"Sakiori"
Just same as weaver in olden times, Gramma Ashiwa also cannot use beautiful kimono fabrics in clover. To weave a sakiori fabric (13 3/4" x 244" ) , three full kimono are needed. If she uses kimono in very good conditions for her sakiori fabric, the price will be more expensive. So she selects carefully the materials - well worn, and impossible to wear, but still good condition as material, and has good quality of weaving and dyeing. Her spirits is just same as the weaver in olden times.
She cuts in the hem of fabrics with nigiri-basami, and tears with hands at a burst. At the another hem, she stops tearing, and tears from the hem again. So the fabrics becomes a long strip with return parts. She says the return parts are not even, but they give good texture to the fabrics.
For warp, she uses 324 threads. She sends it to a dyer in San'in district. She says that dyeing the warp with natural ai is essential for her works, although it costs much. She washed the threads several times, and wait its ai color become natural.
To weave Oshima brown color ones, she must select materials more carefully. If she weave it with genuine Oshima tsumugi only, its cost will be very expensive. So she selects a main Oshima tsumugi fabric, and selects more fabrics for blending. She says sometimes they are brown meisen fabrics and 'gasu'( rayon fabric very similar to Oshima). Her careful and wise selection of fabrics makes her work as if it was all woven with Oshima Tsumugi - it has very soft silk touch, and beautiful Oshima brown colors.
She weaves on thread by one thread elaborately. To get the beautiful color gradation and accent, she carefully select weft strips. Even if she use only ai color fabrics, strips blend will make texture and color different.

Her loom.


Pass the weft between the warp threads.


Hit the weft.


With a grim expression - but she is really friendly and warm hearted Gramma!




Fabulous ai color details.