Third time's a charm?

Soooo...Today was the big day. The first time I actually went out in public in kimono! I was so nervous that I completely forgot my camera, so we had to make due with Greg's iphone camera.

We went out to eat at a Japanese restaurant and had some yummy noms, then drove over to the all-seasons garden, and let me tell you...I do not like riding in cars in kimono. I have got to figure out a better way to sit, because leaning forward the whole time is kind of killer on the back, especially when we have to go after being stopped at a stop sign or light. >_<;;

Anyway, I think I did pretty well on my kitsuke. There were a few wrinkles that I had to live with, or we wouldn't have made it to the restaurant before it closed, and my collars started slipping a little by the time we got into the garden, but overall it was pretty good!

I accessorized with my lime cashmere pashmina scarf and my hot pink cabled fingerless mitts that I knit for myself, so I'm a little all-over-the-place with color, but it was better than being cold!

My otaiko musubi was not quite as neat as it was last time. I made myself some sarashi and I haven't quite figured out the way to wrap them perfectly just yet, so I was a little bigger around the midsection than last time. My front camellia sits a little off-center because of that, but I didn't stress about it. A lot of things in the Japanese aesthetic aren't quite centered or symmetrical.

Quick addition

So, I whipped up a little han'eri today, preparing for my first ever public trip out in kimono! BFF is taking me out to lunch at a local Japanese restaurant, so I want to make sure I look super-nice!

It's just made of some quilting cotton that I picked up at  JoAnn's, but I like it and how it's almost peacock-y.