The Kimono and my Daughter, a gift to her.

The smile says it all.

A gift for my Daughter – she said that I can take pictures as long as I don’t post to face book.

The look of happiness in her new Kimono

The sleeves do double duty as pockets. It was a fun project with a happy ending 🙂

The Kimono – the makeing

I had an idea that I could sew while camping so I started a Kimono.

I brought a bees wax candle,

thread, needles and sci ssors.

So once I was a bit rested ( a couple of days) I took scissors to cloth after measureing against my sholders. I added a couple of inches and it is was here that I made my first mistake – I did not give enough ease for this type of garment – I should have added another 4 inches for the extra ease that you want in a house robe. Oops but I carried on!

I next made a cut down the centre of the fabric to the just shy of the halfway mark of the full panel. This is where to cut a few inches on either side for the neck opening – a very long T cut is the finished result.

I slipstitched the side seams into two nice French seams and had the beginnings of a small kimono. I then remembered I needed two front panels – oh, the joy of being very tired.

This is where I made my second mistake.

I did not make the front panels long enough as they should be shy of the T top opening. Also, the angle was not necessary but this was how I made my first three kimonos of a Folkware pattern and the method stuck with me. Oops # 2

The distracting woods.

So I had to come up with a fix in the bush and this is what I did. I took a long piece (probably 7 feet) and cut it in half – Oops #3 – it should have been a diagonal cut but I was trying to make up for the first Oops.. So the final fix was cutting the a remnant, matching the pattern and slip stitching to keep it in place and I had the front almost finished.

Once home, I neatened up the panel fix seams with some folding and overstitching the neater seams.

Very time consuming but I was on holidays and had the time. Once home, over the next few days I finished what normally takes two hours on the machine.

Amazingly it still looks like a Kimono! I have more details on the collar and the sleeves as well as the finishing touches.

And if any one is interested I will do anther page to finish the job, just drop me a line in the comment’s to encourage me to find the time this week.

The Kimono

This was started while camping. Note to self – remember to bring tape measure when sewing while camping.

An idea for a cape

I saw this V1322

Vogue V1322

Misses’ Cape

so I came up with this

This is my muslin.

The fabric is a foundling from the thrift shop – a soft wool that was too hard to pass on. 2.25 meters was enough for what I had envisioned.

So I laid it out and found what I felt was a worthy center and then cut.

The center is one piece like a kimono, 88 inches (2.25M) in length and shoulder to shoulder 44cm + seam allowance. This piece was then cut up the center to midway point and a t-shaped cut at the neck to give it the kimono opening.

The sleeve cap / side panels I measured for the shoulder of 7.5cm + seam allowance. As I am no longer a whips of a creature, I cut the side panels in a kind of bell shape. This was Thursday night so I put the fledgling cape aside.

Then yesterday the bitch that bore me called wanting to see me. To put a long story short, not all who bare children should raise them. I was quickly tumbling into a psychosis of PTSD and help for this sort is not readily available on a Friday night. The fabric lay cut on the ironing board and the sewing machine was out – so I plied myself from my bad head space and concentrated on the putting together my creation.

A cup of coffee near by (this stuff is really good for mental health!) and basted the sides to the center piece. This I threw over my shoulders and it felt good. By now Loki (the fox terrier) was getting antsy for a cuddle on the couch.

I was needing to continue sewing and Loki was needed her nightly TLC in front of the idiot box so I found a compromise. I folded the right front part of the T on the center panel over and hand stitched a blanket stich. This worked well for two episodes of Battlestar Galactica and I was able to baste both the right side and left side.

The right side is finished on this photo and the left was only pinned but the result was as if I had applied a facing.

The back however did need need something to finish it up. When I made the first cut to the material for the right center I was left with a piece that was 88inches long and about 5 inches wide. I was thinking that I could finish it off as a scarf but it worked out when folded so and layered over back of the neck it looked very stylish.

The front view plied with pins keeping it together until I have my cuddle time with Loki and a needle and thread in front of the TV tonight.

Once it is sewn in place, I will re-seam the side panels making the seams a little bigger to remove some extra width at the shoulders. I will then work on the front hand openings that I am planning on the seams.