Tuesday, September 05, 2006

着物あれこれ:単 This and That about Kimono (2) Hitoe




どちらも夏の単の古着です。花柄の方が古くて袖が長めです。昔、中学二年のときの家庭科で浴衣を縫ったのが、実際に自分の手で着物を縫った唯一の経験ですが、ほとんど憶えていません。でも運針の練習もして、何とか縫っただけ偉かったのかも。おくみを裁つときに間違えて接がないといけなくなったのですが、母に教えられながら、それを襟で何とか上手に隠した記憶があります。昔は縫い直しのときにそんなやり方をしたのかもしれません。海外の人に今回は、着物は36cm幅の反物を各部分ごと長方形に裁ち、縫い代の幅でサイズを調節して仕立てたということを理解してもらおうと思っています。

Both kimonos are old ued ones. They are worn in summer, for sewn without liner. When I was a junior high student, we learned how to sew a yukata, which is the most casual cotton kimono. That was my first and last lesson of sewing kimono. Always kimono is sewn up of rectangle pieces; 36cm width x (dress, sleeve, collar) length. But only two half (18cm) width pieces are added to the each front. Seam allowances would be changed, depending on the wearer's size. You can see the sleeve length of each kimono is different. Flowery patterns one's is longer and looks more ellegant.

5 comments:

Ulla said...

A very smart and economical way of doing clothes.
Thank you for this.
Ulla

Hideko Ishida said...

Kimono is always handsewn. Therefore, it is possible to be undone, then resewn, exchanging each parts (worn or spotted part would be used at the hidden part) or remake into small children's kimono.

Maureen said...

Hideko -san,
doesn't the length of the sleeve also denote whether a wonam is married or single?

Also please explain: is the kimono unstitched for cleaning,or is it launde5red in one piece?

Hideko Ishida said...

About the length of sleeve, only maidens can wear long sleeves kimono, furisode and chufuri(a bit shorter than furisode). They are full length, mostly reachs to the floor.

Today we have dry cleaning. But before that, kimonos were undone and each pieces were washed and dried on a flat board, then sewn up again. Women's responsibility for their family's wearings were so big.

Bear said...

Hideko
thank goodness for dry cleaning- but when they go to the dry cleaners do they still clean a kimono in the old way of separating each piece and then restitching- sorry if this is a silly question.
both of these kimonos are beautiful thank you so for explaining eah layer and showing them
love n hugs bear xoxoxoxox