Furisode II - Out West 2

Seeing as how there are so few ways to truly be any more west of here, I thought I'd have some fun with the unique scenery, to highlight the irony that I study and make costumes from THE easternmost part of the world. This is my grandmother's front yard on the west side of Tucson, in Southern Arizona.

Fun Fact: For those of us familiar with the movie Final Fantasy: Spirits Within, in these pictures I happen to be in almost the exact area where the Tucson scene in there was set. (Where they find the dead soldier who's "oval pack" is one of the spirits they are collecting.) Those are the Catalina mountains in the background, which you may or may not recognize from the Final Fantasy movie.


In my opinion, this shoot came out absolutely dreadful. I only wore that garish obi because it's the only one I've made so far. And note, I haven't made any obi-age and obi-jime yet. The next obi I make will probably be Nagoya-obi, and have all kinds of stuffing and stiffeners in it. The the single-biggest challenge I've faced with kimono design is having never actually held on my hands. I've seen them with my eyes, but have no clue how thick or heavy the fabrics are supposed to be.

I do know that dragons are in fact a masculine design. Furisode are only for women, and silly wrestlers.

I shall also have to learn how to tie a drum bow. And then afford myself the time to do so. This was a terrible rush-job, done almost without mirrors. Big mistake