Sunday 29 May 2005

Kimono Couple

Here are some pictures of the dolls I showed at the opening of the exhibition.
The man doll in formal hakama and the women doll in furisode, don't they look like a handsome couple?



Kimono couple



Kimono couple back



Furisode obi (jime) close
Picture of the fancy obi jime for furisode, they are so funky! I left the cellophane on the tassels to protect them until I will use them for "real" not just practice as I did now.…



Furisode musubi close
I tried to tie a musubi called Mandarin Duck, but I feel I did not really succeed, though it looks kind of ok, it's not perfect and the obi is not really right for this furisode and this bow. I'll have to find the perfect obi for this perfect furisode...…

Saturday 28 May 2005

The Striped Kimono

Yesterday evening I finished the striped kimono, made from the Japanese bolt of brown stripes with of white and a little dark green. This morning I ironed the kimono so I could wear it and looked for appropriate obi… which I must admit is pretty hard with this kimono.
Here are some pictures:


Front
I choose a light weight nubby silk cream, obi with blue water pattern to go with the kimono, to emphasize spring, I added spring green accessories.


side view


close of the obi


back of the sleeve. Here it is clear I put the stripes wrong. I did that on purpose because the bolt was just a little too short for me. So I sewed the kimono 5 cm shorter then would be ideal and used fabric from the collar to lengthen the sleeves because I really did not like the short length that was left for the sleeves.


inside hem, I strengthened my seems and hems with bias band.



The kimono with a pink obi, to coordinate with my pink geta.

close pink obi
My husband likes this more, more contrast. I am not sure. The first set reminds me of what I actually see outside right now. Brown trunks of trees with green leaves and some left over cream blossoms and flowers… With cream obi this set feels a bit more distinguished; with pink it becomes more casual, which is good too.

Friday 27 May 2005

Accessories used for kimono


Haneri
This a half collar which needs to be basted to the nagajuban, may be silk, rayon, cotton or what you like. They are usually white, but can be colored and printed too. For formal dress they may be subtle embroidered, for furisode with cute embroidered flowers, with informal dress anything goes.


Erishin
Is to make the collar stiff it needs to be inserted in the han eri.


Koshi Himo
Long ties to help secure the kimono and obi, you need at least three.


Datejime
This is a modern one with rubber backing and velcro. They come in fancy silk (hakata weave) types too, these are very nice, but the modern ones are easy.


Obi ita.
Obi board, needs to be inserted between obi layers (or under the obi) this will provide a wonderful smooth, wrinkle less obi.


Obimakura (normal)
Obi pillow, used to help create a nice round otaiko drum bow.


Obimakura
Bigger type obi pillow used for most musubi(bows) used with furisode.

Korinbelt
This is a very convenient tool to help the kimono collar from slipping; it’s used instead of a koshihimo.


Obi clip
Convenient tool to help prevent the obi makura from sliding down. It also helps tying the obi.

Thursday 26 May 2005

Kimono Under Wear

It's too warm for kimono today, at least for cleaning the house and wear a kimono. Even though we can wear hitoe now, kimono dress is warm! Now according to this site: The Beauty of kimono, we should wear everything hitoe, from kimono obi too nagajuban. So no kimono dress today, maybe later, but here are pictures of all the under layers worn with kimono:


hadajuban and susoyoke. The first layer for under your kimono, it's to protect nagajuban and kimono from sweat etc. There are one pieces too, but I prefer the two piece underwear.


With waist towel, the waist towel provides an even more tubular look, which is something highly valued with kimono dress.



Two piece hitoe nagajuban.

These two piece nagajuban are really convenient and easy to wear, I like them a lot! Nagajuban can create a nice contrast with the kimono when you choose one in a color that either matches the kimono or contrasts with it. Nagajuban also protect the kimono from sweat but they have a stiff collar too, which provides a nice clean kimono collar line...

Wednesday 25 May 2005

Different kombi


today I am wearing my purple hitoe again. But today I wanted to be more colorful, so I paired it with a red hanhaba and the same light pink accessories. It's almost summer.

P.S. No I did not cross the kimono right over left it's because I need to take the picture in the mirror ^_^

Photo Collage


It will be awhile before I get to go back to the exhibition and take pictures. So I made an collage using the pictures in my computer. Not with the kimono but the collage with "geisha" pictures. The pictures are made with models in my susohiki kimono, katsura and more. They are mounted on thick wood which make them look like a special kind of Dutch candy... Yummy!

I am experimenting with text and watermarks... Sigh it looks ugly, but it's sad when people use your pictures without asking.

Tuesday 24 May 2005

Yay! Hitoe Season


Since the date for koromogae has past, I dressed in my silk hitoe komon; my purple unlined kimono, with an allover pattern of little red dots. I paired this with a teal hakata obi (also a hitoe) and pink accessories. The geta are technically for yukata, but I feel they look nice with this set too.



I personally love this combination. Though a lighter colored obi would be lovely too, maybe even better, but I do not have that. It would be perfect if I could find a painted hitoe obi (light colored) for this kimono because it is woven. I'll keep looking.

The kimono is a bit too short for me, but it's cute and I pulled the collar a bit too far from my neck, I do like this, but it is not entirely proper to do so. If I would not have done this I probably could have made a better ohashori. The kimono is not wide enough either, so I should widen the shoulder part, but still feel a little scared to do so, since the kimono is pretty old (1940's/50's)
Ah well I think the kimono is still very pretty...


One more picture, the side view of the hitoe. I used all the modern kitsuke tricks today. First I dressed in butt-correcting underwear and a booby flattening kimono bra; then hadajuban and susoyoke, towels around my waist just under my breasts. Then two piece nagajuban. Kimono etc. I did not use a kimono clip, but did use an obi clip too secure that, it's very convenient because the obi makura will not "sag" wonderful helping aids!

Wednesday 18 May 2005

Pictures

I completely forgot to take pictures of the kimono on display. Of course I did make a list with pictures for the insurance, but not of the display, which would have been nice for myself, well, maybe we will remember before we take them down again.
Here is the uchikake I have on display; I have two iro and this one I would not mind to sell... Or if it got damaged during the exhibition.



When we go back I'll try to remember to take pictures because it's good for me too to have them archived.

Tuesday 17 May 2005

Sewing the pieces

I started sewing and decided to sew the kimono by hand after all. First I thought to go fast and use the machine, but this is just as fun and not that slow I noticed. Besides I can sit cozily on the couch and glance at the TV. Stripes are a dream to sew! Especially since sewing a kimono means mostly sewing straight lines.


Sewing the pieces to make the kimono.

Monday 16 May 2005

Cutting the fabric

To me the most scary part of sewing, cutting the gorgeous fabric. It doesn't matter what fabric it is, I always feel anxious cutting it, but Japanese fabric has this effect even more



After some time I did find the courage and cut the fabric in pieces.

For hitoe kimono with Japanese fabric a 37 cm:

Ideally I would use these measurements:
Body front =J = 170cm
Body back = J = 170cm
Total 2x 340cm.
Overlap =J-N =150 à hem = 1/2de J = 85 cm.
Sleeve = 50 cm.
Collar = J + 1/2C =195 cm.

But since the bolt was a bit too small, I used these:
Body front =J = 165cm
Body back = J = 165cm
Total 2x 330cm.
Overlap =2x J-N =145 à hem = 1/2de J = 82.5 cm.
Sleeve = 4x 45 cm.
Collar = J + 1/2C =180.5 cm.

Sunday 15 May 2005

Striped kimono sewing

I started with my first striped kimono, phew. I have sewn kimono before, but using wide western type of fabric. It's a cotton bolt from Ichiroya's, very nice ( a little drab brown) but nice. The bolt is a little too short for me to make the perfect fitting kimono, but at least the sleeve to sleeve should be ok. I started with this one because I bought an even nicer one in blue, but because I love it more, first try with the brown one.



Bolt of cotton fabric.

And... It's time for koromogae
ころもがえ (koromogae) - change of dress
- seasonal changing of clothes.

So time for storing the awase (lined) kimono away and to pull the hitoe from the shelves. So I should sew quickly so I will be able to wear this kimono until it's time for ro.

Saturday 14 May 2005

Kitsuke demo

It was the most boring expo (opening) ever!After a crazy drive *sigh* we hung all the kimono as perfect as we possible could, it looked very nice (hopefully still does) No one offered us any tea or coffee (we drove for two hours!) But well...Then the "boss" of the theater gave a boring speech, he just read out-loud straight from the paper (I recognized the exact words I put down on paper as info about us) After that I gave a kitsuke demo on my dolly.


Pointing at the formal men's kimono set, while dressing the girl mannequin in furisode.

Of course I was scared (a bit) but things went well. It was very informal and people asked questions while I "worked".


Pulling at the fukuro obi


Working on the obi age

Kitsuke really is the most fun thing to do! I hope I will be doing things like this more often and then at less boring places ^_^


Turning the doll.


Showing the doll

Points to check next time:

  1. The kimono is too long in the back.
  2. The Mandarin Duck musubi looks weird, the wings are off, too high up, not plumb enough and crooked. But well, for a first time on stage I am pleased, at home I saw how bad the wings looked, not at the time luckily! Now dolly is at home and I straightened her musubi, she looks much better now!
  3. A better obi-jime, a day after the event, the special obi jime I had ordered for the day arrived, nice in time ~_^

I'll post pictures later...


And.... I should talk more.

Tuesday 10 May 2005

Kimono expo

Not sure why I made this blog, but it seemed fun to make one and write about my kimono adventures. Maybe my little sister will learn some English reading it ^_~
In two days I will have the opening of a kimono expo. They asked me to exhibit some of my kimono during an (photo) exhibition about Japan. It's scary, not because of the kimono, but because they asked me to give a kitsuke demonstration, I said yes, that's scary.

The show will be with kimono I do not have a warm feeling towards, so if anything happens to them I will not be too sad, still sad of course. This makes me feel a bit insecure too, because the kimono on display aren't the most beautiful ever; I feel like betraying people. On the other hand, who knows? And the organizers do not have a very good insurance so I will loose either way. So, I am sure, no real gorgeous ones.

And now what to wear? Just "normal" clothing? A kimono? But what kimono, not to formal, but not casual either, the weather is bad, but not really cool, I surely can't stand there sweating! I think I will go in a nice skirt then... Oh how I wish I had more guts.