My Kimono's Dream Came True

         A long time ago before my Immortals were born, I found a website one day that it’s all about the Kimonos. I remember that I went to that website almost everyday, kept admiring and dreaming of my own Kimono like that. I didn’t know who the artist is, but I only loved to see some colorful kimonos in different colors, black, red, gold, some colorful tiny flowers, cranes, and also many miniatures beautiful props and wigs in Oriental Japanese Styles. Until I have made my own porcelain BJDs, I started to dream about those Kimonos again. I, therefore, started making the Kimonos, trying to adapted and applied from what I saw. I goggled and bought some books that taught how to do the Kimono patterns. Finally the Kimono from what I have learnt from the books was done.  Umm what should I say?  I gave up and I kept it. I never put it on the website anymore. It might not be the right time for me to have the best Kimono like those. It came up to my mind someday that I should write to that artist and ask her to make a Kimono for my doll specially. However, I was to considerate not to disturb her until there was a destiny, a very beautiful destiny that made my big dream came true. As I said in some previous blog that how I got to this Kimonos artist, Miwa M, a very skillful kimonos making master of many different types for BJDs, now I would like to make a second review for her kimono in this whole entry of my blog here.

         It came to me one day that I went to Miwa’s facebook and I saw some pictures of her doll wearing the kimono, “Oiran” The topic said “If you play with Oiran, please learn a tradition. Uncouth is disliked by them. :P” This made me think that the maker has a really strong back ground of what she’s doing. A person who becomes “Oiran” should have some political knowledge, entertaining skills, musical, acting, and some performances as a kind of art. An of course, she must have a good personality, too. This is how she looks from Miwa’s vision. How do you like her? For me I love this doll with the kimono by Miwa so much!

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         After I have seen some pictures from her facebook, I wouldn’t hesitate to write and ask her about the possibility to own this hand made Kimono. Miwa said  she could not repeat the same kimono again because each kimono takes time and the graphics on the kimono are always not the same. I feel it’s so special because the cutting and the pattern from the real pieces are not what I could learn exactly from the book at all. To make a complicated things like this, the maker must have a very strong sense of how to attach and combine the pattern wisely. I got some massages back during our conversation and it took 3 days that the kimono came to my place after the writing some long emails. Thank you very much that she shipped the kimono so fast and I didn’t expect that it would be that fast! How nice.

          The kimono came to me yesterday in the evening as I came back home and my brother said that there was a package from Japan. I realized that it must be that Kimono from Miwa. And it’s right. I slowly opened and saw things carefully.  I got a short massage from her, saying something about her work. She also sent some postcards, and they are very beautiful! I got so surprised that Miwa had sent me the small pillow for the doll, a green mat, and also the golden back drop as a beautiful prop! Oh my goodness, my heart was popping out so fast!

         The second thing that I saw was something in a plastic box. The box was carefully packed the decoration part for the dress. I didn’t know what to call these pieces. But they are golden. On the right pictures, there are 2 goldfish as a beautiful decoration on it. This shows how imaginative that the Japanese people have from the past until now.

          This shows the front and back of the 1^st layer of the dress. I really love the red and purple. These 2 colors are so fresh. I noticed the pattern and they are totally hand made! I couldn’t believe this! They can be a museum Kimono doll quality. The different needles colors were carefully sew on the dress pieces. I’m so speechless. It reminded me a surprised thing of a temple in Kyoto once I visited, that temple was built and constructed without any nails! It’s so gigantic and it amazed me so much. So did this kimono!!!

         And these show the outer dress that the front and the back is beautifully and equally cut and sew by hands. The birds on the upper left arm, and right arm, and also at the bottom are so equal! That’s so nice!

 

         The last thing that I would like to share us all here is the wig and the accessories. The wig is really neat and strong with the cap inside.It's called "Shimada" wig style. I like the small tiny double pins that the top has got small chains with the circular crafts at the tips. Needless to say, these special pins make the doll and the wig look very charming and truly beautiful!

         Now I just keep this Kimono very well in the box, and I promise that I will share us all here on day when I make another special doll that fits Miwa’s Kimono. I have a plan to make my private gallery one day in the future and I believe that the 2 kimonos from Miwa, Heian Period, and Oiran Kimono will display together beautifully in a nice glass box.I'd like to "thank you" very much for visiting the blog. I also would like to Thank You Miwa here for making my dream comes true. I have some other artists that I want to share here,too. But to night, Thank You and have a sweet dreams guys.

Hugs/Nune 

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credit pictures a, b, and c: http://www.facebook.com/miwa.maruta