Opening at The Van Gogh

It was so much fun! After asking the samurai and another friend and both couldn't go I decided to ask my dearest teacher from art-school to accompany me. Good choice as if going with daddy ^_^
As you can see I decided on the iro-tomesode. It was a forced decision, because I was spending the week not at home but in Amsterdam I took two kimono with me, this one and the tsugesage. Thursday morning I still didn't know which one I would wear. Then my boss called, asking if he could use my doll (that was standing dressed up in the store) as display in his corner at the Van Gogh. Of course I said yes, but there was a boring wool kimono on the doll. Really not appropriate for The Van Gogh
So I said I would come to the store and redress the doll, with my tsugesgae, I did feel ok about that one being in a public area of the museum and not the antique iro tomesode! He said no come to the museum and re dress the doll there. Wow! I could go to the museum, using the backdoor! Really cool! ^_^ I re-dressed the doll many people looked and asked me questions many Japanese people complemented me (the Van Gogh is very popular by Japanese, well all tourists really) And then a beautiful Japanese girl in kimono came up to me with an older lady also beautifully dressed in kimono sighing about the ro and smiling at me (surprisingly they both didn't wear ro?!) Then they told me the youngest woman would dance that evening... guess what? Fuji Musume... So I saw Fuji Musume again and now performed by a woman... It was wonderful very graceful very elegant the hands the feet the head every little move meant something nothing was by accident and this time (other then with kabuki) it was right before my nose... Yes I felt completely exhilarated and in love ... again! After the dance and after all the pictures and hand shaking I went up to her thanking her for her wonderful performance and telling her she looked so very lovely and wonderful. Very Japanese she thanked me for attending and watching her performance, very sweet she was so charming! As where the ladies accompanying her... lovely lovely. It was a nice ego boost night for me, most people loved my kimono dress and many Japanese ladies where surprised I dressed myself and told me I looked better then many Japanese ladies in kimono *blush* And that I should never feel ashamed and just wear kimono because I wore it very well. Thank you dear ladies I feel flattered and happy, i still need to learn a lot, but will wear kimono out more often from now on ^_^
A lot of men took my picture, now I need a way to get them myself.
This lady took a lot of pictures of me also together with Fuji Musume luckily she turned out to be a friend of my teacher so I will get at least these pictures yippy! Because the pictures made by the sponsor canon aren’t really nice *blush*
Ok bed time
More dreaming about kimono, samurai, art, Japan..............
Oh and a house in Amsterdam... I found a place to live! Yes!

Ro tsugesage

This ro silk maple leave pattern ro tsugesage might be a better choice for the opening. Homoungi would be best but I just do not own one (yet- in ro).
I like this kimono it's light and smooth but also gives a light feel (more then the black shibory) might be more appropriate to my age. The sleeves are nice and long. I need to take out the basting threads and sew the green obi, which also is only a bolt... *sigh*

I like the fresh contrast between the deep blue and the fresh green, I used blue accessories which I really like, but I might need to use pink because I only have appropriate pink zori. There are pink maples in the pattern so it might work? There are pink maples in the pattern so it might work?
The nagajuban is an orangy red with water pattern ro too and perfec length only the sleeves are too short, which is weird since the nagajuban is antique, so I might re-sew the sleeves, or go for a plain white nagajuban which actually might look better I kind of think so. I would love a light blue ro nagajuban with this set though.
But I can't have it all... hihi

I need blue zori and green... Really! I have a lot of blue and green kimono and otherwise blue or green accessories so... Need to work more and sell more paintings. Well, nice goal for the coming 6 months *blush*

Black Shibory

For the opening of an exhibition in The Van Gogh Museum I want to wear kimono well... if it's not too hot, if I am not too tired *blush* It's 30 C or almost 85 F Pfff Too hot for kimono. The smell of moist mothballs and old fabric made me sick today...
Still, I wanted to practice kimono wearing and find the best set. I wanted to wear my lilac iro tomesode but I need to rethink that because it is a bit much... a bit too formal though I just might go for it...
This black shibory is a bit too short for me and I must say seeing the pictures I am not sure It looks a bit too "serious or even too "old" for me. I thought I would look "tre chique" But am not sure. The crème maru obi is too hot (even though it is ro) the red hakata I like a lot better but might be too informal? *sigh* Also, it's only a bolt not an obi yet *blush* Need to sew and start soon... Still do not like sewing... I rather dream...