Tutorial: Chirimen tegarami

This is a type of hair ornament worn by maikos when they have their hair in the ofuku style. It's called a chirimen tegarami, and it's a triangular shaped piece of fabric that sits at the bottom of the mage (bun). I liked the look of this and thought it would be fun to make my own, the only problem being that I could find no information on how to sew one, so I had to invent my own pattern!

The chirimen tegarami looked to me like a flattened knot of fabric forming a pentagon shape, with tails at the bottom left and right, so this is the idea that I've based my design on.

Here's how to make your own!

1. Choose your fabric – a small design works best, and white on a red background is traditional.

2. Cut a piece of fabric 30cm x 12cm (or cut it on the fold 30cm x 6cm).

3. Fold lengthwise so the interfacing (if using) is on the outside and the right hand sides of the fabric are together.

4. Sew the long side, 1cm from the edge.

5. Turn right side out and press.

6. Turn the ends in and sew shut with slip stitch.

7. Tie the fabric into a loose flat knot, and manipulate it until the knot forms a perfect pentagon shape with two equal tails.

8. Sew at the back to ensure the knot stays in shape.

9. Sew a clip/comb/pin of your choice on the back. It might be worth using two clips so the top and bottom are both secured to the bun. If you're using the type of clip I have used, be careful to sew it on the correct way - as in the green one if you're right handed, and as in the red one if you're left handed.

10. On looking more closely at some photos of maikos, it looks like there is a bead at the top of the chirimen tegarami. This might be a hair pin used to attach it to the bun? To get the same effect you could sew a small bead near the top point of the pentagon, like I've done on the green one.

11. Attach to your hair at the bottom of a bun. I tried my red one out by attaching it to the bottom of a side bun, and wore my tama hair stick with it, and used my green one on a bun at the back of my head.