The joy of a spirit is the measure of its power.
~Ninon de Lenelos
I will keep the little pin close to me always, and to other people it will just look like a pretty flower, but to me it will be a part of my dad.
~Brenda Smith
The Art of KanzashiWelcome to my website! My name is Robyn and I create kanzashi, a form of wearable art. Kanzashi is the Japanese art of fabric folding, pinching and stitching to create floral forms that can be used in many ways. If you look closely at the fabric flower adornments worn by geishas, you will see that they are tiny kanzashi! Kanzashi actually began centuries ago in Japan as a form of hair adornment.
As you will see on this website, fabric kanzashi flowers can be used as pins, pendants, hair ornaments, Christmas tree ornaments, and embellishments to other arts and crafts items. See some of the many wonderful ways of Wearing Kanzashi.
You can purchase my kanzashi creations two ways:
• Order a Custom Kanzashi item from fabric you provide.• My designs are available for sale. See samples in My Gallery.
A Rutgers University study showed that receiving flowers has not only an immediate but also a long-term positive effect on mood. Just as living flowers uplift, your kanzashi will brighten your mood whenever you choose to wear it.
My Story with Kanzashi
I learned the art of kanzashi when my husband and I married in 2008. I made more than 50 kanzashi to give to my girlfriends at our wedding. I wanted these friends to have a keepsake and to know how special they are to me.
This is my friend, Alice, wearing her kanzashi at my wedding.
When my dear sister, Judy, died from cancer a month after our wedding, I made a colorful kanzashi from her favorite bathrobe. Wearing this flower helps me to honor my sister’s life and keep her close.
Below is Judy's memorial kanzashi that I attached to a wall hanging that I made.
Using fabric brought to me by those who are missing someone significant in their lives, I make memorial kanzashi for them to help them through their own grief. When someone we love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure. Kanzashi are tangible treasures for you to keep. I also make kanzashi from baby clothes and wedding dresses… and from fabrics I love!
