Kimono Fabric and Geisha

I really enjoyed my date with my sewing machine yesterday. I didn't get very far with the top I'd planned on making. Actually, I didn't get anywhere with the top as I had trouble downloading the pattern. I had actually planned on lengthening the top to make it into a cross-over dress. Being as stubborn as I am sometimes, I was still determined to make one. I have one that I like the cut of, so made a pattern from it. It's still a work in progress, but I'd like to have it finished on Monday, so I can wear it to the airport to pick up hubby on Tuesday.

This is the fabric I'm using for the dress. It's really cute as the line of geisha is only at the bottom of the fabric (and I will use for the bottom of the skirt) and the rest is black with a few flowers dotted here and there. I'm really hoping it works out!



I had another moment of realising how much I'm going to miss this country. I took a break from the machine and dropped into my local shopping centre. I sat at Starbucks for a while to do some writing, browsed through the Japanese craft books in the books shop, picked up some super cute Japanese fabric from the craft shop and bought some yummy sushi from the supermarket for dinner. Ahh... I've only got another seven months of this life!

By the time I got home, we were in the middle of a huge electrical storm, so the computer and sewing machine were pulled out of the sockets. To amuse myself I played with making some kimono fabric pendants. I'm really pleased with how they worked out (the square ones weren't actually finished when I took this photo, so look a bit funny). They have a lovely silver coloured metal finish on the back.

All in all, a great day. Please summer holidays, don't ever end!

Kanzashi

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I had a great, though very busy time. I had family come to visit, firstly my brother and his wife and then my cousin.

I thought I'd do today's blog in honour of my cousin, Danielle. She's a very talented jewellery designer whose work is strongly influenced by Japanese designs. While she was staying with me, we managed to fit 20 hours of shopping into a 48 hour time period. I kid you not! It was funny, I realised how much I've learnt about kimonos and their fabrics when I took her to my favourite second-hand kimono haunts. She even suggest that I start running vintage kimono buying tours.

One thing she fell in love with while here are the Japanese hair ornaments, known as kanzashi. They are so delicate and sweet. Knowing her taste, I had already bought her a book on how to make some of them.

The kanzashi are usually worn with a kimono or yukata, but look great with any outfit. We also saw many made into brooches and hanging ornaments.

A geisha wears kanzashi that would not only be co-ordinated with her kimono and obi, but would also reflect the season. You can see below a close-up of a geisha's hairstyle below.