Sayonara Party: July 7, 2008 - 7:00 PM at the Weinstein's 

MINI KIMONO SHOW/SALE USING WASHI PAPER 
 Wednesday, July 3 - thru Sunday, August 10

1006 pine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 tel 215.592.4010

MINI-KIMONO JUST LIKE A REAL FABRIC KIMONO ONLY SMALLER, FRAMED AND MADE FROM "WASHI," JAPANESE HANDMADE PAPER

by
ROSELLA "PAT" PECK

SHOW/SALE

Pat Peck , a "WASHI" artist, has taken a traditional Japanese folk art and created finely crafted, truly unique wall hangings to accent and oriental or contemporary decor 
 
WHAT IS WASHI?
 Along with kimonos and lacquer ware, washi, or Japanese handmade paper has been long one of the most fascinating traditional crafts of Japan. Generally, washi conjures up quaint images of Japanese paper dolls or shoji sliding doors in a typical Japanese home, but washi has been used in a number of ways before the
Heian Period (794-1185).

 The actual techniques for creating washi were borrowed from China. Nowadays, most washi is machine-made, in a variety of forms and colors. It is a labor intensive process that can only be carried out in extremely cold temperatures. The cold temperatures are important for various reasons. First, the raw fibers, bound together in strips, are laid out in the snow for one week to whiten naturally. They are turned daily. Once whitened, they are washed in cold water. The final product of this labor intensive process is extremely strong and durable.
 Washi was originally used in Japan in kites, shoji doors/windows, but other uses, such as paper dolls and orgami (Japanese paper folding art) were also common.
 Pat Peck uses washi in the orgami process to create beautiful "paper-folded" one-of-kind kimono art?which are framed elegantly in variety of sizes, styles and colors?- unique wall hangings for any oriental, contemporary or traditional decor.