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Victoria | Kimono Jewellery

@bikudesigns

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Jewellery maker & craft educator
🧵Workshops & Craft retreats
🛍️Tiny atelier shop
🎥 YouTube (slow craft)
📍 Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, Japan
⬇️ More info ⬇️

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There’s been so much dyeing and printing going on at the studio these past few weeks.

If you’re interested I may run an in-person workshop for this technique soon. Let me know in the comments.

#tokyoworkshops #thingstodointokyo #tokyocreativeclass by @bikudesigns

Welcome to my studio.

If you’re coming for a workshop, a mending session or for a browse of the tiny shop, I added a few signposts so you can find me!

Search on Google maps (there’s a tag), look for the noren, find the flag and the sticker on the door.

Only 5 mins from Shibuya by train, 7 from Shinjuku. And a 5-7 min walk from the station, depending on which station/ line you use.

PS Little Free Library is open during studio opening times. It’s moving when I find a permanent spot. ❤️

#bikudesigns #studiobiku #tokyogifts #tokyogiftshop #artistworkshop #shimokitazawa #souvenirstokyo #japan #uniquegiftsfromjapan by @bikudesigns

Oh, hey.

There have been lots of new followers around here lately so I thought I’d reintroduce myself.

I’m Victoria, the face behind Bikudesigns and Studio Biku, a bricks and mortar studio with a tiny shop representing international makers in Japan and a space where I teach a wide range of workshops. I also host other creatives who need a space to teach their craft.

I’m a mum of two, long-time Tokyo dweller and lover of all things handmade/ vintage. I love anything related to textiles, from vintage kimono, to natural dyeing, sashiko & slow stitching to textile printing.

Bikudesigns was founded on my love of ‘Mottainai’, which has been central to my life since I was born. I come from a long line of make-do-and-menders as well as female business owners.

With my other hat on, I host Colourful Journey Craft Retreat and Tour with @indybindyfabrics bringing our 40 years of combined experience of creative living in Japan to craft enthusiasts who want to go deeper than regular tourist activities.

Thank you so much @lisaellenknight for capturing exactly how I feel when I’m working in my studio. This place feels like magic to me.

So this is me. Welcome.

Victoria X

Shirt: @marblesud_official
Eyewear: @zoff_eyewear

#bikudesigns #shimokita #shimokitazawashopping #welcomepost #kimonojewellery #kimonoaccessories #upcyclekimono #tokyobusinessowner #smallbiztokyo #ginkgoandfern #holidayinjapan #japantravel #unfluencer #tokyolife #souvenirofjapan #tinyshopintokyo by @bikudesigns

Indigo itotome (knot-stoppers)

Thanks to @indybindyfabrics for the indigo, Colourful Journey members for the onion dye pot and to science for being so amazing.

#Naturaldye #dyepot #makingpigment #indigo #AreWeStillUsingHashtags

3 stages of drying avocado

Soaking itotome

Painstakingly unravelling (blue fingers)

After grinding onion pigment

Filtering lake pigment

Finished Sakura pigment (dead branches from my cherry tree)

Sakura pigment ready to be made into watercolour

Laking avocado dye into pigment

Stopped me in my tracks

Intersection of life and…➡️

…art materials.
Drying filtered lake pigment. by @bikudesigns

Here we go!
Let’s stitch together in November.
Choose either a fresh morning stitching session, or a cosy evening stitch. Or come to both!

Booking now open (link in bio).

See you there. 🪡 🧵🧶
Victoria x by @bikudesigns

Are you ready to try a beginner sewing project?

Patricia from @tabitabi.ya is back at Studio Biku in November to teach two different classes. She will guide you through making a kimono tote bag and a kimono bolster cushion.

Patricia has been sewing with kimono for many years and has some great tips and tricks.

The groups are very small (4 participants) to ensure you get the support you need.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Victoria

DM for the link or tap the workshops button (link in bio). by @bikudesigns

Light after a typhoon is so crisp and saturates everything. Just me?

Do you think the light is really different after a typhoon passes?
Or is it that because we have endured days of dullness, rain, wind and alerts it makes us imagine the brightness? (A kind of relief).

Hope everyone is ok.

Victoria x

P.S. Who else raced to get their laundry out this morning?

#typhoondujuan #japanweather #tokyolife #typhoon25 by @bikudesigns

UPDATE: 2 spots left

Welcome to Patricia from @tabitabi.ya who will be a guest teacher at Studio Biku this September.

Patricia’s beautiful vintage kimono pouches and bags are already stocked in the studio shop but this time she’s back to teach a workshop on how to use these textiles to create a bolster-style throw cushion.

The spots are very limited to ensure you get all the instruction you need.

No need to bring a thing! We provide the machines, needles, thread and fabric (as well as tea & coffee).

Book at the link in bio (workshops).

PS We provide instruction in English, French & Japanese for this workshop.

#tokyoworkshop #thingstodointokyo #creativeclassestokyo #kimonoremake by @bikudesigns

Summer in Japan.
Brutal heat.
Verdant.
Noisy.

Soundtrack of the city.

#japansummer #japantravel #tokyo by @bikudesigns

I’ve been a bit quiet on Instagram this week because I’m taking a few days to recharge in nature.

I chose a few of my fave texture photos to show you what it feels like to be here.

Any guesses where I am?

See you when I’m back in Tokyo.
Vx

#JapanTravel #tripsfromtokyo by @bikudesigns

#nonatabigram_australia2026

メルボルンの街でインプット

せっかく行くのだから、オーストラリアの国で学びたい。特に以前から大好きなユーカリ染めを現地のユーカリを使って染めてみたい…
なんならずっと滞在してユーカリ染めまみれになりたい🌿
調べれば調べるほどユーカリ染めの研究も盛ん。憧れが募っていたころ、西荻窪にメルボルンからVictoria @bikudesigns のツアーで手まり体験に来たLeslie @lesliemadeit リサイクルしたウールの生地にエコプリントをほどこし、ジャケットに仕上げて着ていた。

私に染めをメルボルンで教えてくれませんか？

やってみましょう！

嘘のように私の先生が決まりました！

そして、１日のメルボルンDAYは染め講習に。
朝からワクワク😀
普通の観光客は立ち入らないだろうメルボルンの住宅街に向かうので、普段の生活がある電車や駅からの道を歩けて最高に楽しかった。
見事に街路樹はほとんどがガムツリー。ユーカリ。落ち葉もユーカリ　エブリウェア！本当に身近なんですね。

Leslie のお宅に招いてくれて、ご家族とワンコ、デイジーが温かく迎えてくれました。

最初に今まで作った作品を色々みせていただいた。

Leslie が用いる手法は「ダーティーポット」というもの。鍋に植物をバンドルした布などを入れて完成。

彼女のポリシーは「甦らせる」手芸。なるべく新しいものを買わずに古くなったものを新しく作品に仕上げている。道具類まで、道で拾ったものがほとんどだったのが印象的！
道端で鍋が拾えるのってなんだか杉並区に似てる？「0円均一」という個人がリサイクル活動をするエリアなのです。

Leslie に教わりながら、デイジーのお散歩で拾って来てくれたフレッシュなユーカリやドライのユーカリを色々な葉をコットンTシャツに配置してみる。あれやこれや新しい植物に貪欲になってしまいました。
リネンのエプロンは1種類に絞ってみたら？というアドバイスに、一種類のユーカリに。

色々な染め談義をしていたら、エンドレストーク… そうこうしていたら煮上がり、OPENタイム。綺麗に葉の形がでていたり、その裏が滲んでいたり、先生のようにうまくはいかなかったけど、それがイイ！
私は人間がコントロールしようとして足掻いて、コントロールしきれない草木染めが好き🤭不思議なダーティーポットのエコプリント。魔法使いになったよう。
冬だからガーデンで火を焚けたのも良かった！

Leslie, 本当に貴重な素敵な時間をありがとう。いつかまた一緒に染めをやりましょう💪

2026年２月にNONAに来てくれたのがLeslie との出会い。eco printしたジャケットがカッコよくて！
@bikudesigns のツアー。

郊外に向かう通勤通学タイム。
東京の電車に乗れなくなる快適さ…

Leslie の作品！ユーカリで赤が出るんですよね！憧れ。

Leslie の作品。パンツに施したのかっこよかった。

庭にもユーカリ。

ユーカリのバーク、樹皮を使った作品がカッコよくてトライさせてもらった。

ユーカリのバークも配置して。巻きづらかったけど頑張った！

配置難しい！ユーカリ可愛い！

巻き巻き。固く固くが難しい！

Tシャツヤーンも手作り！

ユーカリ1種類に絞る！リネンのエプロン。
下染めは日本でやっていきました！

冬でよかった。お庭で火を焚け🔥優雅な時間！ありがとう、早朝から準備してくれました。

魔法の鍋❣️

ぐつぐつ。

お楽しみのOPEN タイム❣️

ユーカリの種類を一緒に調べる🔎

エプロン仕上がりはこちら。
色々学びがありました。

Tシャツ仕上がり！こちらはNONA Tシャツ。
別物になって超😎かっこいい。

ユーカリの葉がエプロンのポケットから出るイメージ！ by @bikudesigns

It’s easy to see the flaws in our work.

The disappointment when things don’t work out is quite the thing. The failed challenges, the wonky stone settings, the melted parts.

Over the years there has been something that made me keep the work I didn’t like. I wasn’t too ashamed of it to melt it down and recycle it into something else, I think I saw it as part of my learning. A sketchbook of ideas in silver jewellery form.

And now I’m so glad I kept it all. Miss 16 gets a thrill every time she uncovers something new and now wants to learn how to make her own precious metal jewellery.

Time to dust off the jewellery bench…

#Silverjewellery #jewelrydesigntokyo by @bikudesigns