exploring derangement

( foreward: after writing this extra long post i decided i needed to preface it by saying feel free to skip ahead to the pretty pictures at the end-i tend to get a little off track here and many may find this post intolerably boring)

Yes, I know it’s a holiday. But here in shibori-band-land people are working. The musicians are out entertaining or recovering from last night’s entertaining, preparing for the next gig and for tours abroad leaving next week. So I too, am working.

First things first. Next Saturday I will be in Claremont teaching a shibori ribbon flower making class at Phebies so am prepping for that-dyeing new ribbon colors and making pretty things to share. Come on by!

I see the catalogs have come out for both the Road to California and Quilt Festival Houston shows. I am teaching at both so check it out. Also doing a morning lecture in Houston-it’s free and a good way to pass the time with a cup of coffee waiting for the show to open. At Road to California I will be teaching the wired shibori necklace class in person- this will be a lot of fun and expect to leave with a great shibori flower necklace and inspired ideas on making some other fun stuff with wire and ribbon. In Houston, I will be teaching shibori techniques- always fun and inventive- the sky is the limit on this one and you will be surprised to see what can be done with minimum space and little investment in materials and supplies. As usual we will dye silk but techniques can be applied to cotton as well with the appropriate dye sets. All these classes have limits on class size so sign up early to make sure you get a spot. If you don’t want to wait ’til January to learn how to make the wired necklace, you can take the class online at Joggles beginning August 13th.

Over in the corner the new Instant Indigo Dye Kit from Jacquard has been teasing me. Having 3 vats going at the moment has led me ignoring it until yesterday when my vats decided to become “deranged” . This is now my latest & most favorite technical term when it comes to indigo dyeing and fits ever so well into my current state of mind seeing that, according to “some” people (and you know who you are) you have known this all along about me (or why else would I have “chosen” this as a career?). I use the word “chosen” loosely.
Not to get all political or religious or anything but some things you don’t really choose yourself. The universe chooses for you and you just submit and go along with it. One does have to be a bit deranged, willing and able to live outside the ordinary to be an artist or maker full time or make a living from it. Just embrace it and get on with it. Or do something else.
Back to the “derangement” and the indigo. Derangement of the vat occurs when, for whatever reason, the vat becomes useless and it is up to the keeper of the vat to determine its cause and rectify the matter. So far for me, it usually requires a slight PH adjustment with soda ash and an addition of thiox and a wait while the vat re-reduces and the indigo once again becomes soluble. None of this is news to most dyers but there is just something about the ability of the indigo vat having a mind of its own that I find intriguing. Maybe it’s because my work is fairly solitary and I like the idea of having it’s company in the studio (aside from the cats). Or maybe its the uncertainty of not really knowing what to expect day to day (I’ve been used to that for quite some time now) and having to solve the mystery. Maybe it’s the feeling of care-taking it back into shape, an extension of my mothering skills somewhat neglected since the boys are in college and not needing me so much. Whatever it is it has an allure aside from the colors (which can be achieved with chemical dyes) and the seemingly magical transformation that occurs while the indigo oxidizes and turns from yellow, yellow/green, to blue (fun to watch).
This all leads to where I started here, to the Instant Indigo Dye Kit. Seems somewhat like an oxymoron doesn’t it? Apparently there is no need to travel the globe to discover it’s intricacies. Everything can be distilled down into kit form in our ever expanding need for instant everything. Well truth be told, I opened the box, followed the instructions and POOF! Indigo vat. Hmmmm. The instructions tell you the vat will last several days and dye several items. Just pour the vat contents down the drain when it becomes “deranged”. Doesn’t talk about maintaining the vat. Guess you just order another kit.
My experience with the vat so far- it dyed a sample just fine. One thing I didn’t care for was the huge amount of hana (or flower/foam) which I take to be a result of the pre-reduced indigo crystals . For a small vat like this kit produces, the excess amount of foam is a bit of a pain. Any of the foam that settles on your fabric potentially leaves a light spot and leads to uneven dyeing. For many this will not be a problem.
One can order the pre-reduced indigo crystals to try on your own- the kit includes a pre-measured chemical packet of soduim carbonate and thiourea dioxide. Also included in the kit are rubber bands,popsicle sticks, and two squares of rough cut wood plus a pair of surgical type gloves. I think a lot of people will order the kit to try out an indigo vat. I like that. I also think that like many things, few will continue on to really discover what indigo has to offer in the long run. On to the next thing.

I will blame some of this on Neki, whose recent posts have been egging me on and who from all the way across the world is teaching me a few things. She recently discovered this book entitled “Colouring Matters” that is just fascinating and where I learned about “derangement”. Defined:
de·range (d-rnj)
tr.v. de·ranged, de·rang·ing, de·rang·es
1. To disturb the order or arrangement of.
2. To upset the normal condition or functioning of.
3. To disturb mentally; make insane.

As some of you may or may not know, this word has a bit more meaning in my life than I care to admit. I was very interested in the recent news that Schizophrenia May Be Linked To Immune System. My mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when I was about 4 and my sister was 2. She was committed to an institution for 10 years of treatment not to mention complete disruption and derangement of her life. That was back in the early 60’s and she was a young woman. Of course the story is long but flash forward to now where she is nearing 80 years of age. She is a testament to so many things- can you even imagine? To live almost a whole lifetime with this struggle. To carry on despite it. To be self sufficient and independent in spite of it. To be productive. As she is aging it is making things more difficult and harder for us to help her. She is so fiercely independent- with a paranoid streak for good measure. When I am curing the indigo vat of it’s derangement, I wish there was such a simple fix for her. I’d love to make her life easier.

And now for the pretty pictures:

derangement

me in the alabama hills- mojave

indigo moonrise (with rust)

lots of hana-instant indigo vat

indigo dyed cotton twill tape-for sale at LB Quilt Festival

ribbon colors-some new some old

indigo mood

OK. I am officially obsessed. I may need help. Perhaps a 12 step program. Or an intervention.

All I want to do is mess with the indigo vats. I’ve scoured the web for images, words, inspiration and more in regards to indigo. I’ve found some great stuff but what surprises me even more is that there are really so few artists/textilians who are dyeing with indigo on a regular basis. I see many one shot stabs at it here and there but only a few dedicated to discovering it’s mysteries and allure. Perhaps because it is one of those things that, requiring lots of practice and repetition, loses it’s allure. I’ve come across Indigo Night Owl on Flickr & Facebook, of course there’s Neki in Barcelona, waterfall, Ito de, Jenny Balfour-Paul and others but really I’m sure there are more out there. Of course I am referring only to those available on the web and I know for a fact there are others (for example in Japan) who are not accessible online. Somehow I feel the need to connect with others with the same obsession.

The color of sky and water. The promise of night. A range of blues to astound! A temperamental vat to confound. Indigo!

I’m also mesmerized by ombre dyeing with the indigo. Save me. I need help!

( you can encourage the obsession with the purchase of the 12mm silk charmuese scarf on my etsy site. It’s $75. Trust me, it’s a steal. I’ll even sew some beads onto the corners if you like. size is 11″x 56″above ) I’m posting it there until Tuesday when if still unsold it will be delivered to a local shop. I’m working up a collection of indigo pieces for the upcoming Quilt Festival in Long Beach.

Will get back to the Japan posting soon. Promise.

-forgot to mention
there are only two open spots left for the dye workshops. one on each of the two august dates. See the upcoming classes link above for details and email me right away if interested. I will definitely fill these two spots at the LB Quilt Festival if they are not gone by then. I’ll make sure the vats are working but the focus is on acid dyes- I’m sure I can fit in at least a quickie demo though. Indigo workshop another time.

-off to go see Steel Parade perform at the beach in Dana Point! ( i’m the CD salesgirl! ha!)

Summer Solstice Indigo Love

The word for indigo in Japanese is “ai” which is also the word for love. They share the same sound although each is represented by different kanji (characters).

Roses have long been a symbol of love and here I have “married” both my love for indigo with my love of flowers and especially the rose.
(available in my Etsy shop)

As you know, I have been practicing with my indigo vats and working on achieving both good depth and variation of shades in indigo blue. I am working on getting better at ombre dyeing with indigo. This weekend the vats are performing the best they ever have…perhaps it’s the solstice!

Happy Father’s Day dad!

just working…

I know I have so much more to write about but simply have to be working right now- trying to take and post few pics in the process to keep the flow going here-enjoy!

click to enlarge..

Itchiku Kubota Museum and itchiku tsujigahan

Picking up where I left off… on the bus headed to Kawaguchiko and the Ichiku Kubota Museum.
I got off the bus and had to take a local bus that brings you around the lake and deposits passengers at various locations. The museum stop is 45 minutes and towards the end of the route. There were two other Japanese ladies getting off at the same stop and the bus driver requested that they take me with them as the museum was a short walk from the road. It was a good thing too, as it wasn’t immediately obvious how to get to it and I would have had to spend some time finding my way there. I chatted with the ladies along the walk and they offered to share their admission discount coupon with me which I accepted (I actually had my own which I printed from the internet before I left but it would have been rude to mention it). We separated and went on into the museum.

one of my new friends..

rock path in garden

entrance

outside entrance

one of the garden areas

courtyard between the bead display and the kimono display room

garden area behind museum
Much has been written about the architecture of this museum in the various publications covering Ichiku Kubota and his work an the photos here don’t really do it justice. The choices of materials, the natural setting, and the blending of the two are really exquisite. It is so rare for an artist to have an opportunity to create such a setting in which to view their own work. I suppose there must be other examples of it but I am not aware of it at the moment. I’m not speaking of museums devoted to the work of a single artist but such a museum built, designed and curated by the artist him/her self. Of course photos inside were not allowed but I purchased one book that I had never seen before that has fantastic close up images of the fabrics.

So to continue, upon entering the museum the first building is devoted to Ichiku Kubota’s world bead collection. He had collected some fascinating beads -both antique, vintage, and modern in various materials. My favorites were the ceramic beads, having been a ceramicist myself and understanding the unique processes used in the making of many of them. The glass beads were also intriguing. Beautifully displayed as well. This building also houses the museum gift shop and looks out toward the stone arches of a courtyard area.
A walkway and stone staircase lead you up to the real treasure house- the kimono collection.
There is a short video to view beforehand. They even have one in English in a separate area and ushered me into there to view it.
Here is a transcript from my journal written on the bus ride back towards Tokyo-
the sheer beauty of his work leaves you without words to express what it is like to be in the same room with the thirty or so kimono on display here. A short video which was well translated into English was almost worth the price of admission alone. At one point it shows Ichiku Kubota at work with the silk tying and capping …overdubbed is a translation of his words- “it takes so much time…why did I ever think of this?” . Looking over the pieces here I wonder the same thing. The only answer I can come up with is -for the sheer beauty of it. This was a man who was driven to create- conquer the material and perfect a process. Once he had done that he must have felt compelled to continue to create the beauty which he had discovered-tedious though it was. It seems that some people are put on this earth simply to create beauty for the rest of us and Ichiku Kubota certainly did that. The work shown here at his museum and at galleries and shows around the world cannot begin to address the amount of work that must have been created in order to reach these heights of excellence.
Surely there exists some of these experiments- the trials and inventions which led to the development of these wonderful pieces and his unique technique. If you have never done stitched shibori then I wonder if you can fully understand the magnitude of his work.
His museum itself is incredibly gorgeous and strikingly unique. What really struck me is that you can get so up close to the pieces. After removing your shoes you enter the kimono hall to view the works- no glass, no barriers of any kind. You can actually get within centimeters of these pieces. You can really study them. I saw many things that excited and inspired me. Things you cannot see by looking at a book or even from a distance of a meter or more. Let me be clear again. Shibori without texture just doesn’t speak to me in the same way. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same after seeing this exhibit.

Fast forwarding to Kamakura- June Coburn and I had an opportunity to walk up to a favorite shrine near the house where we were staying and saw a Shinto wedding underway. One of the guests was wearing this:

While all the people were taking photos (guests as well as tourists) of the bride and groom in their traditional Japanese wedding costumes, I was following this gal around positioning myself to see the tsujigahana on this fantastic kimono. I don’t think I have ever seen such a kimono ever being worn in public (or private for that matter!) I showed it to my friend (and indigo dyer) and she agreed it most likely was a work of the masters hand-Ichiku Kubota. Yesterday I received two more books on his work from her in the mail- unavailable here and most likely out of print. Not to be believed- I am overwhelmed.
A couple more things to note- from looking at the books I had prior to leaving (never having seen any of his work in person) I did not realize the amazing embroidery that exists on some of his pieces. The subtle variegation in the dyework, the stitching,the overall design, the colors, the silk, the embroidery, the textures, must I go on?

There is one more event of note from this day but I must leave it for now- I think you’ve had enough! I know I have! check out the flickr page for more photos. Going to load them now…

Itchiku Kubota and his museum-part 3

Well, finally! I swear I just don’t know how time passes so quickly! Before we get to the good stuff, I’ve got to take the time to update a few things that need attention in regards to upcoming events and the things that keep the bills paid around here. Sorry, but that’s just the reality of what I do.
First, I’m giving a silk shibori flower making class this coming Saturday at Phebie’s Needle Arts in Claremont CA. 10-1 PM – 3 hour class for $20!!
Go to my classes page and get the details to sign up.
Materials fee is $30 but if you are on my mailing list (constant contact sign up on the right) you received a special offer of pre-purchasing the kit and receiving an extra yard for free! Plus a special trunk show and a little show and tell from Japan.
Classes at Phebie’s will continue through the fall on a monthly basis so sign up ahead as I hear some of the later ones are already filling.

Next- If you got the June Newsletter (again- get on that mailing list if you haven’t already), you might have been one of the ones who signed up for my in studio 2 day shibori workshop in August. Limited to 4 participants only -it’s already filled and I’ve decided to add a second class to accommodate 4 more. If you are interested in more info- join the mailing list and I’ll do a second send-out to all new email signer uppers.

Also- don’t forget the new class at Joggles starting on August 13.

Phew! Ok -enough of all the business stuff. Hope to see you at one of the events in the near future.

Been having some computer issues that are causing everything to take 3x as long to do so have to get to the Genius Bar at the Apple store by 4 today- hope I can get it cleared up and back to working smoothly soon- it’s been part of why I haven’t been blogging as much lately- I get started and then can’t stay online and end up giving up. So here goes…

-here’s an excerpt from my journal the day I went to the Ichiku Kubota Museum
Sunday morning and I’m already up and walking to the train station at 6 AM. Beautiful day and since it’s Sunday morning there’s almost no one out even on the Ginza. Guess they are all sleeping in or recovering from Saturday night sake!
The plan is to take the train from the local station to Tokyo eki and find my way to the Yaesu exit where I will catch a bus to Kawaguchiko via the Fujikyu Highlands- takes about 3 hours and ¥3500. Ate a quick coffee “set” at the train station which was coffee, bread and salad for breakfast-perfect!
I cannot say this enough- Japan’s transportation system is the envy of the world! Clean, well priced, convenient, comfortable and on time! Yay for Suica!

Suica is a form of debit card one can purchase to use along most of Japans rail lines. You simply swipe your card at the turnstyle and it will automatically deduct your fare- not to mention allow you to make various purchases in the train stations and on board.
So here is a pic of Fujiyama from the bus window-

Well, just got home from the Apple store and they did a ping test on my computer which tells us that only 50% of my “packets” were getting through so I’ve got to take a break and do an archive and restore and hopefully that will do the trick. Hardware problem has been eliminated. Hopefully, it’s the system software-otherwise I’ll have to do a clean install which is a PAIN!!!! Did that a couple of months ago when my HD went down so have a new HD in this thing. One last thing to note- my external backup failed this week and I have yet to restore the data. Photos are the biggest thing I can’t access at the moment. Gonna have to pay to have them restored. Will have to wait on that at the moment. Mental note…BACKUP YOUR BACKUP!! Went out and bought a backup HD and backed up what I have on the new HD but now need to buy at least one more and back THAT up. Beware, just because you back up your stuff- it doesn’t mean it’s safe if you don’t have another copy somewhere.
(I hear NASA backs up to at least 7 different locations).

So, sorry for the interruption but first things first…

A few more quick pics-part three in a day or so

We took an all day workshop with quilter Noriko Endo who showed us her technique for quilting using various size bits of fabrics layered over a background piece to form a design, then covered over with a nylon tulle and over-stitched by machine using free motion technique and various threads. Details of her quilts here show the painterly and impressionistic effect she achieves with this technique. The classroom was very nice-well lit and we each had our own table to work on and a Bernina for every 2 of us.
A couple more pics from the hobby show- forgot to mention the food show that was also there- some crafty sushi! And Mokuba was there as well.
I took an early morning walk on my own and discovered the Imperial Palace close by. It was 7 am and the grounds didn’t open until 9 but it was a treat to be out walking and discovering- a great time for photos. Happened upon a little gallery featuring some mechanical cabaret- also closed but later Katrina and I found our way back and dropped some yen in the boxes to make them perform to our delight.
An evening meal including one of the best tofu dishes I have ever had and of course a bit of umeshu ended the day and we returned to the hotel. Of course on the way back we were able to window shop along the Ginza a bit and even made a purchase or two! I absolutely hate shopping here in the US but love it in Japan! Not everything is the same there-much more variety-so much more interesting.
Returning to the hotel we had a package delivered to our room- a weeks supply of disposable thermometers (with instructions on taking our temps 3x a day) and another form to fill out to assure them we were well and not spreading the swine flu!
I found this fellow in Hibiya Koen (park) sharing a meal (and feeding them with chopsticks!) with the park cats in the early morning.

and this lovely neko posing from her perch in the pines above the pond-

The following day was a free day and I went off on my own to the Ichiku Kubota museum-part three coming as soon as I get a few other things done and receive my journal in the mail!!

emerging from my cocoon- japan, part two

I am still itching the 20 mosquito bites I got in the mountains of Japan as the blue slowly fades from from my fingernails. Who knew mosquito bites could itch for so long?? They are still showing no signs of fading although the blue is slowly disappearing.

As I begin to emerge from my silk cocoon to spin this tale of my silk experience (and more!) I am somewhat daunted by the task. It is almost overwhelming in its magnitude that I’m finding myself avoiding it somewhat. There are the over 1200 photos to sort through to decide which ones to use- which ones tell the story. The videos need editing before I release them which is more work than I have time for right now. I’ll just have to get at it all bit by bit.

(cocoons boiled,soaked and ready for reeling by hand)
Complicating matters is the fact that although I managed to carry a notebook/journal with me the entire trip I left it at Fumiko’s (the indigo dyer’s) house on my last day-so I am waiting for that to arrive. I’ll also admit to deleting an entire days worth of photos so only have video and a few pics to share with you from that day. I had two cameras with me-my Nikon SLR and a small Fujitsu with video capability. Taking pictures at Fumiko’s turned out to be quite a challenge. Most of the time I was up to my elbows in indigo and working very diligently so taking pictures was out of the question- not to mention rude. So, many images will have to remain in my mind’s eye which is fine. Upon reviewing many of the ones I did get there, I was disappointed in the quality. The lighting was poor and the lights that were there were bare bulbs that seemed to always be in the wrong place. Dim lighting resulted in images that are just not as sharp as I wanted and left the color wanting. You will get the idea though. There are no photos of me as I was behind the camera when that was even possible. More importantly, I chose to concentrate on the matter at hand and realized that the camera was messing with me and that what I really wanted was just to enjoy the moment-which I did-immensely!
Someone asked in a comment on the previous post, What was the “silk experience”?
Briefly, the silk experience tour was masterminded and organized by Maggie Backman from Silk Things. It was organized around the idea that the people who would attend would have an interest in learning about silk from the ground up and also have an interest in Japan and textiles. All of the 14 who joined the tour were artists, writers, designers, textile teachers, collectors, educators and all around fabric people. Maggie imports silk threads from Japan and is the distributor of her own line of silk dyes (Colorhue).
(by the way, the silk threads are really fabulous too!) Maggie really put together a fantastic trip packed with all sorts of visits to unknown and out of the way (some previously unvisited by foreigners) locations. The group was well thought out and well matched as roomies and at the end we became known as the “SEx sisters”.
(SEx standing for Silk Experience!). So, there you have it!

Now this all seems so long ago at this point but our first day out we went to the Tokyo Hobby show at Big Site- I eliminated the sound since if was mostly just people talking in the background.
done

We saw some interesting things but all in all it was a hobby show. Here are some of the things that caught my eye-

some really nice silk textiles from gunma prefecture here-we have samples and conact info

just an interesting kimono-like garment made using a double weave knit-unique

product we don't see here in the hobby industry-dye impregnated transfer paper for silk fabric

-Katrina & I bought some samples

booth selling parts and patterns to make your own umbrella. umbrellas are big and a fashion accessory in Japan

Katrina & I had a nice curry lunch and headed back to the Ginza area where I needed to check my email to see if I had heard from Masae.
A few weeks before leaving, I received an email from a gal in Japan wanting to come and visit me. She has been reading my blog for a while and wanted to come and visit. She was traveling to Canada and not knowing how far So Cal was from Calgary she thought it might be possible to visit. I told her that it was quite a distance and I was going to be in Japan soon so perhaps we could meet there- in Tokyo if that was convenient for her-so we did. I invited Katrina to join us and we had a marvelous dinner-

over delicious yakitori and some of obasan no umeshu (grandmother’s plum wine) we learned of her interest in shibori- her family comes from Narumi and has a 200 year history producing shibori. And that is REALLY where this story begins…..

From the beginning-in parts-part one

You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.
– Winnie the Pooh

Well, here I am (私は名古屋にいる) . Finally. At the pace I have been going it simply has been too difficult to post to the blog. I’ve been doing a little bit via facebook, twitter and flickr but when I’ve had internet and not been busy I’ve simply been too tired! Only getting 4-5 hours sleep each night anyway so need to at least get that in.

I’m laying in my 4.5 mat room at the Ichifuji Ryokan in Nagoya drinking some green tea, munching on osembe,with the tv on (sumo desu!). If you caught my FB or twitter today you already know that I’m on the “solitary journey aid plan” which is “for the woman who travels alone in Japan”. I thought that was kinda funny-everything has a plan in Japan. I really don’t even know where to start, so much has transpired but I guess the beginning is as good a place as any. Get ready for a MEGA post and perhaps a bit of meandering. I’m sure it will take me days to get it all out but I might just do a brief overview and do more detail when I get back- we’ll just have to see.
I have over 1200 photos and videos to edit and review-I’ve already done the first deletes so what is left will take some time so-
Here goes…..

at Narita after we got through customs and were waiting for a flight from the UK and Chris who joined us from London.

we were held on the plane for a little over an hour (after the 10.5 hr flight) so these folks could go through the plane asking us to fill out some forms which basically asked us if we were healthy- we were. They actually kept track of all of us for the next 10 days (quarantine period) and we were filling out forms at each of the hotels as we moved around Japan. They even brought disposable thermometers to our rooms on the Ginza!

Here is our official welcoming delegation- Hirata-san and our coach driver-both indispensable! Hirata-san was with us the entire trip and was the most patient, kind, and wonderful person we could have ever hoped for. More about Hirata and his family later-

this was the view out our (Katrina and myself) hotel window on our first day in Tokyo- kind of ominous, don’t you think? Definitely felt like we had reached the end of the rainbow. I think this was the most vivid rainbow I have ever seen. (None of these photos have been photoshop-ed or cleaned up)
-and just to tease you a little, here is a pic I took today in Arimatsu-more on that later of course!

heading east….to the land of the rising sun

The Japanese called their islands “nippon” which means land of the rising sun. They believed theirs was the first land awakened by the rising sun.

I am pretty well ready to go-packed, biz & personal details attended to and on the second day of my anti jetlag diet. Today is a fast day so only 700 calories for me today! I should do this more often. Tomorrow is a “feast” day which is good as the crew of this silk experience will convene in Seattle to meet for an evening get together before the flight leaves on Wednesday.
An interesting group to be sure- designer, manufacturer, tailor, pattern maker, dyer, quilter, writer, publisher and artists, all- connected by the fine thread of silk. Let’s see what we can learn and do together!

Now there’s no telling when I will next post-it all depends on time and convenience but if you do facebook or twitter feel free to tag along that way as my iphone may be a quick way to post our latest status.

Thanks to all who ordered ribbon at the Sayonara sale. Much appreciated
and all shipped out! You should be receiving your packages shortly. Finished my article for an upcoming Stampington magazine….more on that later. The deadline was while I will be in Japan so had to get that out right away. Phew!

And check this out-


notice the shibori ribbon detail- color=cool ash

Nice! This was made by Delores of Running With Scissors Studio and Supplies, one of the latest online retailers of my silk shibori ribbon. Delores emailed me the details:
“It is a boxed pillow that is approx. 18″ x 18″ in size with a down/feather pillow fill. The photograph was printed onto an EQ Printables Premium Cotton Satin Inkjet fabric sheet. It was then “framed” in fabric using both grey and black silks, velvet piping, ball chain bead trim and of course, Cool Ash Silk Shibori Ribbon. The main body of the pillow is in a crushed black velvet and the contrast gusset is in grey silk. Bead clasps and black ribbon add detail to the sides. It was a gift for our web designer and he was quite thrilled with it.”
I guess so! Check out Delores’ blog as well.

So if you were looking for more ideas on how to use the ribbon-go see Delores! She’s now carrying close to 20 or so colors! She ships from Canada.
Well, that’s it for now- see ya on the silk road!