Sewing: Week Thirty One: Kimono

Kimono for week thirty one of 52 weeks of sewing. This fabric is beautiful. I purchased it during our 2012 trip to Los Angeles. On that trip we went to the Fabric District in Downtown LA – check out the post, it’s full of some tips and tricks.

Okay, so back to the tutorial. With this kimono you’ll want to pick a stunning fabric and one that isn’t too plain. The more detail the better since it’s a bit of a show piece.

What You Need

fabric (50 inches x 70 inches)
coordinating thread
machine
serger
pins
scissors

First, lay out your fabric. Mine is quite distinct in it’s pattern and as such, I need to be careful to line up all the squares so it looks professional when I’m done.

Cut your fabric to size – 50×70 (mine is big – covers my bum and drapes down past my elbows, adjust if you want it bigger or smaller).

Once it’s cut, fold it in half with the fold being the top shoulder seams.

Some kimonos are boxy and don’t cut out any of the body – I’m not much of a fan of that, since I like it when clothes fit me. So, let’s cut out some of the body and make the sleeves more distinct.

Measure inward 11.5 inches and 17 inches upward from the bottom corner. Mark the lines with chalk and pin the fabric together, on the inside of the line, of course. Cut out the square and serge the sleeves and sides together (right sides together) using your serger.

When you’re cutting out the opening at the front, be sure you’re using sharp scissors and cut straight lines. I cut mine straight up to about 5 inches below the shoulder seam, then I fanned the cut outward and rounded the neck. All of the cuts are freehand – you can chalk it out first if you wish, yet just go slow and use a steady hand.

Now, you basically have a kimono. Hem all the edges – I used a stretch top stitch on my machine and folded the hem 1/2 and inch under so the edge looks polished.

Done.