Today we’d like to introduce you to Harumi Ishii.
Hi Harumi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Niigata, Japan where I was working as a news announcer for a Japanese television station. Eventually, I met my husband, and we started our life together in Japan. A couple of weeks before my first son was born, we moved to Atlanta, Georgia for my husband’s job. I’d practically only ever lived in Niigata my entire life and definitely never left my home country to live anywhere else, so this was a big change for me. We stayed in Atlanta for around four years and also had my second son there. My husband was relocated for his job, so we headed back to Japan. Shortly after, my daughter was born in Tokyo. Right when we thought we were going to settle down, my husband got a new job that led us back to the states to Portland, Oregon where we eventually spent 18 years. Through this time, my main job was raising my kids and balancing the challenges that came with moving to an entirely different country. Learning a new language, a new culture and leaving everything I know from Japan behind all while raising three kids had my hands plenty full, I couldn’t even imagine having time for my own hobbies.
Ever since I can remember though, I’ve always had a passion for creating things on my own and taking items I already have and thinking of ways to make them better. However, being a stay-at-home mom with three kids, I made sure that my kids were my priority and therefore didn’t allow myself to get too involved with any hobbies because I knew if I did, I’d get too invested and it’d end up taking up more of my time than I could afford to give up. In the midst of raising my kids, I found small ways to implement my love for crafting into my life by making things like stroller covers or turning my old clothes into clothes for my kids. As my kids got older, I started to slowly find more time that I could spend on my crafts and thinking of new things I could make.
My style was heavily influenced by my Japanese roots, and I always found ways to incorporate vintage Japanese fabrics and ideas into my crafts. It started off as just a hobby – something I would do while the kids were at school or sports practices. Then, I was fortunate enough to start selling my crafts in 2013 at a local cafe in Portland called the Behind the Museum Cafe. I started seeking out more ways that I could share my items and got involved in a local holiday bazaar as well. At the beginning of 2020, I also started taking my Etsy shop “Chotto-ii” more seriously and began putting more effort into uploading products more consistently. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to have customers from all over the world and share the beauty of Japanese fabrics.
The name of my Etsy shop Chotto-ii translates to “kind of good” in Japanese. Whenever I see Japanese fabrics, I get a small burst of happiness and it’s chotto-ii. It’s nothing outrageous or life-changing, but more like a couple of seconds where I feel pleasantly happy and excited for what’s to come. I want my crafts to emulate that same feeling for my customers. I don’t expect my crafts to be anything crazy or life-changing for anyone, but I hope that my customers will be able to tell that these crafts are made with a lot of passion and attention to detail and can provide them with a burst of happiness even just for a little.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Raising three kids for anyone is no small task. My kids were all involved in extracurriculars like sports as well as Japanese school on the weekends on top of regular American school. With my husband busy at work, these responsibilities often filled up my schedule as I’m sure many other parents can relate. The biggest obstacle earlier on was that it felt impossible to find the time to craft as I was too busy taking care of my kids. As they got older and were able to take care of themselves, the next challenge was being able to obtain materials in order to create my crafts. All of my fabrics are upcycled vintage Japanese fabrics from Japan that I hand-pick myself when I go back to visit. I used to be able to go back home to Japan every summer but obviously, with COVID-19, I was unable to travel for around two years. During those two years especially, I found myself having the time to craft but struggled as I was unable to go back to get more fabrics and materials needed to create the things I had in mind. Another struggle that I believe all small businesses face was my lack of knowledge on how to market and promote myself. I love making crafts and thinking of new ideas, but the business side of Chotto-ii is something I’ve always found challenging. Luckily, my three tech-savvy kids often help me with figuring out the logistical side of selling my crafts online.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make crafts out of upcycled vintage Japanese fabrics that I hand-pick myself when I visit Japan. I make things like small pouches, wine bags, holiday stockings, bags, scarves, golf club head covers, and more.
I get my inspiration from seeing other items or crafts no matter what they are. Even if I see something made out of a different material like ceramics or straw, or if I see other artistic outlets like flower bouquets, calligraphy, interior design, etc., my brain immediately thinks about how I could recreate these items with Japanese fabrics. I love being able to fuse and pull ideas from different styles into one cohesive product with my crafts.
I believe what sets me apart from others is the process that goes into making these crafts. When I buy new kimonos, I go in and undo all of the sewings in the fabric by hand. Every time I do this, I’m mesmerized by how neatly these kimonos are sewn together and it inspires me to do the same for my crafts. Additionally, I always remember to thank the kimono for coming into my life and allowing me to take the pieces of fabric apart. I think about who wore it before I bought it and their story with the fabric. My crafts have a ton of thought and gratitude put into them before I even begin the process of making anything.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
In Japan, every little girl takes pictures at 3 years old, 5 years old, and 7 years old. They put on a kimono and usually have their picture at a real studio. Usually, wearing a kimono only happens for special events so I remember being really excited about taking my picture. At three years old, I put on my kimono, and because it was at a photo studio, the lady who worked there put a tiny bit of makeup on me which I was happy about. I remember this being one of the first times that I put on a kimono and was able to play dress up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Chottoii
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handmade_chotto_ii
