Over-dyed vintage blue and white Yukata. About 15 years ago I gave a bunch of stained Yukata pieces to a dyer friend for experimenting and she came back with a rainbow of assorted colors. I think we can safely call this double-repurposing before it became popular…And now the fabric takes on another reincarnation—not unlike a mirror of what is happening in my own life! Easy to assemble (see photo #4), I hand quilted it heavily and then proceeded to cover it all up with beads and buttons (and yet another solo earring I couldn’t part with hoping I would find the mate) taking unexpected hours! At the bottom is an “l” charm from Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavillion in Kyoto, a luxury summer villa built for the imperial family and actually covered in gold leaf. That’s decadence! If you’ve been to Kyoto you’ve seen this. See photo #2 to see a close up of the “fudomyo” guardian whose scary face is meant to deter bad guys. And if you look at photo #3, you can see the back of the charm with imperial “Kiri” Paulownia crest, the government seal of Japan.
