If you have not heard of HINA before, read this.
Once again I made three new ornaments.
You can learn how to make one from the pictures of this website.
I made a heart. This is not a traditional design, but to me it would symbolize the wish that one's daughter grows up to be a loving person.
I also made an empress dressed in several layers of kimono. Underneath the fabric is a clam shell.
I made it like this:
First I covered one shell with chirimen silk (crepe silk).
Like this.
Then I glued some white chirimen over the pointed tip of the other shell, for the face.
The collar of the first kimono.
The second and third layers.
Over the forth (yellow) layer I dressed the clam shell with the right side of the outer kimono
and then the left side.
I then turned in the excess chirimen silk and stitch the two clam shells together, and drew the face.
These are great! I'm working on something today and hope to get mine finished before next Saturday!
ReplyDeleteOh, I AM looking forward to what HINA ornaments you are making!
DeleteThe Empress is charming and imaginative - lovely!
ReplyDeleteClamshells have been used since ancient times in Japan for ornaments, painted or covered with fabric. Even 'lipstick' was kept in a clamshell; it was a red paste and ladies used their little finger as a brush to paint the lips.
DeleteThanks for the instructions, I would never of thought of covering a clamshell like that.
ReplyDeleteIt is an ancient art form!
DeleteThere were games, too, where the inside of two shells were painted with the same scene, or pairs of scenes. The shells were placed with the inside down and players took part in trying to find the two matching pairs.
What is that card game called in English? Concentration? Memory? Pairs?
That’s Pelmanism ..... I remember playing that!
DeleteHugs,
Barbara xx
I love the fabric, crepe silk.
ReplyDeleteGreat work and tutorial and fun bit of Japanese culture and history.
Crepe silk (chirimen) can be a nightmare to work with. It is both soft and hard, slippery and stretchy. It has a lovely sheen, though!
Deletesuch lovely Hina ornaments. clamshell a great idea.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was fun to 'dress' the clamshell.
DeleteLovely decorations, Queenie!
ReplyDeleteI’d never have thought to use a shell like that. Very interesting about the lipstick.
Hugs,
Barbara xx
You need a stretchy fabric to make the fabric drape well over the shell.
DeleteWith my girls no longer at home, I had forgotten all the decorating that goes with Hinamatsuri. How did I ever find space to set up all those dolls in the past?
ReplyDeleteMost traditional Hina ornaments take up space. For many years I had some origami dolls made by students. They were easy to store!
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