In September of 2020 I suffered a profound loss. To manage my grief I threw myself, heart and soul, into this project.
My travelling outfit is modeled after the one found in the Kyoto Costume Museum. The project was initially conceived to meet the requirements for the Calontir Clothing Challenge and was revised slightly to meet the requirements for the East Kingdom’s Crown’s Arts and Sciences Championship. I won my division in the Calontir Clothing Challenge, placed as a Finalist at A&S Champs and was selected Consort’s Champion by His Majesty Alberic.
My documentation can be found here. I also kept a daily blog of my progress to mimic the diaries of Heian noblewomen, which you can find on this webpage. Stitching began on October 1, 2020, and the project was completed on January 10, 2021.
The project consists of a white kosode, a green hitoe, a brocade uwagi (lined) and a hat with veil panels and woven cords. Everything was hand sewn and is made of silk with the exclusion of the brocade which is synthetic. The silk cords were woven on a marudai.
I learned a tremendous amount while creating this ensemble, and have begun the process of revising it to come in line with my current understanding of the research.
More images can be found here.
