Stitched by Hand

Hand stitching on a Kimono 

I remember my grandma used to make kimonos for my sister and I.
They were all made by hand.
She sits on tatami floor with a small shoulder bend and slowly slowly stitches the kimono materials together.
It looks like she was treating the kimono very carefully much like holding a child.
Each stitch was so perfectly sewn and I clearly remember the routine of her hand stitches. It took forever.

Those kimonos were made for special occasions.
All kimonos that my grandma made have been kept in a Japanese wardrobe in my home for many many years.
I think they may have been stained by now.
When those kimonos were pulled out, she used to unstitch them and wash.
Then she used to stitch back again.
It's the most inefficient way, but I now think it's beautiful.
When I recently bought some vintage kimonos from Japan, those immaculate hand stitches remind me of my grandma.
When she was sewing kimonos she must have been thinking about someone that she loves and spent her day lost in thought and memory.

The aching slowness of time, seems to have gone so fast.