Re-Purpose History Blog: What's new and re-commiting to my blog.

I'm not living up to my own blogging expectations. It's much more difficult then I ever anticipated to blog and design and keep up my with comic deadlines. Today I am re-commiting to myself to blog at least once a week for the next month. It feels like a good goal. I actually started this post just about a month ago so I am going to finish it up and write another.

Supplies are arriving. A Uchikake (formal wedding kimono) and Fukuro obi got here quickly. I purchased both intending to re-purpose them. When I opened the package I quickly noted that the kimono and obi were much more damaged then described. I could also see that the obi was not whole. The fabric in my beautifully wrapped package was only part of a fukuro obi. Descriptions are subjective and I don't think these errors were intentional, I just think the seller didn't know what she had.

To explain a little, a fukuro obi is a formal to semi formal obi and often has the decorative fabric only in the places that it would show when worn and the rest is plain. The entire back was missing and the fabric that I held in my hand was horribly ragged. There is a dark frayed badly stained crease down the the length of the fabric from use with more frays and little tears all over. From the ad photo it appeared to be golden color and silver but in person a very dirty gold and silver with sort of a brown or tan color base.

I think the photo was lightened so it doesn't reveal the damage. Photo copyright owned by seller

Immediately, I though I've nothing to loose. Into the bathtub with warm water and Meyers laundry soap it went. Yes, I put silk in water again. I thought it might fall apart but it was completely unusable in the condition it arrived. I began soaking the fabric around 3 in the afternoon. Every few hours I would change the soapy muddy water. I was on an all night coloring deadline so I was very patient with the soaking. Each new soak revealed a new fabric.

I now realize the fabric is actually woven with gold and silver metal wrapped thread and an equal amount of light tan silk. It's very interesting in texture because it is metal and now behaves like metal. I think the original fabric was over-dyed brown by someone along the way to try and cover the stains and damage. It is far too fragile to use for a garment, instead I am going to make some kanzashi tsumami inspired flowers for accessories.