Cherry Blossoms Chirimen Crepe Traditional Print, Still-Sewn Bolt of Arai-hari, Kimono Silk from Japan 12? yards # 260

The background is pale greenish-taupe, and the pastel print depicts beautiful natural Japan with cherry trees in bloom, streams and bridges, mountains and meadows, people and shrines and homes... beloved Japan.  Liquid drape classic old chirimen silk, very supple, light and flowy. NOTE: This silk is in araihari form, which is used for cleaning fine kimono in Japan. It used to be a kimono. For cleaning or storage, the kimono was taken apart stitch by stitch, then the 8+ rectangular pieces were then laid out like a long silk puzzle to its original bolt form, then basted together into a bolt. In many of the photos, look closely and you can see the seams attaching each piece to the next. We think it was cleaned then stored, with the intention of being taken apart (again) to make another kimono.  We haven't opened it to see the piece sizes or condition, so hopefully you can be delighted. We did notice as you can see, the pattern may not always match where they stitched pieces together; the cutting was done for the print to show properly on the final kimono, not to re-create the original bolt necessarily.  Usually these arai hari are 10-13 yards. It seems quite old and may be partly hand painted. We hope this glimpse into true kimono culture is a treasure at a good price.  100% Silk. Japan. Age, length and condition unknown. 

Lightweight chirimen silk; the whole bolt is less than 12 ounces.  Order "1" for the arai-hari "bolt" for $100.00.  

Learn more from this article in The Teine Life: 

http://theteineilife.com/way-of-process/kimono-washing.html

"Kimono Washing, Arai-Hari

Not your typical laundry day, kimono washing is part of traditional Japanese culture also known as arai-hari. It is a unique process where the care consists of unstitching the kimono to separate each panel of cloth before being washed, dried and sewn back together again. Taking particular care and attention to the fabric throughout this washing process ensures that the kimono is properly cleaned and will last for many years to come.

Back in the day, unstitched kimonos were washed in shallow rivers; however today, the same practice applies with special equipment that has been designed to make the process faster and easier. For instance, once the kimono fabric is washed, it is stretched on either a delicate frame, long board or flexible bamboo rods held by wooden clamps before being hung to dry properly.

It is of utmost importance that the kimono is washed properly as kimono fabric is typically made of very delicate materials, such as silk with decorative touches including hand stitching and even hand-painted designs that might be ruined if not taken care of properly. Although this might seem like a lengthly process, this teinei way and attention to detail ensures that these important garments are properly taken care of and that you are always guaranteed to have a well-washed garment. With arai-hari, we can see the true spirit of Japanese craftsmanship where no effort is spared to create the best product and experience possible."