Tiny Treasures

So this was some of my recent stash of kimono fabrics from Japan, but what to do with them? There's some real beauties in there, from children's kimono, formal and informal designs, as well as some lovely old pieces. I love to try and imagine who has worn these kimono, when and why...

In Japan there is a philosophy called mottainai. It's a bit like 'reduce, reuse, recycle', and it applies to anything really, including kimono that have been damaged or stained so can not be worn any more. They are cut up and given a new lease of life, perhaps as a handbag or cushion. The leftover scraps are made into small toys and decorations. Nothing is wasted. Hence why my little warehouse is bursting at the seams (bonus points for haberdashery metaphor!) with vintage kimono fabrics, ready to be made into, er, something.

Usually I make kanzashi brooches from these precious scraps, but after 2 or 3 years I decided it was time for a change. So, now I present my new range of jewellery: Tiny Treasures!

Small but beautifully formed, each pendant contains a piece of exquisite, vintage kimono fabric, encapsulated in shiny, clear resin. They are all handmade by me and are available in round...

or square...

Obviously, each piece is absolutely unique!

They come on a waxed cord thong with a silver clasp, and are presented in a dinky lilac organza bag, like so:

I'm envisaging most of these will be sent to galleries and shops, so I'm not going to put them up on my website as it's too difficult to keep on top of what's in stock (what with them being unique and all). However, if there are any that grab your fancy, give me a shout at katie@japancrafts.co.uk. Even if that particular one is no longer in stock, I may have more of the fabric that I can make another from. They are £10 each, + £2 P&P (P&P is the same regardless of your order size, so why not pop over to www.japancrafts.co.uk while you're at it and let me know if there's anything else you'd like!