tokyo postcard #3

There are so many things for crafty people to freak out about in Japan: The paper. The packaging. The stationary. The yarn. The everything.

And then, in a category all its own, comes the kimono - a triple whammy of print design, fashion/cultural history, and (sometimes) silk. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how many people I saw on the street wearing kimono. I even saw one lady who kept her phone tucked into her obi (the wide band of fabric tied around the waist to keep the kimono in place). so chic.

In the middle of a lovely modern fabric store (Okadaya in Shinjuku), I came across a shelf filled with reclaimed lengths of vintage kimono fabrics wrapped scroll-style around wooden dowels. The fabrics are silk. I just about lost my mind. 

I got a length of red, pink, and white fabric with a bold design of cranes. I have all the supplies I need to make it into scarf, which I hope to be showing you very soon!