Pam T., CanadaCustomer Showcase: Here on yokodana.com we like to post on our web site when people have creatively used our vintage Japanese kimonos and fabrics in their work, so we are happy to share pictures and emails from Pam T. of Calgary, Canada who made her wedding dress  from a vintage kimono.  Starting in January of this year (2020) Pam approached us saying she wanted to use a vintage kimono to make her own wedding dress. She ended up getting our “A Package”. In a series of emails to us since then, she shared the story of her process of...

We came across this in a Facebook group, and since we regularly get requests for information on how to make a kimono, thought we should post this here from a German lady with expertise in kitsuke: https://youtu.be/rW-Cz9HbkqA Let us know your opinions on this, whether we should list it in our FAQ info as a reliable resource.

Jennifer Morales -- Textile Artist: Hand-Made Accessories using Meisen Silks Back Story: Since 1998 we have been frequently amazed -- and impressed -- with the varied ways in which folks creatively use our vintage Japanese kimonos and fabrics. In fact, we have been keeping a running list of them HERE.  Actually, up until 2016 we used to have a "Guest Gallery" on our website for customers to  showcase things which they had made from kimonos or fabrics which they purchased on www.yokodana.com -- or bought in person at one of our venues. However, over time we had not kept it up to date, so when we upgraded our...

Came across the above on a Facebook group for Kimono Sellers, asking what it is. Since we have these fairly often, and have one on hand now, thought we'd put up a brief reply. This is called a Kateigi, or, in katakana, 'ho-mu-ko-to" (home coat); we might call it a home or work jacket for women. It resembles jinbei, but those are traditionally work jackets for men (more recently, now can be uni-sex work jackets); Jinbei have a different, more rectangular, cut to the sleeves. Here at yokodana.com we have fabric for making a Kateigi  and show below the label and...

Do you love traditional Japanese textiles? Particularly things like indigo-dyed pieces such as Katazome and Tsutsugaki? Well if so, one of the world's renown experts in this is found in Mendocino County, California. We know that many of our customers rave about the work of John Marshall, an American, who for over 30 years has mastered traditional Japanese dyeing techniques such as Katazome and Tsutsugaki. His latest book -- just published in July 2018-- is titled: "Singing the Blues, with John Marshall as Your Guide" At the top of the cover it says: " Soulful Dyeing For All Eternity" ....