Miyako odori uploads and more kimono photos

Firstly I uploaded my:
2008 Miyako odori
2009 Miyako odori
2011 Miyako odori

Will be uploading my 1913 and 1964 Miyako. Also coming up is a 1939 Kamogawa odori and three 1950's Kyo odori programs.

Now some more (bad) photos of my kimono...

My pretty sha hikizuri with hagi desgins. She has bad red stains on the back of the body and a few tea stains on the front but otherwise in ok condition. The lining situation is a bit different, the back panels are lined but the lining stops halfway down the front of the body panels. Not something I've seen before..

My salmon maiko hikizuri with autumn designs. I remember when I first started searching the internet for kimono, and then later maiko hikizuri there weren't many photos of maiko hikizuri but there was this photo:

And then ta-da! it turns up on ebay. Took me a while to decide that it was the same kimono and I jumped on it right away.

And lastly my beautiful waterlily and hydrangea maiko hikizuri! My awful photos don't do it justice but it really is a stunning piece!

Next are my darari obi:

I think the orange one is from a henshin studio because of the unusual mon amd the fact its not double sided like the others..

The white and gold one is a two piece easy obi that is probably also from a henshin studio.

Then my lovely black and gold with ume designs! My most expensive one but also the best condition and probably the legit thing. 

For more detailed photos see the folder Here.

On to normal kimono:

My wisteria haori. I bought this a few years ago, it is quite stained but looks great over black tights XD

A Meiji era girls kimono. It is lovely with all its subtle colours and designs but I really don't know why I bought it... Bit badly discoloured in some places.

More wisteria! This is a really lovely Showa era furisode with wicked wisteria design. Unfortunately the fabric across the shoulders is badly damaged and the cream fabric really shows up the stains and general dirt from years.

More wisteria? what? I bought this from Ichiroya about four years ago (wow that long ago?!) and its a lovely purple ro fabric with long sleeves :)

A blue irotomesode with mirror design. Got this for a good price off an Australian ebay seller, a few discoloured spots but in good contion otherwise.

Kuro furiosde. Bought this from an American seller, it came with a kurotomesode but it looked like someone had put it in the washing machine and when it dried the red lining fabric had bled everywhere!!! it looked sunburnt :( so it was really nice that this furi was in really good condition compared to its sister...

Still got more stuff to photograph but getting there!
Here is the folder with all my other kimono photos if your interested :)

Photographing my collection!

Firstly, I am really bad at taking photos. There, you've been warned.
Anyway, for the longest time I've wanted to take really nice photos of all my kimono... still do. Buut until such a time when I get better I've been taking crappy photos of my stuff :p

So....

My entire obiage collection to date. At the start of the year I bought a mixed lot of obiage. I nearly have every possible colour, at least in the pink/orange/red section and most of them are shibori and only two are ro lol! Better work on that...

 The majority of my obijime collection, except I didn't make a pretty rainbow out of them :(

Two pretty fans I bought from Shinei before they got shut down... on ebay I should say.

If you are interested in close-ups of the above they are in the Kimono accessories folder of my flickr.

Now the good stuff ;)
Since I sold my kiku kuro hikizuri last year I'm technically down to two geiko's hikizuri.
Both of them I think are around mid Showa age and not in wearable condition, so please admire them for all their prettyness.

This wave hikizuri has golden thread woven into the fabric all over giving it a beatuiful shimmery look that makes some photos look off in colour, but the base colour is a nice purple.

The fabric is old and ripping in certain places.

This was the first hikizuri I bought back in 2009 from the original Ryu on ebay.
Like I said, I'm not a great photographer but this one looks much nicer in person. But its badly stained, like someone splashed tea all over it :(

Maiko hiki!

I bought it listed as a furisode with the tucks removed, but because the upper body is so badly discoloured it was rather obvious what it was.

It has beautiful autumn leaves that I just love!

I was also lucky enough to find a maiko wearing it in my 1958 Miyako odori porgam.

So at 54 (if not more) years of age its retiring with me :)

Here is the set on Flickr to see more photos or to view them in a larger size.

Hopefully will get around to doing more soon, but knowing me it'll be a while lol

Scans and Biyosugata!

Trying to knuckle down and scan more goodies in!

I finally grew enough balls to scan my 1913 Miyako odori, I've been putting it off for best part of half a year but its done now!

Have also done 1926 Miyako and 1929 Kamogawa and some lovely old (Taisho) and vinatge (60's) postcards.

I've got a 1964 (I think) Miyako and three 1950's Kyo odori to scan and edit then share with everyone!

A couple of weeks ago I picked up about half of my kimono collection Yay!!!

Its also Immortal Geisha's 10th year anniversary this year and I've been wanting to dress in my IG coloured kimono with my new lotus obi to celebrate:

I thought I'd try using my Biyosugata out just to tie a normal taiko..... Well it sucked! I haven't used a Biyo before so I guess it was going to be difficult the first time anyway but I just couldn't get the hang of it!

I went and read the IG thread of how to use a Biyosugata and think I picked up a few hints, I'll hopefully try again in a few days with pictures... Maybe...

I also am going to take new photos of all my kimono stuffs, I started with my maiko hikizuri with pine and crane design:

See more photos here

I haven't really shared any of my recent purchases lately but I do have a few, most excitedly I won three massive lots of odori programs a few weeks ago:

WOOHOO! It'll be a couple of months probably before I scan/uploads these but I just wanted to share :)