Cotton & Indigo from Japan

by Teresa Duryea Wong

More than 300 colorful photos and behind-the-scenes details reveal the fascinating story of Japan's cotton and indigo, and their enormous contribution to fiber arts worldwide. Learn how Japan and its top fabric designers, quilters, scientists, and artists combinetradition and high tech to weave the thread, fabrics, and stunningdesigns that are so coveted in today's fiber art world. Take a tour of Japan's elite textile printing mills to understand why Japan is considered the world's finest producer of quilting cotton. Learn where all this cotton comes from, and its close connection to another prized plant, indigo. Dozens of beautiful fabric designs and quilts by Shizuko Kuroha, Keiko Goke, Yoshiko Jinzenji, Yoko Saito, and others are featured, as well as cotton and indigo folk textiles through the ages. This journey gives a deeper understanding of the connection between contemporary textile art and Japan's cotton, indigo, and traditions.

160 pages, Hardcover

Published August 28, 2017

Reviews

[Jessie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book full of beautiful photographs. History of fabrics of Japan is in depth but easy to read and understand for even a beginning student of fabric or lay people like myself. I was in awe of the methods used to make the different fabric. There are pictures of everything which greatly help the reader picture what is being described. I loved all the pictures of quilts and other fabric uses. There is also information about how things are made (and pictures to accompany the information of course). This is a detailed book. Great. I received a digital copy from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book extremely interesting, covering all aspects of Japanese fabric production, decoration and uses, in life both traditional and modern day. The indigo, boro and shibori chapters where particularly excellent, as all these techniques are very popular in the western world at present.
There is a chapters which takes a look at the modern quilting artist who are producing very "now" pieces.
The book is filled with fabulous photos and lots of examples - a must for anyone who is interested in cotton cloth art and how Japanese tradition is integrated in the process

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book about the history and use of cotton in Japan (some 600 years). Inextricably linked with Japanese cotton is of course Indigo, and the book takes an in-depth look at this too. Lavishly illustrated on every page, it covers everything the textile artist/historian/quilter might wish to know about the topic. I particularly liked the examples of historical garments, especially the beautiful and much-patched workers' clothing. The interviews with artisans, textile artists and designers were all interesting too. A lovely book!

[Eileen Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a recent convert to patchwork, I found this book very informative.
The history of Japanese quilts is fascinating and the methods used all those years ago are now being developed for modern Western tastes and markets.
A very useful reference book for anyone interested in quilts and quiltmaking.
Very highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Schiffer Publishing via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

[Marie Z Johansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

No real finish date as I will be enjoying this book for some time to come. It's beautifully done, beautifully illustrated and is highly informative.
❤️

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love loved it. So rich and wonderful. Great pictures, and stories of textiles and fabrics.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good pictures and layout and I like indigo.

[Sadie Forsythe]

I initially wrote a review that said, "Very cool book with gorgeous pictures and a lot of interesting history. I intend a deeper review in the future, but in the mean time, this is worth picking up if the subject interests you. I appreciate it as both an informative book and simply as a pretty coffee table book." But last night I got the chance to go through the book with my aunt, who is a big quilter and worked many years in a fabric shop, largely for the love of it. Hearing her ooh-and ahh, lovingly touch some of the photos, and tell me, "This is a great book, really thorough about the terminology and regionality." confirmed what I already knew. This is a book worth having.

[j e w e l s · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book to browse through, this is also an in-depth story of the historical importance of the cotton plant (mostly exported nowadays from Texas to Japan) and the native Japanese indigo plant. There are many artists introduced as well as all the various quilting techniques they employ in their textiles. Brightly vivid colors, muted blue and whites, and every hue in between are used in finished quilts and garments. This is a book for artists, textile historians and anyone looking for more in-depth research into Japan's lovely cotton and indigo textiles.