Yae Asa no ha teeny tiny version

I have done this pattern before in a much larger pitch, somewhere around 3", the pitch here is close to 1.5". Very satisfying and very frustrating at the same time. Satisfying because ,well, I've actually got it down (needs a bit of fine tuning but a solid foundation nonetheless ). Frustrating because for every piece I use I break one which is not a very profitable rate of assembly. This is Maple with Redwood infill, switching to Cherry or some other hard(er) wood might bring down the casualty rate.

Thomas

Christmas/Holiday Ornaments

These Christmas/Holiday ornaments will come in at least three different patterns, Asa No Ha, Goma Gara, and Rindo Gara. I've been working out production details in my "down" time and having a lot of fun while doing it.

Tom

Now I sew these patterns

 I have spent so much of time with these Kumiko Zaiku patterns, I have seen them in my dreams. I found myself jealous of my wife and her sewing machine so I had to try it out and here is my handy work. Not great I'll admit but still very striking. The sewing machine is amazingly fun to operate. The most complicated pattern the Yae Sakura and Yae Asa no ha used a whole spool of thread and took some six hours to complete.

Tom

Return to Sakura

Returning to my second  blog post I want to show all of you that I did finish the Sakura panel, well almost finish. I got smart and used Sakura (Cherry) instead of redwood for the accents-duh. My only issue with this panel is that it takes well over 20+ hours to make, way too long. I'm not offering this style of panel and won't until I can make it faster. I'm sure I'll come back to this sooner or later and in the mean time I can show it off on my blog.

Thomas

I'm Back

It's been eight months since I last posted and that was a terrible mistake because my life has been rich with happenings.

 First you will notice the new website - sure hope you like it and I would love any feedback you could give. I cannot give enough kudos to my web site service provider Square space, call that an endorsement, They have made it so any one can have a good looking web site on a really small budget.

 Secondly I have put that time to use, 7 new designs have leaped from my drawing board, been manhandled in the shop a bit, and then finessed to a state of "ready for the public". It has been a bit of a whirlwind, some of these designs went through three prototypes before I was satisfied. The Torii mirror and the deco table lamp Had been languishing for some time, sometimes it's that last 10% that is the hardest.The other five designs are all  bit derivative  of the square Asa No Ha pattern or I could say building upon a base. What ever the case when one the muse's has you in a headlock, the best course of action is to whisper thanks and plow forward.

 Thank you all and I look forward to hearing from you.

Thomas Vogel

Sakura Pattern

Cherry Blossom

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   The Japanese love of Cherry blossoms is well known, here it is in Kumiko zaiku form.I have been working on this pattern since late summer with a long hiatus while working on developing this website. With most of the development out of the way I will have time to return to this pattern. This is the most difficult pattern I make so far with six parts per cell, vs the normal 3, it also takes the longest to assemble. My version of the Sakura pattern is still in its infancy so I hope to get back to it so I can make it available for sale. The pattern shown above have been made with the usual poplar Jigumi [ Lit trans: frame] but I have used some old redwood for the interior flower detail, can't wait to finish this and see how it looks with paper on it.

Thomas

Beginings

  An introduction is in order my name is Thomas Vogel, I have been a cabinet maker for more than twenty years. Several years ago I discovered a Japanese craft called Kumiko zaiku. Unfortunately  unless one speaks Japanese ( I do not) there is a dearth of information available on this craft. The patterns are there to find, in photos, but the history and and almost all other relevant information is locked up behind google translate. I happened to be blessed with a wife  who speaks Japanese fluently and she has been quite helpful with my attempt to flush out information on this incredibly difficult craft to practice. So please return frequently and I will, hopefully, have a steady stream of interesting and relevant material for you to peruse.

  This being my first blog post I will let you know what to expect. Here I will post new designs, show new Kumiko zaiku patterns, interesting work I am doing, and or just about anything that strikes my fancy.

Thomas