Big in Japan-Trip Preparation
I am headed out for a 10 day trip to Japan this Wednesday. My daughter has been finishing her last year of university in Kobe and staying with a host family there. she has a minor in Asian studies.
Big in Japan is a fun song from the 80’s by Alphaville. It’s one of the worst music videos ever; complete with Robin Hood sort of outfits that don’t really have much to do with Japan, as far as I can see. See it here. We hum it around here because I am 6’2″ and going to the land of 5′ people. I’m guessing I won’t exactly blend in.
Right now, I am trying to get gifts together for Ashley’s host family. The Japanese have a somewhat complicated ritual of gift giving. Here’s what I know: gifts from/related to your geographical location are appreciated. The presentation is really important, too. I will wrap my presents in hand dyed fabric to try to make them extra special.
I am from Chicago, so I am bringing them a book on Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. I am also making a hand dyed scarf for my daughter’s host mother. Apparently she wears very plain, dark clothing, so I am trying to do something pretty subdued. I started by dyeing silk scarves blue grey and screened them with vat dye solution. Here are the results form the vat dyeing. They will probably get a layer of fabric paint before they are complete.
Here’s a picture. I am having a hard time getting the colors true because the silk is so reflective. I barely got any haloing on these-too bad. She wants plain, so I won’t add another design layer, but may screen some paint to make the effect more monochromatic.
Hand Dyed Scarves by Tracy McCabe Stewart
