Welcome to Kimonomad. I’m so glad you found me! This blog documents my learning process in making kimono style garments, with a special focus on everyday wearability and the ecological ethics of this kind of clothing. My journey is not a lonely one, because I have two cats who are also in love with fabric, threads, sewing implements and making sure their fur gets into the seams.
Making a Jinbei (part 3)
With the pieces all cut out, Dora has come to help with the jinbei. Today I’m dealing with…
Making a Jinbei (part 2)
Looking over the cutting plan on the free downloadable jinbei pattern, I thought I’d like it a little…
Making a Jinbei (part 1)
A jinbei is a set of garments: a top which crosses over to tie both inside and outside,…
Free Jinbei Pattern Download
This wonderful site has a huge number of free downloadable Japanese garment patterns. This page offers multiple sizes…
Lined Haori in Mushroom Gauze with…
The two fabrics for this project came from the same place as the grey plaid I used for…
Mint Green with Cherry Sprigs Yukata
As I said in my post on the blue and white African print men’s yukata, this was also…
Bold African Print Yukata
When my friends Mark and Yvonne said they were moving house to a new place they fell in…
My First Yukata
My very first attempt at making a kimono-like garment was inspired by seeing House of Kimono’s brilliant step-by-step…
Blue Lined Haori with Dragonflies
This is the second serious garment I attempted, after the men’s kimono. I found this charming dark blue…
Dramatic Haori in Mantón- Style Embroidered…
When I get into a fabric store, sometimes the fabrics speak to me. They sometimes tell me what…
Shades of Grey
I should have known better than to buy fabric off the internet, untouched. But I saw it and…
Cutting plan for Kimono
In Japan, kimonos were traditionally made from narrow bolts of fabric called tanmono. These were more than 12…