Obi Tying Hints?

[LucBorgia]

    Hello everyone!

    As I have lamented in the past, it is very difficult to tie one's own obi without assistance.  I've often wished for a third (or fourth) arm to complete the task!  Anyone have an extra arm for sale? ::jokes::

   While I was looking around on the 'Net, I found the following link:
    www.kikimimi.ne.jp/www/sortie/Ekimono.htm

    It shows, by clever use of animations, how to tie a number of pretty and unusual obi bows that I wasn't familiar with.  I especially like the bows that represent flowers.  Although, it looks like to me that one would definitely need help when tying the bows shown.

    I can tie a cute little bow like is demonstrated on Ichiroya.  But sometimes, I would like to wear a more elaborate bow.  I know there are pre-tied obis that are out there...does anyone know a good place to purchase one?

    Also, has anyone tried making her (or his!) own pre-tied obi bows?  If so, how well did it work?  I can sew and I'd like to try and make my own pre-tied bow that I can put on by myself.  Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about it?

   Many thanks!

   ~Lucrezia

[Kiyoaki]

Lucrezia,

This may (or might not) help, but for what it is worth, here's a hint. Try thinking of the obi as a strip of paper rather than a sash. Instead of 'knotting' your obi, think of the operation as a 'folding' process. I'm not thinking 'origami' entirely, but there is some of that in this approach.

I know from my own experience, that the 'kaku-obi' was something of a mystery until I started to think of it as folded geometry. After that, if I visualized the process in my mind, I could tie it behind my back with greater control and speed.

As a transitional step, tie the obi on yourself, but finish the knot in the front. Use a mirror if it helps to match the visual image with the cues in you mind. After, the knot is finished, rotate the whole affair to the back by taking hold of all the turns at one time. Obviously you can't use all the extras [i.e pillows and boards], if you do this. Maybe if you perfect your technique this way, the extra hand won't be necessary.

Kiyoaki

[Kou Hiko]

I used to tie my obi the way Kyoaki discribed -- in front and turn it around when done.

I recommend everyone go out and buy the book "The Book of Kimono". If you can't find it, try the library. It is the book that taught me to dress in kimono. It gives instructions to tie the kai no kuchi musubi for casual wear and the taiko musubi for just about any occasion as well and bow for an elastic obi for home wear and one of the nicest bows -- fukura musubi (plump sparrow) that looks gorgeous with furisode, but the instuctions require an obi aid. I used the instructions for this bow to make my own tsuke obi (pre-tied) from an old silk pant-suit from the 70's 8)!

For the site you went to that uses animations. What I did was copy them and stop the animation frame by frame (it's really hard to do) and sketched what I saw. (I'm not quite finished yet...) I intend on making a web site that will have a more practical way of teaching the musubi (like the bunko musubi on Ichiroya).

[LucBorgia]

    Thank you Kyoaki and Kou-Hika for the excellent suggestions!  

    I'm going to do as you suggested, Kou-Hika, and try and sketch the motions they used on the animations.  I have "The Book of Kimono" and am making slow, but steady progress.  I can tie the shellfish bow now, although it still looks a wee bit lopsided at times.  

    The mental image of folding the obi is very helpful too, although at this point, it feels more like I'm trying to mummify myself! ::laughs::

[Kou Hiko]

I'm glad that you are learning to wear kimono. It is hard at first, but keep it up.

The bow on the site that is the easiest to do/sketch is the chidori musubi. It goes well with furisode and kosode and is very easy to do (even with nagoya obi if a few adjustments are made).

Have you tried the one on this site? It's really easy to do as well (not as easy as the shellfish bow, but the next step up). And it doesn't have to be limited to just being tied over yukata. If you look in The Book of Kimono they have a picture of the bow on Ichiroya tied a bit differently to go with furisode. I haven't done it because I don't have a fukuro obi   but what I practiced with my nagoya obi I've learned it can be done (nagoya obi is hard to tie).

I'll make my own fukuro obi. It'll be the ugliest fukuro obi made of all green silk curtains with wooven bamboo, but it'll do.
I'll work on that when I finish the juban I'm making for my fiance (he's so happy. I've turned my husband-to-be into a kimono nut).

I've also started on my website. I'm going to start with directions on dressing kimono and obi, but it'll be awhile since I have to illustrate it all myself  .

Keep up your self-teaching kimono lessons to yourself. I just know you'll get good at it. I'd really like to see some pictures if you have/get any. And when I do get my site up and running, I'll be expecting pictures (even if I have to chase people done to get them! ;D).

Keep in touch, okay?

[chiiyo]

I think that's a really good idea, to make "kimonos" and "obis" from normal cloth and practise wearing it...

[Kiyoaki]

John,

A variation on that idea is to take one end and form it into a roll (full width but turned perpendicular to the waist). Then take the other loose end and wrap it around the cylinder you've formed, but in the opposite direction. Then bring the remainling length under all the windings of the obi so that the roll is held firmly against the obi. Continue going around with the loose end until it's all used up.

Otherwise, if you're wearing a kaku-obi, but not wearing the hakama, then men use one knot that's supposed to resemble a clam shell. It lies flat against the body. I won't attempt to describe it at this point, but it is the standard form for men (and is occcasionally worn by women with the yukata).

In the case of the heko-obi, a loose bow can be used, but usually men wear a lop-side one with only one length looped and tied off.

Kiyoaki

[MarieNY]

Here is a link which shows different knots for furisode. It's in Japanese but very well illustrated:

www4.ocn.ne.jp/~tomasan/furisode.html

The page loads with only "garbage" characters on my computer, but the one on the lower left seems to be called "tateya". With practice a woman can tie this by herself. Some interesting knots that combine two obis and several obijimes apper to be impossible to tie without assistance.