A Repurposed Bolt of Repaired Crepe Silk Shibori: Stitched Pieces, Repairs and Flaws

mid twentieth century
approximately 11 yards x 13 1/4", 10 m x 33.5 cm

This is a long piece of chirmen or crepe silk that has been dyed in the itajime shibori method.  The "bolt" is in fact a deconstructed garment--probably a kimono-shaped under garment--that has been taken apart and quickly stitched back together again to form a bolt of sorts.

The stitching is quickly done. The silk, as can be seen in the accompanying photos, is flawed by some small holes, some stitched mending and some patches; these imperfections can be viewed as charming and they dot the entire length of this long piece of cloth.

The silk is a cool, pale butter color and the shibori dye is more than likely a very nice, synthetic dye in a red color.