Tamaki is in the over 65 age group and was born in the Tokyo area. She has two grown up children, and has recently lost her husband. As a child she wore kimono for the usual ceremonies, 7,5,3 and for coming of age. She also wore a yukata for festivals. After marriage she wore a kimono for her children’s entrance and graduation ceremonies, but in her family kimono has always been confined to formal wear. It was only worn on special occasions. Tamaki studied sewing (western clothing) at college for one year and she did some sewing jobs before her marriage. She also remembers using her machine to make lots of clothes for her two children. It was after her daughter started wearing kimono and asked her to sew one for her, that she used the machine to make kimono for the first time. She has made over 30 cotton kimono now, and has also made polyesters ones, and obi, too. Once it is started she feels that it is easier than western dress. You just repeat the same straight lines. She had never thought about opening the family chest and using the kimono inside until her daughter became interested and started to ask her to go out with her to exhibitions. This was about fifteen years ago. She is thankful for the chance to communicate with her daughter and also for the chance to use the family kimono which were sleeping in the family chest. Tamaki has 79 kimono, the majority of which are tsumugi or cotton kimono.

玉氣さん、65歳以上の年齢のグループ、東京近郊で生まれました。二人のお子さんは独立されています。最近ご主人を亡くされました。

子供の頃の着物で思い出すのは七五三や成人式などのお祝い事に着た着物と、夏祭りの浴衣です。結婚してからはお子さんの入学式と卒業式に着物を着ました。玉氣さんにとって着物は、晴れの日に着る礼装のことで、それ以外の機会に着ることは考えていませんでした。洋裁学校に一年通ったため、結婚前には時々洋裁の仕事を受けていました。お子さんが生まれると、ミシンを使いたくさんの洋服を２人のお子さんに作ってあげました。

お嬢さんが着物を着るようになったある日のこと、着物を縫って欲しいと頼まれました。和裁の経験がないながらもミシンで縫ってあげました。それから現在にいたるまで、木綿の着物を３０枚以上、他にもポリエステルの着物や帯もミシンで縫いました。着物は直線縫いの繰り返しなので、今では洋服を縫うより簡単に感じます。玉氣さんはお嬢さんが着物に興味をもち、一緒に着物で出かけようと誘ってくれるまでは、ご家族から伝わる箪笥を開けて中の着物を着ようとは考えたことがありませんでした。15年前から娘と一生2切る事になりました。今ではご家族の箪笥の中で長い間眠っていた着物を着る機会ができたこと、お嬢さんと着物を着ることで交流が増えたことにとても感謝しています。玉氣さんがお持ちの着物は79枚。そのうちの多くが紬と木綿着物です。