23 April 2005

Getting the hang of it



Originally uploaded by framboise.

I managed to get my obi tied today with a minimum of fuss, and also managed to get dressed in full kimono gear within 20 minutes. Granted, I used a synthetic Nagoya obi, which is much easier to tie than my thicker and heavier silk Fukuro obi. I'm also quite pleased with the way my new Han Eri turned out. Received it in the post this morning, and stitched it to my nagajuban in time for dinner at my friend's home. It's surprisingly comfortable to sit for hours in a kimono, and given that I tied all the koshihimo and datejime quite tight, neither of the two collars moved, and my obi also stayed pretty neat all evening. A successful first semi-public outing in proper attire. (^_^)

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please! Please! Tell us how to tie Fukuro Obi! By accident I bought one and can't find a reference on how to tie it properly.
Yours, in ever frustrated knots,
Michelle.

akatsukira said...

I'm probably not the best person to ask; I've only tried it a few times. Hope the following links will be of some help:
1. Fukuro obi instructions in English
2. Fukuro obi instructions in Japanese
3. Complex musubi instructions in Japanese
4. More complex musubi instructions in Japanese

Somesho has a host of other kitsuke pages as well, and can be translated using babelfish or nifty (for nifty, choose the second option in the drop down box for Japanese to English).

Something I learned when tying a heavy obi is to fold it in half and place it on a clean floor (like in the Somesho site). If your legs don't cramp easily, it's easier on the arms to kneel while tying the obi. And even easier if you can get a dexterous person to help you!

Good luck with your obi!