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[alustrial.livejournal.com]

It has been a while since I last posted....but I've been lurking quite a bit. It never ceases to amaze me, all the wonderfully fantastic items you girls (and guys) come up with, you all inspire me so! Thank you :]

I am still working with vintage silk from old and damaged Japanese kimono. I've given the purses, pouches and bags a break for a while and started making some hairpins (or, kanzashi <-- as they are traditionally called). I have to admit - these are terribly fun (and addictive) to make, and the vintage silk works so nicely and looks quite lush! The flowers themselves are still rather amateur looking and I need much more practice in making them...but, I guess that will come with time :]

These are the completed ones so far - with two of them still in production:




Close-up of the folded petal pins. This technique is a traditional Japanese technique that you often see on maiko and geiko kanzashi...it almost feels like doing fabric origami sometimes! This particular shape is meant to represent Chrysanthemums.


Close-up of the other pins - the one on the far left is made the same as the one in the middle...but using smaller pieces and sewing six of them together to make a little ball:


What the pink Chrysanthemum looks like in my hair...(it is my favourite :])


I must apologize for the bad quality of the photographs though – the lighting in my flat is terrible…and well, I’ve been a bit under the weather lately and not as photosnaphappy as I should be!