Kimono kitsuke class

I became a part-time kitsuke class teacher from this April. Kitsuke teaching is exciting and thrilling since I have lots of things to tell, but time is so limited.
The first day was Yukata lesson. Everyone got grade AAA!

What the Dickens, Kimono PhD !?

We celebrated Sheila's PhD award. The thesis is about kimono history and fashion. Please ask her directly for the details. I am on the thesis. It is my honor!

The place is a British pub "What the Dickens!" in Ebisu. Maggie introduced this place to me. Since her cousin designed this pub. What the Dickens!

A vintage kimono collector from France

We, English speaking Japanese kimono ladies welcomed Maggie, an English vintage kimono collector from France.

She showed us so many beautiful vintage kimonos brought from France! 

 In return, Etsuko showed Maggie her lovely kirigami technique.

We made Maggie dressed.

Voila! Now all ladies are in kimono!

New Year Shamisen Play but stain on my kimono...

For New Year Celebration, I got a chick purple-gray komon from Nagamochiya ( the place everybody can sell own kimono 50% commission base). I love it especially this abstract karakusa-like motif with thin gold lines.

A Close Up

With a blue and gold lace fukuro obi 

A happy new year!

On January 1st, at our uncle's house,  when we cheered for the new year, I dropped beer on my kimono. Shxx! (not Shino). A stain on my collar!!! This was the worst thing that I had had in new year celebration because I planed to wear this kimono again on Shamisen banjo new year party a week later.  

I wonder, worry and fret about, and finally decided to wear it again at the Shamisen new year party.

But I hided behind other players.

Hope you couldn't see the stain.

Kimono wearing class on November 5th!

After long time absense (because it was too hot), I will re-open my kimono wearing class from next month. Please come and join us! Members are English speaking so let's  talk about kimono in English. This is great fun!

from young to old

any nationality

From young to matured and any nationality will be welcomed. But for ladies only, sorry! If you would like to join, please send me email

my new summer kimonos

I got two summer kimonos. Kinu basho and ro komon. Kinu basho is silk tsumugi weaven like Okinawa bashofu (real bashofu is pretty rare and expensive!). Ro is see-through and light summer silk for July and August. However, since recent Tokyo summer is crazily hot, where and when I can wear them?

I wore kinu basho at Tsukiji sushi diner. Chef was so pleased to see my kimono and asked me to have a photo with him.

Sushi directly from Tsukiji fish market was nice but I was so sweaty...
So I brought them to my Alaskan cruise tour.

I love this summer linen bingata obi sash, too!

Danced for the ocean in ro comon.

However, as you see on the photos, Alaska was dark and cold. Pieces of icebergs floating on the sea...even in summer. I was freezed in see-through kimonos!

 

Let's dance like a maiko!

As one of my kimono club activities for summer, we planned a Japanese dance lesson. It was for fun but the really serious thing, since we invited professional dance teacher!

What we lesseoned was Gion Kouta, a maiko's song who longed for her secret love. You can see real Gion Kouta here, real maiko and geisha dancing. Ours may be similar!

How to tie hanhaba obi sash as tsunodashi

I have never seen this way of tying hanhaba obi sash.  It must be nice if you would like to show hanhaba as nagoya. I must try it! it is too hot to tie obi today though...

5 minutes kimono wearing!

To show my special welcome to my old friend visited my house from Oregon, I made his wife wearing kimono. It was my honor I could help her first kimono experience!

Since they didn't have much time, she wore kimono over her shirts and tied hanhaba sash. I made it in 5 minites...this was my first experience, too!  it was so exciting experience.

The colors of kimono and obi sash really match her, right?

Fist kimono kitsuke party in 2012

Today's my handmade oyatsu snack was sweet potato cake with honey lemon sauce. For our kitsuke party!

It was a bit crowded but was a great fun! because we welcomed a new member on board.

This party's details are on her blog. Please read how she was excited on her first kitsuke!.

Shamisen banjo new year party

We are preparing

Shamisen stage!

Now it's my turn...I am nervous...

So many people are on the stage. Hei, don't hit me with your shamisen neck, please!

We are playing nagauta which accompanies the kabuki theater. It is very long (one song is over 20 min). My issue is not the technique but my legs....I can't sit on the knees so long!

Anyhow, we finished. Cheers for happy new year!

Kimono and boots trip in Europe

With facebook friends' advice, I walked around cities in kimono and boots.

In London, as well as a wool cap. It was cold and cloud over...

In Rome. Orange shawl over haori was perfect to protect from cold and pickpockets.

In Genoa. I wore my uncle's haori.　My grandmother sewed to her son about 50 years ago but no one has ever worn, and both were passed away already. It was fond last autumn as just a brand-new. so I wore it! It's nicely warm.

I showed the Mediterranean sea to my new shibori obi,  Higashi-san  made for this kimono. Kimono was renewed by Lyuta . The color red was really a good match to the ocean, I believe.

Kimono Year-end Party!

We, Tokyo kimono club had a kitsuke session in my house.

Telling each other how each of us wear kimono is a great fun and useful.

She is showing us her secret for loosing datejime belt on the stage (stairs).

We all set!
And then a party!!

Japanese traditional karinto fried dough and Duch traditional sweet joined the party.

This is my handmade. Tofu cream on a chocolate cake!

Reversible obi sash is the best for travels

Do you know how to tie-dye? I didn't and now I know!

Tie

Die

and Dry

And then, sew brown cloth and  green cloth in one.

Green side, brown side and a core for obi sash 

Brown side is for the red kimono.

Green side is for my orange base  calico sarasa kimono. Mission is completed. Do I and my red kimono look nice?

It's exciting to design my own obi sash!

I plan to wear my red komon and orange based calico sarasa kimonos on my travel to the Mediterranean. If it is overseas at sea, I don't need to be tied by Japanese old custom that matured women should wear quiet colors! (right?)

Both asanoha komon and sarasa have intricate motifs so obi sash should be simple and has a large pattern.

How about snow flake yukiwa on hemp leaves asanoha and arabesque karakusa on calico?
Higashi-san agreed to make shibori obi sashes with these patterns. Hyahhow (=Japanese wow ), how exciting! (to be continued...)

snowflake yukiwa (left) hemp leaves asanoha (right)

arabesque karakusa (left) calico sarasa (right) 

How to wear red for my age

I like to wear red and pink. Actually I liked. Recently I feel guilty wearing these good-for-young colors. But how do I do for this red asanoha komon kimono?  I can't dump it...Still I want to wear it!

Me about 5 years ago in red komon 

Lyuta suggested me to change its red hakkake lyner to dark-brown. Higashi promised me to make nice obi sash for this red kimono. Please see his beautiful shibori tie-dyeing work for his tea master. If he would make me a cool obi sash only for me....(to be continued)

Tokyo is hot (muggy) and safe.

We think foreigners visit current Japan are so brave. So we welcomed her from the bottom of our heart. As much as we could.

We cooked

One of us danced,

And enjoyed muggy and hot night with her.

Berber!

Please come back to us again. Hopefully soon. Since Tokyo is safe. right?