...in all a good day on the textile front! I didn't rush too much this morning as I knew the Embroidery museum didn't open till 10 so thought I could be relaxed about it! Even though I did take a taxi, after local train into Kyoto, then another local train out in different direction - I finally got there - oh and the taxi took me to the wrong place and I had to walk a few hundred yards to the right place! I'm sure that wouldn't happen in London - perhaps it would be too much for a Japanese taxi driver to cope with if he had to have 'the knowledge'!
This is how you see a lot of Japanese passengers in the mornings...
Once inside - first shock of the day - it was free! To sum up the exhibits would be difficult but they were incredible - the only surprise was that this wasn't exactly quite the same as I do - and in this work, the silk was different and it wasn't all done by hand. I had peered hard at some of the work thinking to myself, how on earth have they got that to look like that - it looks just like a line of machine stitches - easy - that's what it was. Staggering! I apologise now for he quality of the pictures - the light was diabolical and I was really struggling - and there were lots of light bulb reflections etc etc....hopefully this wont spoil it too much.
The close up below show hopefully just how padded the petals were.
This one was really lovely and about 4 feet wide, just to give an idea of scale.
and a lovely little pooch...
Then a close up of a kingfisher...
This next embroidery was massive - 10 or more feet wide - and so padded I was amazed. The whiskers were quite long strands of rough looking silk fibres. It was part of a dragon costume for some sort of event - like the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Then downstairs to the cookie production line...
and the shop...
After the exhibition I had to make my way to the station to get back to town. Saw this young Mum on the way - I did wonder about the health of the backs of all these Mums...
A walk along the side of the river and it was lunchtime for workmen...
Turn around to look at the view...
Then another train journey so another chance for people spotting....get the mascara out - she had just used an eyelash curler first...
Crowded trains....
Now to the Nishijin Textile Museum. Second shock of the day - this was also free....In the foyer there were a few crafts people showing how they do what they do - this was interesting. Here silk designs are being painted onto the fabric - no resist is used...
Instead the silk is painted while resting on an electric ring and the heat dries the silk straight away.
The next chap was showing how the outlines are painted - the brush was very long and pointed with only one hair at the end - well maybe two or three. The design outline is stencilled onto the fabric and then the detail is painted in by hand - great skill here!
Next the fabric has to be ironed to set the paint - so first a glass sprayer is used to blow a fine mist of water over the fabric...
and then a small 'iron' is used to steam set the dye/paint.
This was a twister machine to ply two strands of silk together..
A glimpse up and this was the lighting set up..
Then upstairs to an exhibition area...Old drawings and new work side by side
...and just look at this - it is woven and I learned later that this is what we would call tapestry weaving but on a very fine scale.
In the shop area I spotted this lovely small kimono - not big enough to wear - only about 18 -24 inches long - a mere 21,000 yen - remember 150 to the pound!!
Now to the silk process explained by demonstration - gone to lunch however! - Remember to soak the cocoons to get the thread starting to come off - save the grubs (don't like to think what they do with them!)
Cocoons that aren't used for their thread (perhaps because of quality?) - are made into little animals to sell...
This lady was busy sewing a button onto a jacket - perks of the job for someone!
The the retail fix for me for the day...I was in paradise here - costly only because of the quantity. Price 16 yen per gram....I won't tell you how much I bought....
This is the tapestry weaving ...so fine I was most impressed - the loom was again foot operated and the design cartoon was underneath so the weaver just followed the script, so to speak.
Then there was an announcement that the fashion show was about to start....
By the time I emerged from the museum, I was again quite tired - its hard work all this enjoying yourself! My aytakadai was awaiting collection so that was my next task.
I was impressed that the man at the Kumihimo centre showed me how to put all the bits together - and that there were a few extra bits I wasn't expecting. It was all packed into a box, tided up and handle added to help me carry it....I was quite loaded down with silks, plus my camera and rucksack and bum bag with a lot less money in now!
Content I made my slow way home - I stopped of at the pharmacy to buy more painkillers (they are working!!) but wow - don't I wish I had brought more paracetamols with me....you could make a fortune on the black market. 12 painkillers of some sort or other - not aspirin and not codeine - can't take either... and they were 630 yen. Take one twice a day....
What price relief from agony! Hope I don't need to buy any more!
perhaps a light bulb in a box might work on the silk painting
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