Furisode Yukata

Have you heard of furisode yukata? Furisode yukata are not seen so often, but they are so cute and playful! It is a cotton yukata, but with the long swinging sleeves of a furisode.

This might seem a strange and perhaps non-traditional combination at first, but I have seen quite a few furisode yukata over the years. I think it is not so non-traditional after all! Shira of Kimono Daisuki has this lovely pink one, this sunflower one which I've seen many times on YJA and Rakuten and have loved for years, blue and purple one belonging to Japanese blogger OhSuka, here is one with bunnies!, and asanoha! Yukata with furisode sleeves is great for gorgeous flair, with having the comfort of being cotton for hot summer months!

Recently I was asked to make a furisode yukata for Torahime from the Immortal Geisha forums. She chose a really gorgeous black and blue cotton fabric with a striped floral and shippo tsunagi pattern. I wish my camera could take better photos!

The finished yukata


The inside seams are all hand sewn with no exposed edges, and handsewn hems.


I tried to get a decent picture of the fabric design, but my cellphone's camera is not so good, and I have terrible lighting (I do most of my sewing at night).


Most modern yukata are all machine sewn, but I don't much like the look of stitching around the hems and sleeve openings, so I do take the time to hand sew them with tiny little stitches. This is the sleeve opening, stitches are difficult to see.




I did a bachi collar, with the nape of collar sewn back 4cm and it has a nice stiffly starched core, so it is easy to get a deep shape.





And, I don't like to be wasteful with fabric, so I made a kinchaku with leftover fabric.





I was so happy to once again get to make a yukata for a fellow IG member! I hope she enjoys wearing her new furisode yukata!

Aki Matsuri

Yesterday, my son an I went to Aki Matsuri. Originally, I wasn't going to dress up in yukata, but I wanted to dress Bryan in his favorite dinosaur yukata, since he didn't get a chance to wear it this year. Then I had heard that kimono stylist Yu Ugawa of You & Yu Kimono Kitsuke Gakuin was going to be doing a kimono kitsuke demonstration, so I felt I had to at least attend that, and wear yukata. Since I've been on a roll making yukata and accessories (more on that later) I decided both Bryan and I would wear handmade yukata. I chose my vintage cotton katamigawari rose yukata.

The day before Aki Matsuri, I decided I would make a few small items from the leftover scraps of fabric from our yukatas. My rose yukata has a small matching purse, but I was going to be bringing a larger bamboo bag since I needed to carry juice and a spare diaper for my little guy. So, to continue my whole matching theme, I made a business card case and compact mirror using my leftover fabric. (I also made a koshihimo with the fabric, but didn't think to take a picture.)

Both are fabric covered chipboard, the compact mirror has a layer of padding, to give an extra cushiony protection.

The card case closes with a small magnet, and has two pockets. I didn't get a picture of the inside of the mirror (oops) but it is also lined in red. I think the little rose bud on the back of the mirror looks cute!

For using up the leftover fabric from Bryan's yukata, I decided I'd make him a tiny kinchaku. At first I thought "what does a toddler need to carry in a kinchaku?" Toy dinosaurs, of course!

Random cute tib-bit: Bryan calls the orange apatosaurus a "cookie" dinosaur, maybe because it has brown spots like chocolate chips. He then proceeds to pretend-eat it like Cookie Monster. Ah~ toddler imagination!

I used green canvas for the base. I also made the drawstrings short, so it is easy to carry without having to tie the strings.

On a completely non-kimono related note, I actually had lots of this dinosaur fabric leftover, and around the same time I made the yukata, I also made him a pair of pajamas, so this fabric has been used well!

I didn't realize it until the day before that both of us would be wearing cream colored yukatas with green obi. Normally I try to avoid similar colors, but we did hear comments from festival goers like "you two are well matched!" so I suppose it is okay!

Bryan hadn't worn his dinosaur yukata in a year, so I had to adjust the sewn ohashori a bit. I tried it on him the day before to measure how much to let out, and when I took it back off Bryan gave me the most pitiful look! He thought he was going to be able to play dress-up, poor guy was so disappointed he had to wait until the next day!

Playing on my rose theme, I made a couple rose kami kazari (hair accessories), one of which went on my obi. I thought about wearing red lipstick, but reaffirmed that lipstick does not suit my at all! So I did a glamorous dark green shade eye makeup and red nail polish instead. (WARNING! Shameless selfy!)

I think I found my new Facebook profile picture

As patient as Bryan is when getting him into his yukata, he just will not stand still for taking photographs.

The tied kazari himo probably distracts too much from the pearls dangling from the rose.

After this, our day was full of ups and downs. We missed a dance performance by the Kabuki Academy because we got stuck in traffic, twice, the car had no AC, and when we got there the key was stuck in the ignition and wouldn't come out. We ended up needing to jump the car after only a couple of hours at the festival, even though the battery is brand new. Thank goodness for kind strangers! I'll have to remember to not use my husband's car for future long road trips, I swear I have a curse with electronic and mechanical things! Bryan is in his "terrible threes" (terrible twos is a myth!) so he threw a few tantrums. I had hoped that his kinchaku full of toy dinosaurs would keep him occupied so we could watch the kimono kitsuke demonstration, but he threw a tantrum before it started, and I wasn't going to torture the small room of people with an inconsolable screaming toddler, so we left. I did snap some pictures of the 2 kimono that were on display in the demonstration room.

I recognized this furisode from a kimono fashion show that Yu Ugawa put on last year, you can see photos from the show here.

I did run into some familiar faces at the festival, people I know from my kimono group, and others that I have met at previous events. And lots of people dressed in beautiful kimono and yukata! I think Aki Matsuri is the most matsuri-feeling festival in my area.

We walked around a bit, but unfortunately didn't see the all of the exhibits. One of the main reasons we went to the festival was to meet up with my former zokei bonsai sensei to pick up a bonsai that I made many years ago. I had lent it to be shown at Aki Matsuri 7-8 years ago, but for too long I was too distracted or busy to get it back. I feel so bad that she kept it so long, she joked that she thought she'd have to sell it, haha!

My reunited camellia zokei bonsai! Zokei bonsai is fake bonsai, made with wire, clay, and rice paper. The flower petals are formed with a special iron that looks similar to a soldering iron with interchangeable shaped tips. The flowers are sometimes made with a special type of silk ribbon, this camellia is made of thin velvet. Ah~ I'd love to make more zokei bonsai soon, but I have too many hobbies!

 
He loved carrying his kinchaku. He was people watching the whole time, interested in the crowds, but intimidated by those dressed in mascot costumes.

Bryan is a kendama cheater

I ended up having to carry him much of the time, which caused me to become so disheveled and exhausted! Behind us is a mikoshi. A mikoshi procession is a big part of Aki Matsuri here. Unfortunately we missed it, but it is still beautiful to see it displayed.

There were many tempting things to buy at the festival, lots of kimono goods. Near the kimono kitsuke demonstration, they sold lots of brand new komon kimono and accessories, but I was a good girl and didn't spend money. Despite a few hiccups in our day, Aki Matsuri was still enjoyable, and I look forward to next year!

Etsy - Kitsuke Accessories Sets

I am very excited to announce that I've begun creating more kitsuke accessories, including wide obi ita, obi makura, and date jime! I've been busily experimenting with making different styles of kitsuke accessories, and I am so happy with the results! I will be offering more kitsuke accessories in different fabrics in the near future, please look forward to it!

I've started off by making two sets of 5 piece kitsuke accessories in a blue floral cotton fabric.



The sets include an obi makura, obi ita, date jime, and 2 koshihimo. You can find the kitsuke set in my Etsy shop, here.

The obi makura is a soft type, with poly-fiber filling, and polyester himo. I used two different types of fabric for the makura himo, a sheer polyester, and a mesh type polyester.

Obi makura measurements:
Length: 23.5cm
Width: 10cm
Circumference: 24cm
Himo Length: 157cm


The obi ita is the long type, with a rigid chipboard core.



Obi Ita Measurements:
Length: 48cm
Width: 13cm
Pocket opening width: 16cm


The date jime is an easy to wear himo type, with a semi-stiff shin core. Just wrap the date jime across the front of your kimono, cross the himo ties in back, and tie in front.

Date Jime Measurements:
Width: 10cm
Length (front only): 70cm
Himo Length: 78cm
Total Length: 226cm

For the Koshihimo, I offer the option of thread tassels on the ends, or without. The set comes with 2 koshihimo.

Koshihimo Measurements:
Width: 4cm
Length: 225cm


In an effort to use up as much of this fabric as I could, I made a few other small accessories that I've listed separately. The first I made was a sensu & sensu fukuro set:



Sensu Measurements:
Length: 21cm
Width: 3.5cm
Opens to 36cm

Sensu Fukuro Measurements:
4.5x22.5cm


And finally, I made some small purse accessories, including a coin pouch, card wallet, and compact mirror.

The mirror and coin pouch have a layer of poly-fiber padding, and the card wallet closes with an elastic and button. This time I used a red cotton lining.

Coin Pouch: 12.5x7.5x4cm
Card Wallet: 10x6cm
Mirror: 8.5cm square

Embroidered Stretch Tabi

This morning I finished another small project! Another pair of stretch tabi! They are made from an old tank top I had since I was in high school (13 years?) that had a small bit of embroidery along the neckline.

I used Saiya-chan's pattern again, but did some more experimenting. I had previously worked up a way to make them with lining, but this time I wanted to add some sort of closure to the back, since I found that I tend to snap the sewing threads when trying to fit my feet into the small sock opening. I used velcro for the back, it is what I had on hand for now and I figured it would work best with dealing with the stretch. I found that ribbed cotton jersey fabric stretched out really badly in my sewing machine, even with using an even-feed pressure foot, so the velcro helped even out some of that stretching that happened in the back.

I learned some things making these tabi, so now I look forward to the next pair. Next time I think I will add fusible interfacing to the sole and the edges of the back opening where the closure is, in order to prevent those pieces from stretching. I think that if I do that, I can use buttons to close up the back of the tabi!

Handmade Vintage Cotton Yukata and Flowers

Summer is almost over in the pacific northwest, and that means the last of the summer matsuri of the year as well! I haven't been able to go to many matsuri this year, however I was so happy to have been invited to help make items to sell at a local Japanese preschool for their summer festival. I made flower kamikazari, hair accessories. All of the money raised goes to helping tsunami victims in Japan. The small festival was really fun, they did an amazing job putting together the event for the kids, full of traditional matsuri games and foods! 

Before the festival. I had started sewing a yukata from some really cute vintage cotton that I had found at a secondhand shop.

The fabric was a dream to sew with, very light weight semi-open weave made it seem as though my hand-stitched hems were invisible.

Matching patchwork kinchaku made from left over scraps of fabric.

Since I had just finished sewing it, I decided this is what I'd wear to the preschool's summer festival!

As much as I love pink, I am going to look into making or buying a different obi. I think a dark plum purple would be nice. I will need a purple obi soon to go with another yukata I will be making in the near future anyways.

I just realized, I don't think I shared a photo of my kazari himo (decorative cord, like a thinner obijime for yukata) that I made. I wore it last time for Tanabata but didn't share a picture. The glass bead has a pink botan and dark red rose (not seen) painted on the inside, and the ends are capped with dangling pink and clear crystals. it looks really pretty in the back as well, tied in a bow with the dangling crystals.

Now onto the kami kazari, hair flowers, that I made for the fundraiser! I made 51 hair flowers (52 counting the purple rose in my own hair), many of them using beads.


Blurry pic! I didn't take photos of all of the individual flowers, but here are some of my favorites:

My first batch. The dark pink zinnia has clear and pink crystals dangling from clear wire, and the blue rose has feathers, pearls, and sterling silver beads dangling from steel wire - the blue rose was the first one that I made as well as the first flower kami kazari that I sold!

I love the cream lace rose with pearl bead chain dangles

The yellow daisy has a vintage turquoise cabochon center, and I used a large rhinstone for the pink daisy. I experimented with different centers for the zinnias, gold filigree in one, and a silver and Swarovski crystal flower in the other. I thought the pink and green camellia with the bead loop in the center was cute, but it was the least popular.

Purple! Because I was feeling overloaded with pink. The ranunculus (bottom) is a two piece set with a hair comb and bobby pin, it is difficult to see but each flower has a pearl center. The white rose was the most fun to make, but difficult to photograph. There are loops of pearls integrated in the flower petals.


Pearl centered orchids. I think I love the brown pearls

And because the hydrangeas are in bloom, I made a few white rose and hydrangea combo pieces, which look absolutely stunning in a formal updo!