Japan is a rapidly developing country with the preservation of centuries-old foundations and traditions. She is mysterious, unique and very creative. Here, many ancient handicraft techniques are still used today, and the finished products are not only attractive, but also carry a deep symbolic meaning. Some of the techniques are similar to classic ones, widespread throughout the world, some have no analogues, but are still popular, and some have remained in demand only within their homeland.

Amigurumi

This type of Japanese needlework cannot be confused with another, despite the fact that, in essence, it is simple crocheting of toys. However, there are several main nuances here:

• The products are miniature, usually their size ranges from 2 to 8 cm.
• The knitting density is very high. In order to achieve this result, you need to choose a smaller hook than required by the threads.
• The product is knitted in a spiral using simple single crochets.
• Classic amigurumi are distinguished by disproportion - they have a large head and a small body. Although lately they have taken on more proportional shapes.
• Threads should be smooth, with a minimum amount of protruding fibers. Ideally, use cotton or silk threads.

Kanzashi

Initially, kanzashi were the name given to traditional long hair clips that were used to secure geisha hairstyles. Since a kimono does not imply wearing bracelets and necklaces, it was the hairpins that began to be decorated, mainly with hand-made flowers and butterflies from silk and satin. Over time, the appearance of the kanzashi began to demonstrate to others not only the skills of the needlewoman, but also her social status and financial situation. Many Japanese girls could decorate their hair with many hairpins, turning their head into a flower bed. Today, kanzashi is a type of Japanese needlework, which is a technique for creating flowers from satin ribbons. The main features of such flowers are that all the petals are obtained by adding basic shapes - square, triangle, circle, rectangle, and the petal is fixed and fixed to the product using fire or glue.

Temari

This Japanese handicraft technique involves embroidery on balls. Its origin is China, but it gained particular popularity in Japan. Initially, balls were made in this way, fixing the round shape with threads; later they began to be decorated by jugglers to attract the attention of the public, as well as by mothers for small children. Later, this technique moved into the applied arts section and became popular among noble needlewomen. They used unnecessary things, yarn, wooden blanks as a basis; now they use ping-pong balls or foam balls. This base is first wrapped with thick yarn, creating a layer that will be embroidered, and then wrapped with thin threads on top to fix the position of the yarn and level the surface of the ball. Then you need to make marks: top point, bottom point, “equator”, after which additional longitudinal and transverse markings are made. The ball ready for embroidery should look like a globe. The more complex the drawing, the more auxiliary lines there should be. The embroidery itself is a satin stitch with long stitches that cover the surface of the ball. They can intertwine and cross each other, giving the surface the desired appearance.

Mizuhiki

This technique is a distant relative of macrame; it involves knitting knots. There are three features here:

1. Paper cord is used for knitting.
2. The finished product can consist of several or just one unit.
3. Each node has its own meaning.

There are a great many knots, even the most experienced master does not remember half of them by heart. They are used when packing gifts, things or as a talisman. In Japan, there is a certain language of knots, thanks to which, by giving, for example, a fish using this technique, you can wish good luck, wealth and prosperity, and a book, the packaging of which is fixed with a beautiful knot, can become a wish for wisdom and happiness. Often the gift is primarily the knot, and not what it is tied to. In this way you can congratulate you on your wedding, wish you health, offer condolences, and so on. Simple knots of this Japanese handicraft are quite easy to knit, but it is worth remembering that all repeated elements must be the same size, otherwise the meaning will be distorted, so the main requirements here will be attentiveness, developed fine motor skills and a good eye.

Kinusaiga

Japanese handicraft using this technique involves creating panels from scraps. The basis of such products are wooden boards, onto which a pattern is first applied, and then grooves are cut along its contour. Initially, old kimonos were used for this technique, which were cut into small shreds and covered with each element of the panel, tucking the edges of the fabric into the cut grooves. In this way, a patchwork picture was obtained, but, unlike patchwork, threads and needles are not used here.

Now this technique is gaining popularity all over the world, you can find both ready-made kits and simple patterns for creating such panels, and their complexity varies from very simple ones, consisting of several patches, and even children can make pictures, to very complex ones. In such paintings, the design elements can be only a few millimeters in size, and the color palette of the scraps used is so wide that the finished product can be confused with a painting painted with paints. Instead of a wooden base, cardboard from boxes, glued in several layers, is increasingly being used. This greatly facilitates cutting out the contours of the design, but at the same time it is not particularly convenient to work with, since in the process of fitting the elements there is a risk of crushing the top layer of cardboard, which will lead to disruption of the fixation of the edge of the flap and, consequently, general deformation of the product.

1. Each element of the drawing must have a closed outline.
2. The background also needs to be divided into elements.
3. The finer the details of the drawing and the wider the palette of patches, the more beautiful and realistic the finished panel will be.

Teriman

This type of Japanese needlework is very close to the Russian people due to its similarity with the manufacture of protective dolls - egg pods and herbalists. They are also bags made in the shape of people, animals and flowers, but they are smaller in size - about 5-9 cm. They were used to scent rooms, clean linen or as perfume. Now theremen are miniature soft toys, intended more for interior decoration than for play. Some needlewomen still add grass inside, but now mixing it with a synthetic filler. The main difficulty in creating these products is their size. Small parts are quite difficult to sew and turn inside out, so working with this technique requires perseverance, accuracy and well-developed fine motor skills.

Furoshiki

Japanese handicraft made from fabric of different sizes, aimed at packing and carrying things. To be more precise, this is a whole art. Using one piece of fabric and several knots, you can create different types of bags, backpacks, carrying heavy purchases and packaging for gifts. Moreover, they look very attractive and can harmoniously complement any image. The standard size of the material is a square with a side of 75 cm, but it is also possible to use other sizes suitable for a particular case. Furoshiki is perhaps the most practical type of Japanese needlework. Bags can be shaped depending on fashion trends, and when the material gets tired or loses its attractiveness, it can be used for household needs or in other types of handicrafts.

Kumihimo

Cord braiding is of great importance in Japan. This technique has a centuries-old history, and the translation literally sounds like “shifting threads.” Laces, and, accordingly, machines for their production, come in two types:

• Round. The machine looks like a large wooden reel. The threads are wound onto bobbins and laid out in a circle in a specific color order. Then they begin to shift in a circle. Depending on the type of lace, the pitch can be 1.2 threads, 170°, etc.
• Flat. The machine has the shape of a right angle, the master is located between its beams, on which the threads are fixed.

However, it is not necessary to use a special machine; for example, to weave a round cord, a cardboard circle with notches on the outside and a hole in the center is enough.

Such laces were made for fastening armor, clothing items, for hair and other items, and the colors, order, and even the situations when the lace was presented had a special symbolic meaning. Now this type of Japanese handicraft is actively used to create bracelets, keychains, pendants and other jewelry.

Sashiko

The Japanese technique of stitching layers of old fabric to create warmer clothing in poor neighborhoods has evolved into embroidery, retaining only the appearance and symbolism of the design. Classic embroidery is done on a dark blue canvas with white threads. It differs from ordinary embroidery in that the lines here are broken, the distances between stitches are equal to the length of the stitch. The complexity of the sashiko technique is difficult to overestimate; not only should all stitches be small and identical, but they should not intersect; there should always be an equal distance between them. Today, other colors of warp and threads are used, and multi-colored embroidery is also found, but this is a more European variation that does not have exactly Japanese originality.

Anesama

This Japanese paper craft was intended for children's play. A blank doll was prepared, which consisted of a white circle of the head, black hair made of paper (a circle at the back, a semicircle with a straight side cut for bangs in the front) and a wooden flat stick instead of the body. Then it was wrapped in beautiful paper, imitating a kimono. Girls loved to play with these dolls, easily changing outfits and sometimes hairstyles. A feature of the toys was the absence of a face, just like on Russian protective dolls. Products using the anesama technique are very easy to create; the base can be made of cardboard, and expensive Japanese paper can be replaced with ordinary colored paper, beautiful thick napkins or bright magazine pages.

Shibori

Handicrafts in Japan do not always have their own roots; for example, this technique was borrowed from India, but it gained recognition first in Japan and then conquered the whole world. Its essence lies in a peculiar coloring of the fabric. Unlike the classic one, where the fabric is simply dipped into a vat of dye, here it is pre-twisted, folded or tied, after which the dye is applied. It can be one or more colors. After this, the fabric is dried, straightened and completely dried. The dye gets only into the upper, accessible layers, without touching those located in the nodes and folds. In this way, all kinds of ornaments, decorative patterns and color transitions arise. Now you can find many items of clothing - jeans, T-shirts, scarves, dyed using this technique.

One of the uses of Japanese shibori handicraft is to create jewelry. To do this, the silk fabric is crimped, and then the upper folds are dyed. Such tapes can also be bought in a store, but their cost is quite high due to the fact that all the materials used in production are natural and the work is handmade. With the help of such ribbons in combination with beads and stones, you can create quite voluminous, but at the same time almost weightless products that will become a worthy decoration for an evening look.

There is nothing more heartwarming than a handmade gift. Japanese handicraft opens up great opportunities in creating a unique product that will not only decorate the interior, but will also be filled with a certain meaning. And the Japanese penchant for creating miniature things will allow you to make a unique thing from a small amount of material, as well as give a second, and maybe a third life to unnecessary scraps and threads.

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Traditional types of Japanese needlework: amirugumi, sashiko, kumihimo, terimen, temari, kanzashi and others

Japan is an amazing country, one of the few that not only honors, but also carefully preserves its traditions and customs. In previous articles, we have already told our readers about such types of needlework as origami and oshie, and today, in continuation of this topic, we will consider some more types of traditional Japanese needlework: sashiko, kumihimo, mizuhiki, furoshiki, terimen, kinusaiga, furoshiki, temari, kanzashi, amigurumi.

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Japanese art of sashiko embroidery

Sashiko is an elegant, but at the same time simple Japanese needlework, somewhat similar to patchwork. Sashiko is a kind of hand embroidery. The word “sashiko” is translated from Japanese as “small puncture”, which fully characterizes the technique of making stitches. Sashiko patterns were originally used exclusively for insulation and quilting of clothing: women of poor classes folded leaky fabric in several layers and stitched it using the sashiko technique, thus obtaining a warm quilted material. Today, the Japanese sashiko technique is widely used for decorative purposes.

Sashiko has a number of distinctive principles and features. The fabric and threads should be contrasting: the traditional color of the fabric is indigo, dark blue, the thread is white. Japanese craftsmen often used a combination of white and black colors. However, at present, not all masters strictly adhere to these color palette combinations. Sashiko stitches should be the same size, and the spacing between stitches should ideally be even. At the intersections of the ornament, the stitches should not intersect; there should always be some distance between them.

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Kumihimo shoelace weaving

Kumihimo is one of the oldest types of shoelace weaving. In Japanese, "kumi" means "folding" and "himo" means "threads". Laces made using the kumihimo technique were very functional: they were used to make fastenings for samurai weapons, and were used to tie armor on horses and heavy objects. Kumihimo was also used for decorative purposes: for tying obi (kimono belts) and wrapping gifts.

Mostly kumihimo laces are made on machines. There are two types of machines for weaving kumihimo - marudai and takadai. When using the first, round cords are obtained, while when using the second, flat cords are obtained.

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The art of tying mizuhiki cords

Mizuhiki is another thriving type of Japanese arts and crafts that is very similar in technology to macrame weaving, but in a more miniature and graceful version. In other words, mizuhiki is the art of tying various knots from cords, resulting in patterns of stunning beauty. The scope of mizuhiki is varied: letters, cards, gift wrapping, handbags and even hairstyles. However, mizuhiki became widespread precisely thanks to gift wrapping.

There are such a great variety of knots and compositions in mizuhiki that not every Japanese can boast of knowing them. Along with this, there are also basic knots that almost everyone knows in Japan and is traditionally used to congratulate a birthday, wedding, admission to university, etc.

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Japanese fabric figurines terimen

Terimen is an ancient type of needlework that originated in Japan during late feudalism. The essence of this decorative and applied art is the creation of small toy figures from fabric, most often in the form of plants and animals. Terimen is a purely female type of needlework; men in Japan do not do it.

In the 17th century, a new direction, terimen, appeared in Japan - the production of decorative bags filled with aromatic substances. Such bags were used to scent linen and were also worn as perfume. Today, theremin figurines are most often used as decorative elements for decorating the interiors of houses.

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Kinusaiga silk paintings

Japanese handicraft Kinusaiga combines several techniques at the same time: applique, patchwork, mosaic and wood carving. To create kinusaiga paintings, they first make a sketch on paper and then transfer it to a wooden board. After this, indentations are made on the board along the contour of the drawing - something like grooves.

Then an old silk kimono is used, from which small shreds are cut, after which they fill the prepared recesses on the board. The result is a kinusaiga picture that amazes the viewer with its realistic beauty.

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Japanese art of furoshiki packaging

Furoshiki is one of the traditional types of Japanese art, the essence of which is a special technique of folding fabrics to create original gift wrappings. Initially, furoshiki was nothing more than a bath mat, which the Japanese used to wrap wet slippers and kimonos after going to the bathhouse.

Over time, the coarse furoshiki fabric was replaced with a thinner and softer material, which gradually began to be used as a bag, wrapping personal items or gifts in it. It was then that furoshiki turned into useful, beautiful and original packaging.

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Temari ball embroidery art

Temari is an ancient Japanese applied art of embroidering balls, which has many adherents around the world. Despite the fact that temari is considered to be a Japanese type of needlework, its homeland is China, but temari was brought to Japan no more than 600 years ago. The first temari served as children's toys, they were made from the remains of old kimonos, and only after the invention of rubber was temari elevated to the rank of art.

As a gift, temari symbolizes devotion and friendship; moreover, there is a belief that these decorative balls can bring happiness and good luck. In Japan, a temari professional is considered to be a person who has completed four levels of skill, for which he needs to study for about 6 years and weave about 150 balls.

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Japanese fabric kanzashi flowers

Kanzashi is a traditional Japanese hair accessory, and the technology for making kanzashi is somewhat reminiscent of origami, only instead of paper they use fabric (most often satin ribbon). In Japanese culture, kanzashi is a whole trend that appeared more than four centuries ago. In those days, women styled their hair in bizarre and unusual shapes, using combs and kanzashi pins. Somewhat later, kanzashi became an original attribute of Japanese costumes, because local traditions did not allow the use of necklaces and wrist jewelry.

It should be noted that Japanese culture takes into account everything, down to the pattern, fabric and color, which is why there are many varieties of kanzashi. Every Japanese woman, depending on her age, status and even the time of year, chooses her own kanzashi. For example, if an unmarried girl can put a very large amount of kanzashi on her head, then for married ladies such an abundance is simply unacceptable; for them, wearing one or two flowers will be enough.

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Japanese knitted amigurumi toys

Translated from Japanese, amigurumi means “knitted-wrapped” and is another type of Japanese needlework that involves knitting or crocheting small (5-10 cm) humanoid creatures, cute little animals, and inanimate objects. Amigurumi is usually knitted in a spiral using a crochet hook or slightly smaller knitting needles than dictated by the chosen yarn. This is done so that the knitting is tight, without holes or gaps through which the padding material could peek out.

Most often, Japanese amigurumi toys consist of several parts that are interconnected, but there are also completely solid designs. Filling materials for such crafts include: cotton wool, padding polyester, foam rubber and holofiber. The most common method of knitting amigurumi, as Positive Repair notes, is spiral knitting - this method is called the “amigurumi ring”.

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Japan is an amazing country, which very carefully honors and preserves its customs and traditions. Japanese handicraft just as diverse and amazing. In this article, the main handicraft arts, whose homeland is Japan - amigurumi, kanzashi, temari, mizuhiki, oshie, kinusaiga, terimen, furoshiki, kumihimo, sashiko. You've probably heard about some types, maybe you yourself have started creating using this technique, some are not so popular outside of Japan itself. A distinctive feature of Japanese handicraft is accuracy, patience and perseverance, although... most likely these traits can be attributed to world handicraft).

Amigurumi - Japanese knitted toys

Japanese kanzashi - fabric flowers

Temari - the ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls

In the photo there are temari balls (Author of embroidery: Kondakova Larisa Aleksandrovna)

- the ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls, which has won many fans all over the world. True, Temari’s homeland is China; this handicraft was brought to Japan about 600 years ago. Initially temari were made for children using the remains of old ones; with the invention of rubber, braiding balls began to be considered a decorative and applied art. Temari As a gift, they symbolize friendship and devotion, and there is also a belief that they bring good luck and happiness. In Japan, a temari professional is considered to be a person who has passed 4 levels of skill; to do this, you need to weave 150 temari balls and study for about 6 years!

Another thriving type of Japanese applied art, its technology is reminiscent of macrame weaving, but more elegant and miniature.

So what is it mizuhiki- this art of tying various knots from cords, as a result of which stunningly beautiful patterns are created, has its roots in the 18th century.

The scope of application is also varied - cards, letters, hairstyles, handbags, gift wrapping. By the way, it is thanks to gift wrapping mizuhiki have become widespread. After all, gifts are given for every event in a person’s life. There is such a huge number of knots and compositions in mizuhiki that not even every Japanese knows them all by heart; along with this, there are also the most common basic knots that are used to congratulate the birth of a child, for a wedding, funeral, birthday or admission to university.

- Japanese handmade on creating three-dimensional paintings from cardboard and fabric or paper using appliqué technology. This type of needlework is very popular in Japan; here in Russia it has not yet become particularly widespread, although learning how to create paintings using oshie technique very simple. To create oshie paintings, you need Japanese washi paper (which is based on the fibers of mulberry, gampi, mitsumata and a number of other plants), fabrics, cardboard, batting, glue, and scissors.

The use of Japanese materials - fabric and paper in this form of art is fundamental, because washi paper, for example, in its properties resembles fabric, and, therefore, is stronger and more flexible than ordinary paper. As for the fabric, the fabric from which it is sewn is used. Of course, Japanese craftswomen did not specifically buy new fabric for oshie; they gave their old kimonos a new life, using it to create paintings. Traditionally, osie paintings depicted children in national costumes and scenes from fairy tales.

Before you start working, you need to choose a design for the painting, such that all its elements have a finished, clear look, all the lines should be closed, like in a children's coloring book. Briefly, the technology for creating oshie is as follows: each cardboard element of the design is wrapped in fabric, and batting is first glued onto the cardboard. The batting gives volume to the painting.

combined several techniques at once: wood carving, patchwork, applique, mosaic. To create a kinusaiga picture, you first need to make a sketch on paper, then transfer it to a wooden board. Indentations, a kind of grooves, are made on the board along the contour of the design. After that, small shreds are cut from an old silk kimono, which then fill the cut grooves on the board. The resulting picture of kinusaiga amazes with its beauty and realism.

- Japanese art of folding fabric, the history of its appearance and the main methods of packaging in this technique can be read. Using this technique for packaging is beautiful, profitable, and convenient. And on the Japanese computer market there is a new trend - laptops packaged in the style Furoshiki. Agree, very original!

(Chirimen craft) - antique japanese handicraft, which originated in the era of late Japanese feudalism. The essence of this arts and crafts is the creation of toy figures from fabric, mainly the embodiment of animals and plants. This is a purely female type of needlework; Japanese men are not supposed to do it. In the 17th century, one of the directions of “terimen” was the production of decorative bags into which aromatic substances were placed, worn with oneself (like perfume) or used to scent fresh linen (a kind of Sachet). Currently theremen figurines used as decorative elements in the interior of the house. To create terimen figures, you don’t need any special preparation; all you need is fabric, scissors and a lot of patience.

- one of the most ancient types of lace weaving, the first mentions date back to the year 50. Translated from Japanese kumi - folding, himo - threads (folding threads). Laces were used both for functional purposes - fastening samurai weapons, tying armor on horses, tying together heavy objects, and for decorative purposes - tying a kimono (obi) belt, wrapping gifts. Weave kumihimo laces mainly on machines, there are two types, takadai and marudai, when using the first, flat cords are obtained, while when using the second, round cords are obtained.

- simple and elegant japanese handicraft, somewhat similar to patchwork. Sashiko- This is a simple and at the same time exquisite hand embroidery. Translated from Japanese, the word “sashiko” means “small puncture”, which fully characterizes the technique of making stitches. The literal translation from Japanese of the word “sashiko” means “great luck, happiness.” This ancient embroidery technique owes its appearance to... the poverty of rural residents of Japan. Unable to replace old, worn clothes with new ones (fabric was very expensive in those days), they came up with a way to “restore” them using embroidery. Initially, sashiko patterns were used for quilting and insulating clothing; poor women folded worn fabric in several layers and joined it using the sashiko technique, thus creating one warm quilted jacket. Currently, sashiko is widely used for decorative purposes. Traditionally, patterns were embroidered on fabrics of dark, mostly blue, tones using white thread. It was believed that clothing embroidered with symbolic designs protected against evil spirits.

Basic principles of sashiko:
Contrast of fabric and thread - traditional fabric color is dark blue, indigo, thread color is white, a combination of black and white colors was often used. Nowadays, of course, the color palette is not strictly adhered to.
The stitches should never intersect at the intersections of the ornament; there should be a distance between them.
The stitches should be the same size, the distance between them should also not be uneven.

For this type of embroidery, a special needle is used (similar to a sewing machine needle). The desired design is applied to the fabric and then a needle and thread are inserted; a small loop should remain on the inside. This embroidery is characterized by speed of work; the difficulty lies only in the ability to apply strokes and mix colors. Entire pictures are embroidered this way, the main thing is to choose the threads to get a realistic drawing. The threads used for work are not quite ordinary ones - it is a special “cord” that unravels during work and due to this, a very beautiful and unusual stitch is obtained.

- translated from Japanese kusuri (medicine) and tama (ball), literally “medicine ball”. The art of kusudama comes from ancient Japanese traditions where kusudama was used for incense and a mixture of dried petals. In general, kusudama is a paper ball consisting of a large number of modules folded from a square sheet of paper (symbolizing flowers).

: sashiko, kumihimo, mizuhiki, furoshiki, terimen, kinusaiga, furoshiki, temari, kanzashi, amigurumi.

Japanese art of sashiko embroidery

Sashiko is an elegant, but at the same time simple Japanese, somewhat similar to patchwork. Sashiko is a kind of hand embroidery. The word “sashiko” is translated from Japanese as “small puncture”, which fully characterizes the technique of making stitches. Sashiko patterns were originally used exclusively for insulation and quilting of clothing: women of poor classes folded leaky fabric in several layers and stitched it using the sashiko technique, thus obtaining a warm quilted material. Today, the Japanese sashiko technique is widely used for decorative purposes.

Kumihimo shoelace weaving

Kumihimo is one of the oldest types of laces. In Japanese, "kumi" means "folding" and "himo" means "threads". Laces made using the kumihimo technique were very functional: they were used to make fastenings for samurai weapons, and were used to tie armor on horses and heavy objects. Kumihimo was also used for decorative purposes: for tying obi (kimono belts) and wrapping gifts.

The art of tying mizuhiki cords

Mizuhiki is another thriving type of Japanese, which in its technology is very similar, but in a more miniature and elegant version. In other words, mizuhiki is the art of tying various knots from cords, resulting in patterns of stunning beauty. The scope of mizuhiki is varied: letters, cards, gift wrapping, and even hairstyles. However, mizuhiki became widespread precisely thanks to gift wrapping.

Japanese fabric figurines terimen

Teriman- an ancient type of needlework that originated in Japan during late feudalism. The essence of this is to create small toy figures from fabric, most often in the form of plants and animals. Terimen is a purely female type of needlework; men in Japan do not do it.

Kinusaiga silk paintings

Japanese handicraft kinusaiga combined several techniques at the same time: appliqué, mosaic and wood carving. To create kinusaiga paintings, they first make a sketch on paper and then transfer it to a wooden board. After this, indentations are made on the board along the contour of the drawing - something like grooves.

Japanese art of furoshiki packaging

Furoshiki- one of the traditional types of Japanese, the essence of which lies in a special technique of folding fabrics to create original gift wrappings. Initially, furoshiki was nothing more than a bath mat, which the Japanese used to wrap wet slippers and kimonos after going to.

Temari ball embroidery art

Temari- an ancient Japanese technique for embroidering balls, which has many adherents all over the world. Despite the fact that temari is considered to be a Japanese type of needlework, its homeland is China, but temari was brought to Japan no more than 600 years ago. The first temari served as children's toys, they were made from the remains of old kimonos, and only after the invention of rubber was temari elevated to the rank of art.

Japanese fabric kanzashi flowers

Kanzashi is a traditional Japanese hair technique, and the technology for making kanzashi is somewhat reminiscent of origami, only instead of paper they use fabric (most often satin ribbon). In Japanese culture, kanzashi is a whole trend that appeared more than four centuries ago. In those days, women styled their hair in bizarre and unusual shapes, using combs and kanzashi pins. Somewhat later, kanzashi became an original attribute of Japanese costumes, because local traditions did not allow the use of necklaces and wrist jewelry.

Japanese knitted amigurumi toys

Translated from Japanese amigurumi means “knitted-wrapped” and is another type of Japanese needlework that involves knitting or crocheting small (5-10 cm) humanoid creatures and inanimate objects. Amigurumi is usually knitted in a spiral using a crochet hook or slightly smaller knitting needles than dictated by the chosen yarn. This is done so that the knitting is tight, without holes or gaps through which the padding material could peek out.

Review of the most popular types of Japanese needlework (embroidery, sashiko, kanzashi, temari, bunka).

Japan is a country of mysteries and unique culture, cherry blossoms blooming in spring and chrysanthemums blooming in autumn. It so happened historically that for a long time Japan remained a “closed” state (until the 60s of the 19th century, trade with other countries was prohibited in Japan). However, perhaps it was thanks to this that the “land of the rising sun” was able to preserve its cultural values ​​and traditions. We will talk about some types of traditional Japanese crafts and handicrafts further.

The beauty of Japanese kimonos, decorated with intricate embroidery, is truly mesmerizing. Craftswomen embroider with satin stitch, the so-called “drawing stitch,” luxurious patterns depicting birds, butterflies, chrysanthemum flowers, cherries and plums.

It is not surprising that such embroidered silk kimonos are very expensive. In past times, by the way, conclusions were drawn about a person’s financial situation based on the quality of fabric and embroidery. Embroidering with silk is very difficult, which is why craftsmen who have the skills to embroider with silk threads are highly valued.

Sashiko

The literal translation from Japanese of the word “sashiko” means “great luck, happiness.” This ancient embroidery technique owes its appearance to... the poverty of rural residents of Japan. Unable to replace old, worn clothes with new ones (fabric was very expensive in those days), they came up with a way to “restore” them using embroidery.

Traditionally, patterns were embroidered on fabrics of dark, mostly blue, tones using white thread. It was believed that clothing embroidered with symbolic designs protected against evil spirits.

Bunka

For this type of embroidery, a special needle is used (similar to a sewing machine needle). The desired design is applied to the fabric and then a needle and thread are inserted; a small loop should remain on the inside.

This embroidery is fast, the difficulty lies only in the ability to apply strokes and mix colors. Entire pictures are embroidered this way, the main thing is to choose the threads to get a realistic drawing. The threads used for work are not quite ordinary ones - it is a special “cord” that unravels during work and due to this, a very beautiful and unusual stitch is obtained.

Temari

In very distant times, Chinese mothers and grandmothers used old worn kimonos to make tightly rolled balls for their children to play foot ball - kemari. Around the 8th century, kemari came to Japan, where they were very popular with the ladies of the court.

Beauties of noble birth played, tossing the ball from hand to hand. And soon they developed another hobby: embroidering balls (now they were called temari - “princess ball”) with silk or even gold threads.

Over time, ball embroidery evolved into a folk art, with each Japanese province having its own distinctive motifs and patterns. Today, numerous Temari fans around the world do not need a translation from Chinese or Japanese: silk-embroidered balls given as a sign of friendship will tell everything without words.

Kanzashi

Charming silk kanzashi - hairpins and combs for decorating the head - traditionally serve as an elegant addition to the kimono. “Hana kanzashi” - hairpins with floral decorations made of fabric - have gained particular popularity.

Making them is not entirely easy: you need to fold small pieces of fabric in a special way and sew them together. Previously, by the way a woman’s head was decorated, one could judge her marital status and social status. Modern Japanese women still wear such jewelry today, but more often if it is required by their profession (for example, geisha) or worn for a wedding.