Have you ever heard of the word, wanderlust? The word is rooted in wander and lust in German, which most likely means one’s desire to travel. A famous Edo-period Haiku poet, Matsuo Basho once wrote in his Narrow Road to the Interior, “Beckoned by the guardian spirits of the road, I am too anxious to settle down,” expressing an urgent desire to go on a journey, and wanderlust must express a similar feeling.

This wanderlust is a fabric series created by an American designer, Thomas Knauer. While the destination was not Tohoku like Basho, the memories from Knauer’s trip to England with his daughter were the theme of this design. A quilt artist and author of a book on modern quilting, Knauer carefully thought out the designs and color combinations of the wanderlust for modern quilting, allowing any color to match with each other. The fabric is highly recommended for making items like a bag and a pillow. This material will turn even an easy patchwork piece into something very stylish.

fluttery　JG50600-600 Broadcloth｜Cotton 100%

A lily crest with a slightly edgy look is softened by the placement of the butterflies within. A solid shaped bag created with this tasteful design will be great for a nice outing.

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Lighthearted

Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty

The featured textile is FABRIC CARAVAN BY YURTAO, designed by textile designer, Momoko Kinoshita, from YURTAO, a brand that uses original textiles for its clothing and bags.

Kinoshita has traveled to so many places to encounter different kinds of fabrics. This series is filled with the scenes and moments that touched her during these trips.

She says, “The beauty of ethnic costumes and textiles come from the time and effort that were put into creating these pieces, unlike the products made in a capitalist society. A good example is a wedding costume – years are spent on spinning threads, dying, weaving and embroidering just to create a piece of textile. Additionally, the traditional patterns and designs born from nature are passed down from generation to generation, like from a mother to a child.

Regardless of country or region, from olden days people have used their imagination inspired by nature and reflected in the textiles. These universal and powerful pieces make us realize the instincts of humans that are passed down from the days when people were more associated with nature. The falling rain, layering leaves, growing vines, flowing waters and shining sun are all part of nature’s activities.

My motto in fabric creation is to simply express the things that are taken for granted, yet are important. Like the ladies I saw that day, standing in the green terraced field in pink ethnic costumes, I placed importance on the vividness of the color that stands out from the surrounding scenery.
I hope to share these special moments with people who choose FABRIC CARAVAN, the moment that touched my heart from my trips.”

TSUKI TO AME　JG50700-1　Cotton Linen Canvas

The mountains, moon and rain are all layered to create the design. This is an arranged version of YURUTAO’s popular standard designs.
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Trefle Sparkle

Trefle Sparkle

Monochrome 2