Tsujigahana

2022, the year I take every class I can.

image | Wikipedia: fragment of a kosode decorated with fan roundels, flowering vines and wild ginger leaves (1568-1615)

In February I began a five week tsujigaha class taught by John Marshall | hosted by Botanical Colors.

“Tsujigahana is the term given to a group of rare and beautiful textiles that were in fashion in Japan in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They are distinguished by designs created through an intricate combination of stitch-resist dyeing, complemented by hand-drawn stylized floral motifs and pictorial vignettes rendered in ink. Gold and silver leaf and embroidery were also used to embellish the designs.  

Tsujigahana’s original technique is still a mystery, which Itchiku Kubota tried to discover relentlessly, until he opted to reinvent it.  

Kubota used silk crepe as a fabric base for his kimono, which were mostly long sleeved. Through the process known as Shibori, the panels of fabric were shaped and dyed independently, before being joined together and assembled to form the robe. 

Tsujigahana is a complex process comprising several steps: first comes the preliminary drawing where the pattern will be stitched on the white fabric; then comes the tying; and thirdly, the dyeing of the fabric. The dyeing step has to be perfectly mastered to achieve the desired result – the dye will react differently according to the fabric and the colours used. To get a multi-coloured fabric, each tone will have to be applied separately from the others. The result will be a superimposition of one-colour layers with or without overlap. The next steps, unthreading (revealing the design), steaming and fixing the colours and textile are followed by the ultimate one, when the designer draws patterns on the white-out areas of the fabric in ink”. 

👇🏻 images and words 👆🏻| Itchibu Kubota

すごい Sugoi!

While I don’t have plans to design kimono like these, I loved the idea of learning the various techniques that go into making them. I’m collecting skillsets one by one, excited to see where they’ll take me.

For my project/sample piece I want(ed) to emulate the prismatic quality of light refracting in water. Something easy ✨ shakes head no ✨ featuring two floating peonies made from hand cut stencils: one from lino block, one vinyl film.

While I’ve already spent hours on my piece, I’m just getting started. As I move through the process I’ll pop in with more updates. For now, some aobana ink | stitch resist | vinyl + lino block processes:

Aobana | blue flower ink: a way of marking the path you’d like to stitch, which disappears in water 💦

Stencil making |

For the life of me I can’t get my vinyl stencil video to show up right here… but you can watch it by clicking here.

Using carbon paper and a stylus I outlined a peony onto Frisket film and cut my design with an X-acto knife.

Lino block |

For a variation on skillsets I also created a peony stencil by hand carving a lino block. My husband quickly gave me his cooking glove while watching my carving technique…. after he gave me the bandaid on my thumb.

Carve away from yourself— I know this now.

I’m also halfway sure I should’ve carved the design a little differently— but we’ll get there! Learning by doing, friends.

To be continued as the piece calls to me. While I’d like to think I’d do a little more each day, I’m more of an occasionally hyperfocused three hours at a time sorta gal.

All content is owned by Tifanie White | studio. Unauthorized use including reproduction, distribution, reposting, downloading and transferring is prohibited.