Japanese Narrow Width Cotton Fabric – Yukata cloth When you visit a hot spring or traditional bath in Japan, you are often given a lightweight cotton robe called a yukata to wear to and from the bath.  It is made of very soft, absorbent cotton and is often printed with the name of the hotel or hot springs establishment. We are pleased to carry yukata fabric, although we’re not using it to make yukata.  It’s actually a great fabric for learning stitched resist shibori and other shibori techniques.  The fabric makes very crisp and distinct designs when used for stitched … Read more

Japanese Narrow Width Cotton Fabric – Tenugui Hand Towel Cloth Tenugui is a plain weave cotton towel with unhemmed edges used to wipe the hands or as a handkerchief. It is usually 13 inches by 36 inches.  It’s a very simple textile dating back 1300 years and can be used as a towel, handkerchief, head covering, and other uses. The raw edges are part of its charm, as it enables the lightweight textile to dry quickly. When I was traveling in Japan this spring, there were entire shops dedicated to beautifully printed tenugui, and I succumbed to tenugui acquisition fever … Read more