Wednesday 3 August 2005

The Packages opened

What was in the packages? Well what would you give a kimono addict? Hihihihi..... Yes a kimono, maybe a bolt of kimono fabric.... in one package there was a kimono... and what kimono yay a gorgeous Taisho era blue kimono with very bold yuzen pattern, very bold!
The kimono is made with the most wonderful big rinzu pattern consisting of tachibana and royal curtains and many many more motives, really lovely and really big. This big rinzu is a sign of pre-WWII kimono. There is not only a rinzu woven pattern but also bands of woven (or later embroidered, I can't tell) lacquered threads. Wonderful, I never saw lacquered threads used like this before. In the pictures they seem very glossy but they are more subtle in real life, I guess because the flash used for the pictures reflects on the glossy lacquer.
Another feature of pre WWII is the red lining:
I love the green at the hakake it's really bold but soft at the same time. Now I need to work something out as an obi. I was thinking a light obi, maybe cream or yellow. But a bold jewel toned maru obi could be fun too? I think this kimono will be hard to pair with an obi I already have, but even with a new one because I really do not have a good idea right now, but I hope it will come.

In the other package was a bolt of kimono fabric... nagajuban fabric, so now I can sew another nagajuban my self, I wanted this fabric to sew myself a geisha nagajuban. I saw many pictures of geisha with nagajuban like this, so, now I'll try to make it myself, this fabric looks perfect for it!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

They are too short for me too, sadly. But sometimes I find one that is (almost) long enough, and I must admit I want to have some just because I want them *blush*
Geisha nagajuban, are not really different, only when a geisha wears her formal wear or dance kimono the extra long susohiki she will need a nagajuban that is long enough to touch her toes. The pattern is just something I often saw on geisha nagajuban, but I can use it for "normal" kimono dress too ^_^

puchimaiko said...

The kimono is stunning! I'm a huge fan of Taisho era kimono...there is just something very compelling about the patterns and colours.

I'd love to see photographs of the geisha nagajuban! I have a few bolts of juban fabric to sew up - as well as a few too short one piece juban to convert to two pieces. I'm finding the two piece nagajuban is considerably more comfortable :]

Unknown said...

Yes me too!
Two piece is more easy to wear, but I also like the traditional feel of a one piece, but those are hard to find for us westeries ^_^
I'll see, I will probably post pictures, but for now I am to depressed to work with silk, i need a lot of consentration for that ^_^ no destractions only sewing!