Padded Hanten Jacket – Part 1
A hanten is a short jacket that, like a haori, doesn't have the okumi. These jackets are not quilted, just padded, and the collar is not as formal, but thinner and also padded. Sewing this will be a challenge
Sewing Kimonos with Cats
Sewing Kimonos with Cats
Garments in Progress
Making a Jinbei (part 3)
With the pieces all cut out, Dora has come to help with the jinbei. Today I’m dealing with the seam finishes: different raw edge finishes for different areas. I’m more concerned about the jinbei top than the shorts, simply because…
Making a Jinbei (part 2)
Looking over the cutting plan on the free downloadable jinbei pattern, I thought I’d like it a little roomier, but the large was going to be too big. Also, I felt I could probably manage to be a little more…
Making a Jinbei (part 1)
A jinbei is a set of garments: a top which crosses over to tie both inside and outside, and either a pair of shorts or long pants. The waist of the shorts/pants are either elastic or with a drawstring. These…
Formal Indigo Wave Lined Kimono
This was my first lined men’s kimono. I found a bolt of blue-black cotton fabric that was fairly thick and robust with the iconic seigaiha pattern on it executed in tiny dots. Even though I found this fabric at an…
Dramatic Haori in Mantón- Style Embroidered Fabric
When I get into a fabric store, sometimes the fabrics speak to me. They sometimes tell me what they want to be. When I saw this fabric, I knew it had to be a haori for someone very specific. At…
Ballet Pink Gauze and Print Haori
One of the creative decisions you can make with kimono is how to approach the collar. The structure is pretty much a fixed thing, but if you’re lining the garment, you can decide whether to make the collar from the…