3rd

Hiragana  -one of the Japanese scripts

Hitoe – an unlined kimono, worn in summer

Homongi – a semiformal kimono, completely covered in patterns

Jinbei – traditional informal summer short jacket & trousers for men

Kamon – family crest

Kakeshita Furisode – worn under the Uchikake, usually white

Kanji – Chinese characters

Kanzashi – ornate hairpin (seen above)

Kasuri – a kimono pattern, woven with pre-died threads, sometimes with undyed parts used as a motif

Katazome – stencil dying

Kimono – traditional Japanese clothing, literally means ‘thing to wear’

Ko Furisode – short sleeved Furisode

Kodomonohi Boys Day – celebrated May 5th

Koi – carp

Koinobori – flying carp banners hung as a symbol of strength for Boys Day

Kokeshi Doll – limbless wooden doll

Kougai – ornamental hairpin

Maneki Neko Lucky Cat –  thought to bring money and luck

Maru Obi – a type of formal Obi, woven on double-wide fabric

Michiyuki – a kimono coat with a square collar

Mon – family crest

Nagajyuban – kimono underrobe – often made from cotton

Nagoya Obi – a type of Obi with a narrower part, making it easier to tie

Obi – patterned belt tied around the kimono to keep it in place

Obijime – decorative cord used to hold the Obi in place (seen above)

Obon Festival of the Dead or Lantern Festival – celebrated August 15th

Origami – folded paper art

Rinzu – glossy figured silk/satin

Sakura – cherry blossoms

Sensu – folding fan

Setta – leather-soled sandles – worn with kimono

Shibori – Tie-dye

Shichi-go-san Festival – where children aged 3, 5, and 7 visit the shrine to pray for health and prosperity

Shitsuke – threads to keep kimonos in shape while being sewn

Tabi – socks worn with a kimono that separate the toes

Taiko – japanese drum or tambourine

Tomesode – formal kimono for married women with patterns only at the bottom of the kimono or with the 5 family crests

Tsuru – crane

Uchikake – a long, elaborate robe, making up part of the wedding kimonO

Washi – handmade Japanese paper

Yukata – bright summer kimono, usually unlined and made of cotton

Yuzen – a colourful hand-dying technique, using gold and silver highlights throughout the designs

Zori – Japanese sandals

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