I absolutely adore kimono fabric. I have a fairly good stash of pieces that I’ve collected over the years. Once I discovered Ah! Kimono I never looked elsewhere. The quality of their textiles is unparalleled. Saturated colors, no smells and the packs always contain a beautiful assortment of delicate designs, no boring fillers! Given the fan I was I was thrilled to receive an e-mail from Ah! Kimono owner Cheri Bridges when I posted about my inchies awhile back. Cheri recognized her kimono prints in my work.

She has a booth at Sew Expo each year so I took the opportunity to say hello and stock up on some special finds. It was a true pleasure to meet her and soak up the enthusiasm she has for her products. I HAD to ask her how in the world she recognized her prints on my blog! She told me that even though she’s handled thousands of kimonos, they’re like her children and she remembers each and every one. A woman that truly loves what she does.

I bought several 6 packs of designs that caught my eye. I’m very attracted to gray, pink, and black these days, a theme that occurred in my recent vintage haul. The palette is spread out in my sewing room giving me inspiration.

I also purchased two pieces of indigo dyed cotton taken from old kimonos. Cheri told me that she’s had these for some time and finally decided to take them apart and make them available. The technique is called Kasuri, they’re really something to see and touch in person, the woven texture is pure artistry.