Expect picspam.
Cherry's birthday is this month, and I've had her for ten years, so I wanted to give her something really special. Also, I made her a lot of new clothes because she only has like, fifty dresses. But for her birthday I wanted to take a shot at an actual kimono as opposed to my usual yukata. Now, I couldn't afford silk (and silk is a bitch to work with), but I got the softest, most supple cotton I could find in what I considered the perfect pattern: pale blue with cherry blossoms.
So, this ensemble includes a pale green undercollar, a brighter green obi with a green satin ribbon obijime (knotted overcord), and a white chrysanthemum hair ornament. You can't really see the wide pink plain ribbon under the ruffled green ribbon that serves both as a datejime (belt holding the kimono closed under the obi) and an obi-ita (which helps the obi hold its shape), but it's there.
A white ribbon chrysanthemum ornament decorates the chocho (butterfly) knot. The long ends dangle almost like a darari obi, simply because (a) I like it and (b) it makes thying the obi easier. And yes, the butterfly knot is a lot like a simple bow, but it customarily sits atop the obi instead of being tied in the middle. And yes, I know only unmarried girls are supposed to have furisode (almost floor-length sleeves), but it's my damn doll, so there.
The cherry tree is actually a spray purchased from Dollar Tree and jammed into a plastic flower pot (which I replaced after this photoshoot with a pretty black pot that looks more Asian). The flowers were originally white, but I dyed them pale pink with a red Sharpie core. (It's so pale it still looks almost white in the pics, but hey.)
Did I mention I love the MTM body's flexibility? She sits on her heels even more nicely than a Volks or Obitsu (and in the case of the Volks, is a lot less likely to fall bonelessly over to the side). The cushion she's kneeling on is her traveling futon, which I wrap her in to take her places. It's a combination travel bag, futon and cushion, and it's made from a pillowcase padded with felt.
Cherry having her birthday lunch of sekihan (Japanese red beans and rice) and chilled green tea. The chopsticks are a toothpick cut in half and glued tip-ends together to give her the illusion of actually eating (instead of being permanently open like the Barbie chopsticks in the sushi set).
The food and drink are seed beads because that's what I had to hand. The bowl is a cut-down capsule from a gum machine. The cup for the tea is the cap from a breath freshener spray. The tray is the lid from a sewing kit pin holder. The table is a paper clip holder turned upside down.
I also got something very special (and decidedly Western) for her birthday: her very own Barbie! It's the "original ponytail" edition of the World's Smallest Barbie, and it's jointed exactly like the original 1959 model. It comes in a molded-on zebra swimsuit, but as a special touch I made a few simple dresses for the doll, including a fairly faithful reproduction of the "Southern Belle" outfit (sans gloves and necklace because, you know, TOO EFFEN SMALL).
Strictly speaking, the WSB is somewhere between 1/4 and 1/6 (it's about 2 a a half inches tall), but I think it's close enough, and Cherry loves her newest plaything.
Cherry thanks you all for coming to her birthday party!
