Tag: Tanka

Something that slowed me down a touch while hemming the sleeves – seams letting go. The start and end points of the attachment for the sode, sleeves, and the start of the side seam on both sides almost all had issues. My knots were not enough. So I reinforced those spots as I hemmed.

Lesson learned. Always give your thread ends a firm start AND finish.

On to the eri, collar.

I started by making the decision on how deep to cut the neck opening. My research gave me 19.5 (on the oversized men’s hitoe), 13.5 on the other men’s undergarment, 12.5 on the uwagi, and 11.5 for the women’s hitoe. I’m going with 11.5 cm. I don’t feel quite right about either of the men’s garments as one is oversize and the other is well, different.

I also went over the translation again to see if I had missed any helpful information on any of the source garment patterns and to double check everything before I start sewing. And I was stopped dead in my tracks.

I wrote in a previous blog the the top edge of the body and overlap panels will have this extra triangle shaped bit that gets folded up and tucked into the collar, sandwiched between two layers of fabric. What if I told you that there was only one layer of fabric?

Yeah. Made my head spin too. I’ve asked about it on the SCA Japanese facebook group, and so far, I’ve been told to do it the fold over way. I swear I asked the question clearly. I’ve attempted to clarify and uploaded source documents.

Now I’m stuck in research purgatory while I wait on someone who is more familiar with the Nuikata to weigh in.

If what I suspect is right, this really will be my lucky kosode. To make the collar work as one layer, it has to be cut on the selvage edge of the fabric, using that edge as the finished edge. I initially laid out and cut the kosode in such a way that I had a long narrow band that was selvage on one side. I planned on using it as the kake-obi, the red belt/sash worn around the shoulders. Well, it just so happens to be within a quarter inch of what I need, so that’s likely being repurposed – pending what others say. I have some off white silk taffeta I can use for the kake-obi.

I am half convinced I’m on to something that the other Japanese scholars in the SCA have missed and half convinced I’ve missed something small but vital that explains the whole thing.

Trying to do more / Though it comes in fits and starts / And yet I persist / Finally making progress –  / Halted for lack of knowledge

It was very ambitious of me to think I would finish hemming everything in just an hour or two. And possibly a little silly.

I did not pull off magic.

I have one sleeve left to hem, which may or may not be finished tonight. So tomorrow will be collar day, and that’s ok.

Added to the pot / Leftovers from yesterday, / More vegetables, / A little bit of magic, / Some time and “voila!” – it’s soup.

I’ve been revising how long it should take to sew a garment by hand and am much less stressed and even more determined. There is of course the very slim chance that I find a job, then all bets are off. I’ll deal with that challenge when that happens. For now, sleeve hemming.

Eventually / This shapeless pile of white silk / Becomes a garment / First of three of similar / Shape, almost complete, almost.

Seam finishing is complete.

The sleeve edges need one more turn and the hem needs hemming. I’ve decided to use running stitch for both. I expect to finish those two tasks before bed.

Tomorrow I’ll attach the eri, collar, and the kosode will be complete.

I’m frustrated because I’m taking so long. working in fits and starts. A little bit every day, but still not enough.

Deep breath.

Please, unclench your jaw / Relax your shoulders, gently / Take a slow, deep breath. / How long has it been since you / Last allowed yourself some peace?

Back to it.

I’ve been listening to SCA classes on YouTube while stitching. Today I’ve listened to Introduction to Documentation and How to Research Like an Academic. And I’ve discovered that the East Kingdom’s YouTube channel has some lovely playlists set up, so I’m going to listen to one of those (made up of hours of classes) next. The webministry is doing an amazing job.

I’ve been reassessing my timeline, and I have a few more days before I think things start to get too tight for comfort.

So far today I’ve just about finished the first step, folding over and then using a running stitch to secure the fold. I decided to use that simple method as my seam finish for the sleeves. I’m going to try the “triangle fold” method from the pattern instructions for the okumi seams. I think I understand it now.

Deep breath. And back to it.

The tech issues persisted into today. And it has me a little worn out. But it seems that I’ve found a work around in third party software. Or not. What seemed to be a fix has let me down. I’ll keep working on it.

Last night I did indeed finish hemming the openings.

While working on other things today I was doing a lot of thought about the eri, collar.

A quick aside. I use the Japanese terms because that’s the word that pops into my head first when thinking of the item. I don’t know much Japanese, but there are certain things, like the names of parts of garments and a handful of colors that Japanese is the first language I think in. I’ve been studying Heian clothing for almost two decades. Is it any wonder some of the information is so rooted in my brain that I see fall colors and immediately think of the names of kasane, color combinations?

Anywho…

I’ve been wondering about the collar and the excess material at the top of the migoro, body, and okumi, overlap panel. In modern kimono the excess is folded up and encased in the collar. I have no reason to stray from the modern practice. I’ve cut it off in the past. Many recreationists add interfacing to their collars to make them crisp. I never have. I didn’t see anything in the translations so far to indicate use of a stiffener. So I’m not changing on that one. My biggest decision is how deep to cut the slit at the shoulder fold/neck opening. I’ll consult the patterns again and make a choice.

But later. Today is for finishing sleeves. Which means I have to come to a decision about seam finishes. So. Unless I cut into the seam allowance, folding over and felling down (or at least putting a running stitch through the fold), away from the seam on each side is the only way with the sleeves.

I’ll need to finish the seams on the body before I attach the collar and finish the hem. It’s getting so close to done but there’s still so much to do.

Why would you put off / Until later what you have / Had all day to do? / Does the pressure compel you / As the deadline approaches?

It’s sleeve day!

First thing is to decide on the final size of the sode, sleeves. I’ve looked through the patterns that I’m referencing again, and it didn’t help. Well, it helped, I just wasn’t presented with an easy answer.

The men’s hitoe is too big. The other men’s garment has a completely different style of sleeve. The women’s hitoe has 74cm (29 inches) sleeves. I also looked at the pattern for a later period uchikake, a fancy outer-wear garment that the kosode evolved into, sort of. Those sleeves were remarkably different being half panel width and much more short, only 44.5cm (17.5 inches). Some patterns made by modern recreationists are as short as 15 inches.

I went with something in between. 20 inches. Bigger than the later period and using a full panel width, but not so big as to even completely fill up the hitoe sleeve that will go over it. It’s the size that to my eye gives an appropriately imposing period proportion.

I’ve finished sewing the bottom and front edge seam on both sleeves so far. I plan to fold over the opening for the hand and hem it down on each one next. I’ll probably get that done before I turn in to a pumpkin.

I’d love to include some more progress photos, but I’m experiencing technical difficulties migrating photos and video from my phone to the computer. Here’s hoping I resolve those issues soon.

And I spent a little time on the beach today. It was quite windy.

Rivulets of sand / Hurried by unrelenting / Wind across the beach / The unseen makes itself known / And rushes into the sea

Once I have the sleeve openings hemmed I’ll attach the sleeves to the body of the kosode at the shoulder. I’ll then hem the body side of the sleeve and double check that I sewed the side seam up high enough – I may have gotten a little off when converting centimeters to inches.

And I still have to figure out seam treatments.

I definitely will not be finished with it tomorrow, but most likely in a day or two of my target deadline and that’s not too bad.

Today feels really productive. I cut down the okumi, overlap panels, cut open the migoro, body panels, and pinned everything together.

Stitching the okumi on to the migoro is progressing nicely, and I’ll likely finish before I go to bed. That should probably read I won’t go to bed until I finish.

I’ve been thinking about all the kosode I’ve made. This one is almost the same, but so far, the differences are immense.

The fabric choice. I’ve made kosode from multiple weights of cotton and linen. Nothing compares to how fine working with the silk is. I’m sitting with the majority of the garment in my lap while stitching and it’s just so light and folds down so small.

Stitching. It is taking eons longer to sew by hand than it did by machine. My seams are just as straight. The machine has more precision in stitch length. But my little running stitches don’t randomly produce bobbin vomit (this is when the bottom or bobbin thread on the machine gets loopy and becomes this awful mass of thread). I’m also enjoying sewing by hand for the sheer lack of noise. Sewing machines are loud. Tension is a toss up between the two.

A different take / On a tune I heard before / Once upon a time / Meter and rhyme – changed, but / This feeling has the same score.

It was already / Later than I had hoped / And my muse spoke not / I let the silence whisper / Inspiration in her stead

Finally.

I finished hemming the second okumi, overlap panel, tonight. I expect things to start to progress rapidly from here. This step was a time sink. Yet another reason to try not to ever do it again.

Hindsight being 20/20, I’ve already figured out how I could have avoided hemming the okumi during layout this time. Not super helpful until I make another kosode with the same width fabric. The next garment, the hitoe, needs selvage edges for the sleeves and the overlap panels in order to avoid hemming work.

And I still haven’t settled on how to finish the seams.

Tomorrow I’ll start in on the steps I outlined for the okumi attachment in yesterday’s post.

I’m still working on hemming the okumi (overlap panels).

Warm days in autumn / Are a gentle reminder / Of summer now gone / Thoughts to brace against the cold / As we move toward winter

Progress is progress and I have at least finished one of the okumi.

Here’s what I’m doing. First I fold the edge over about 1/16 inch. I put a running stitch through that to hold it down, approximately 8 stitches per inch.

After I’ve run a line of stitching down one side, I fold it over again and secure it with a felling or whip stitch at approximately 10 stiches per inch.

Once I finish the second okumi, I’ll slice the migoro (body) open along the front -if you recall, I left the two body panels in one piece. I’ll then cut the unhemmed long edge of the okumi at an angle. That angle is then sewn to the migoro body panel.

I’m not sure if I’ll attach the eri (collar) after that or the sode (sleeves). Time will tell.

Right now it’s time to get back to hemming.

Held my breath so long / I almost forgot to breathe / But was reminded / Gently, to relax again / After an eternity

For almost a full day, I didn’t sew.

And now I’m actually concerned about my pace. Maybe I just need to really settle in to it. I feel like I keep saying that. It was also a tremendously stressful week. I feel like I keep saying that as well.

Time to buckle down and start making serious progress. Am I repeating myself with that too?

I have made good progress this evening. I’ve almost finished hemming the edge of one of the okumi overlap panels. I should keep in mind that I won’t have to do this again on the other two garments. Lesson learned about cutting particular pieces on the selvage edge.

And hey, that’s one full week of poems for the #tankachallenge. Actually proud of that.