A Little More About My Handmade Mae Ita

A little while ago, I made a Mae Ita (obi board) for myself.

I enjoyed making it so much that I decided to make a few more to share. One of my favorite parts was choosing the fabric combination for the front and back. There are so many possibilities when you start mixing different fabrics!

I’ve always found a compact Mae Ita more comfortable for everyday wear. The one I made is about 29.8 cm wide, a little smaller than a standard-sized one.

For me, another important thing is being able to put it in after putting on the kimono and obi. I don’t always wear an obi board in everyday life, but sometimes I decide to add one when I’m getting ready to go out. And there are also times when I want to take it out later when I’m already out.

There are newer styles of obi boards that have elastic attached and are worn directly over the kimono, but I prefer the simplicity of the traditional style — a simple board that you can slip into place when you need it.

A Little Pocket from the Past

Speaking of traditional Mae Ita, the one I had been using for many years was one I’d owned since I was quite young. It had a small pocket between the layers.

I feel like pockets on Mae Ita are less common these days. Maybe I’m just imagining it, but I always found that little pocket surprisingly useful.

It was just big enough to tuck away something small, such as a movie or museum ticket, so I decided to include the same little detail in the Mae Ita I made.

There is one thing I learned from using my old one, though: very tiny things can sometimes slip all the way down to the bottom of the board. Something as small as a postage stamp, for example, might disappear inside.

Tickets for a movie or museum, on the other hand, stayed safely in place.

Of course, these days we often have tickets right on our phones, so perhaps little pockets like this are gradually becoming unnecessary.

Still, I like the idea of keeping this small, practical detail alive.

And that’s one of the things I enjoy about making these little Japanese accessories — sometimes an old idea is worth bringing back, even if we use it in a slightly different way today.

I made these Mae Ita with 100% cotton sewing fabric, giving this traditional Japanese accessory a fresh and colorful twist.

[See the handmade Mae Ita in the shop →]

Handmade Obi Maeita – Made with Western-Style Fabric

$19.88

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