Fall is in the air, and while Spring is my favorite season in general, I do have a fondness for autumn. Here in Saskatchewan, it’s basically a toss up as to whether we have an autumn, being that snow can happen any time after August, but you know…brief as it may be, it’s still nice to see the changing of seasons and the shifting colors of the autumn leaves.
This week’s project is another of the pieces created as part of my tsumami-zaiku certification course, and is a clip brooch – meaning it has both a clip and brooch back so that it can be work in two different ways. This piece features a single large two-color red-orange and creamy white chrysanthemum in chirimen fabric.
The only challenge with a piece like this, which requires a lot of petals, is that they really need to be made all at once. And, because this piece is made of chirimen, it also needs to be made quickly. Why? Chirimen shrinks after about twenty minutes of exposure to the glue. This isn’t usually an issue for me, since I mostly work with silk, but it was a little bit of a challenge for this piece.
I’ve made chrysanthemums before, and they are one of my favorite motifs – and one of my Mom’s favorite flowers. I always think of her when I work on chrysanthemums and any fall themed items, since that is her favorite season.
One of my goals for next year is to continue reworking the collection of vintage kimonos that I have. I did one kimono remake a few years ago, and was intending on doing more, but got caught up in other projects. One of the pieces I have is a chrysanthemum kuro tomesode (black kimono with a chrysanthemum design) that I want to turn into a long duster jacket for my Mom.
I might need to make some chrysanthemum accessories to go with it, what do you think?
As with all the projects in this series, I was able to participate in the tsumami-zaiku certification course because of support from SK Arts. SK Arts supports the development and creative pursuits of artists from Saskatchewan, Canada – and I am ever grateful for all the support they have shown me over the years!
Anyhoo, that’s all I’ve got for this week. If you want to see more, follow my Instagram for check back here again next week for more crafty projects.
