My love of fabrics began when I first learned how to sew from my mother. In Hawaii, many women sew and they choose cottons and natural fibers. Having colors to choose from was not a problem though my favorite color combination was black and white. Eventually I learned how to use fabrics to make fabric knots to use in the creating of jewelry, promarily necklacess. I sold them in a little store that sold clothing as well as jewelry and noticed that the clothing had an “Asian” element to them. As I frequented the store, I noticed that there were a lot of indigo blues primarily in cotton also in silk. My introduction to Japanese fabrics began in the store.

In no time at all, my “favorite” colors have now included indigo blue. I was amazed at the range of shades of indigo blue and the intricacies of the designs in these primarily cottons. One of my favorites is shibori and I am in awe as to how the texture is created on top of a design that features it. In choosing colors to sew and wear, orange was a ‘no, no’. Why? Being Chinese, I was told that orange was a color that didn’t look “good” on us. But looking at clothing sold in the store and once I started buying kimono fabrics online, I noticed that orange was a very dominate color and it looked great with other colors. A friend of mind who also sews told me that “Just a little bit” of orange in one’s creations gives in just enough ‘pop’ to be noticed. She was so right and the various shades of orange with other colors certainly make kimonos stand out and look extravagant.

I love to use vintage kimono fabrics for my beads and now tops because of the brightness of the colors, the color combinations, and the designs. Silk is so supple and drapes well on the body. I will continue be a happy seamstress as long as there are kimono fabrics to be found. - by Sherrie, Hawaii