Tamiko

May Day is Lei Day! Happy Lei Day to everyone! To celebrate, help me to welcome a new Geisha into my line. Let me introduce Geisha Tamiko.

Tamiko was embroidered on gorgeous shimmering "platinum" dupioni silk. The pocket she is embroidered on is layered upon a panel of silk fabric that I recycled from a vintage kimono. The Kanji characters on the fabric, according to the Japanese source I purchased the kimono from, represent "Wealth and Congratulations".

There are two external pockets which are accented with custom dupioni silk. They are lined with the Kanji silk fabric. As an embellishment, there is a ceramic fan dangling above the Geisha. It is for decoration only.

The straps on this bag are lined with fleece for structure and comfort. They are of the Kanji fabric also. They are 16" long making Tamiko a wristlet.

The interior of this bag is lined with more of the Kanji fabric. However there is a lush surprise inside. To line the pockets I used a red tone-on-tone silk fabric from yet another vintage kimono. It is a beautiful fabric. Almost too lovely to have hidden on the inside of a bag!

This bag easily goes from day to evening. The richness of the Platinum silk dresses Tamiko up exquisitely. But the casualness of the Kanji fabric makes her go just as well with a pair of jeans. I can imagine a gal carrying this bag while wearing dressy indigo denim jeans and red heels!

Tamiko was born on Thursday, May 1st making her a Taurus. She is thoughtful and sensitive to others feelings. Her friendship is valued by any who meet her.

Niko

I spent a glorious day locked in my CLEAN sewing studio yesterday! I got a lot done and felt very inspired for some reason. I began making a new Geisha bag on some golden silk. I was going to make my standard wristlet but half way into the process I changed a few things and....10 hours later...(ugh) Geisha Niko was born! It is a roomier bag that slips over the shoulder (for all you shoulder bag gals). My inspiration for this bag was the design of a kimono. I have incorporated details that I feel represent the details on a kimono, from the "wrapped" front panels, the beautiful silk fabrics and more! Niko has a machine embroidery on her front side of a Geisha holding a fan. After machine embroidering, I hand beaded detailing on the fan and hair ornaments. There is a hidden front pocket behind the Geisha. It is accented with custom black silk piping and lined with a very expensive ($30/yd) obi fabric with black, red and gold colors woven into the design. For the sides, bottom and back of the bag I used black dupioni silk and made matching piping to outline the whole bag. The pocket on Niko's backside is of the same obi fabric and is made to represent the striking obi that would be on a beautiful kimono. The lining is actually the silk lining I took out of a kimono I purchased from Kanazawa, Japan. It is black with red wavy stripes and occasional bundles of flowers and leaves tossed upon it. The fabric is very textural as well. There is a 7" zipped pocket on the interior. The pocket is lined with black silk fabric from another kimono. It has a tone on tone print of fans which adds an unexpected touch. As a closure, I made a small flap of the obi fabric and lined it with the dupioni. A gold-toned magnetic snap is added for security. The handle is made from combining two black tassled silk cords and attaching them to gold-toned rings at the top of the side panels.

This bag is very elegant. I am trying to decide if I will keep it myself!

Niko was born on April 10 making her an Aries. She loves to shop but prefers boutiques over malls any day. She may be spotted having lunch at a sidewalk cafe and nibbling on finger sandwiches with a glass of iced tea (ocha)nearby.