Tamayuki's Kimono

It has taken a week and a half to wade through a few ocean's worth of info on how to draft/sew/wear a traditional Furisode kimono that had to be sized down to MDD size... but I finally did it. I do still have a little bit of sewing left to do (bottom hem, making a proper obi, and some other small hand stitching around the arm hole) but the hardest part is done. I started to get too tired last night before I could finish it, but I was too excited not to take photos. For the time being, just ignore the pin at the back and extra ribbon tucked into the sleeve.

 

I uploaded the pics at twice the size I normally do if anyone cared to look at them really closely, just click on the pic to go to Flickr to see them.

 

I totally couldn't resist the above pose.

 

"I made some tea just for you so make sure to drink it while it is still hot."

 

"I like these sleeves. They are so long I could run around and flap my arms like a bird!"

 

"I feel like a burrito. It's so snug that I can't sit down any further!" *giggles*

 

This kimono has no pre-sewn fold into it so it will take me a little bit of practice to help him put it on correctly. Also having a little bit of padding around his waist would help him have the proper shape as well.

 

Even the collar at the back has the extra space to look like it should.

 

Obviously this is not his obi but I wanted to see what it would look like. It will be interesting to see if I can tie the obi correctly at his size. I know I have the option of drafting a 'cheater obi' but I really don't want to.

 

 

"Modeling my new kimono is a lot of work. I think I will rest for a few minutes and eat some cake."

 

~~~~~

Since this was just a test of my pattern I did it in a cotton fabric, so I'm not exactly sure if it would be a yukata instead of a kimono since it is also unlined. I really appologise that the seams are hard to see on this fabric because it is so dark. Yuriko's will be a MUCH lighter blue (with daisies and ladybugs!) so they will be much easier to see.

 

I was a bit surprised at how much hand sewing it took, and I'm still not entirely sure the right distance to sew on the sleeve to the body or how big or not to leave the open space at the bottom of the arm hole. Sewing the sleeves looks really easy but trust me, it can get horribly confusing.

 

And before you ask, I am more than fully aware that this is a girl's kimono/yukata. Come on, he looks so cute! Can you really blame me too much?

 

~Sister Kyoya

Oh my goodness, she looks so precious! Great job on the Kimono, she looks lovely in it. ^_^

Oh my goodness, she looks so precious! Great job on the Kimono, she looks lovely in it. ^_^

Thank you very much! It's nice to know that my hard work was worth it. For how much it aggravated me trying to figure it out I'm surprised that I don't have a few bald spots on my head.

 

There is one small correction though... Tamayuki is a boy. Since he's one of a very few number of DD boys (are there any other MDD boys?), don't feel bad about getting it wrong.

 

~Sister Kyoya

That kimono looks amazing. it's really beautiful work ^^ .

たまゆきはすごくかわいい！ (Tamayuki is extremely cute!)

 

You really are working magic with his wardrobe! Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

I like that kimono a lot. And, for what it's worth, there are male kimonos. They just tend to 1) be darker and have more muted designs (I think yours fits for this) and 2) they aren't so burrito-ish/tight fitting by the legs. It kind of flows out more there for the guys. It still works well on Tamayuki though.

 

Looking forward to seeing what this looks like with the completed obi!

You did an awesome work with the kimono. I wish I could sew something like that!

That kimono looks amazing. it's really beautiful work ^^ .

 

Thank you very much. I was doing the cotton mock-up to make sure the pattern I drafted was correct, but I intend to make a 3 layer kimono for Tamayuki and my husband's DD out of some shiny/fancy fabrics I've had laying around for quite some time but never knew what to do with them. Even just thinking about what this 'humble' pattern will look like after those are done stuns even me.

 

たまゆきはすごくかわいい！ (Tamayuki is extremely cute!)

 

You really are working magic with his wardrobe! Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

 

It surprised me seeing something written in Japanese, and such a nice comment too! Having nothing but sisters isn't doing him any favors... I keep making girl clothes to fit his body (mostly to draft patterns for the MDD) and having to tell him that it will help Naiomi with her homemade theater productions. I even had to resist finding a flower to put in his hair when he had the kimono on. People are most likely already confused at what gender he is. XD Despite what it seems, I really don't want him to be a girl, I just find it WAY too funny to dress him in girl clothes, plus the cute quotent goes through the roof. I figure if Baldylox's Manami can be a boob chaser, Tamayuki can cosplay as a girl.

 

As for what's next... I couldn't resist the urge to make him a skimpy red plaid skirt... I just need to figure out the top to go with it and I'll post pictures.

 

I like that kimono a lot. And, for what it's worth, there are male kimonos. They just tend to 1) be darker and have more muted designs (I think yours fits for this) and 2) they aren't so burrito-ish/tight fitting by the legs. It kind of flows out more there for the guys. It still works well on Tamayuki though.

 

Looking forward to seeing what this looks like with the completed obi!

 

In addition to what you already pointed out, I think the 3 most noticeable things between a girl and guy's kimonos are that a guy's doesn't have the fold at the waistline, the sleeves aren't so hugely long, and the obi is half the height (about the size of the ribbon he's wearing) and worn down a lot lower.

 

I am so evil. Even though drafting a guy's kimono is not much different than a girl's, they are a bit easier to sew because there generally less fabric to deal with. A dominating reason why I made him a furisode kimono is because they are worn by young unmarried women to essentially announce that they are available and of a marriageable age. That single factor totally cracks me up when I see Tama-chan in his kimono.

 

You did an awesome work with the kimono. I wish I could sew something like that!

 

To be honest, there isn't any reason why you couldn't sew a kimono. Trying to figure out how to draft the pattern and sew the darn thing in the first place is where all the work is. One of the major reasons I did this project was to be able to have pre-printed kimonos with my own print designs available for people to buy. (I have a store on Spoonflower.) Not only would this allow me to to sew kimonos for those who wanted to buy the finished garment, it opens up a lot of possibilities for people who want to either learn to sew, or sew it themselves and add whatever personalized touches that they want. In my opinion it is a winning situation all the way around because I can slowly work on earning money for our DD while making a lot of people happy. So far I only have a pattern for MDD and DD, but since the majority of the fit is based on the hips, I'm thinking that it should fit the DDS just fine too. The only one I'm not sure about is the DDdy because the proportions are very different even from the DD, but also any of the larger bust sizes would affect the neckline and collar making it not cover the bust properly, but I'm sure people would want that too.

 

I have a blog post that had to go on hiatus while because of spring quarter that I'm getting close to finishing that revolves around making a basic gathered skirt. Not hugely interesting by itself, but the bigger point is to teach people how to sew. That post is monstrously huge because of all the basic principles in it, but there is no reason that learning to sew should seem so daunting. Over time I hope to have a lot of sewing tutorials posted there, giving somewhere for people to start. I'm a mostly self-taught seamstress who has kept sewing as a hobby for over 20 years, much of that time I was very frustrated by halfhearted instructions from people who assumed that you had some clue what they were talking about. Often I didn't, hence the reason I was looking for info. Sewing a kimono may take some work, but it really isn't that hard to do with a good explanation. Traditionally kimonos are sewn entirely by hand, so if your hand sewing is good enough, a sewing machine isn't needed.

 

Sorry for the tangent, I'm just so excited that I can't sis still.

 

~Sister Kyoya

Heh, Tama-kun, you do a great job of modeling your Mom's handiwork! That's a really nice looking yukata too, the pattern and color is very cool.

 

Maybe when your Mom is happy with a final version I can commission her to make a few for my girls. My kimono/yukata source has dried up so I have quite a few girls who are in need of these.

 

 

 

Billy

Tama-chan you're so adorable. I love your kimono. You really look so cute. Your Mom does great work!

Heh, Tama-kun, you do a great job of modeling your Mom's handiwork! That's a really nice looking yukata too, the pattern and color is very cool.

 

Maybe when your Mom is happy with a final version I can commission her to make a few for my girls. My kimono/yukata source has dried up so I have quite a few girls who are in need of these.

 

Billy

 

Hi Uncle Billybear!

Thanks for saying nice things, you made Mommy smile. Can you believe it is the first outfit that she has been able to finish for me? She should have Summer all the time. If she ever asks me again if I want another yukata I'll have her make one with little dandelions on it, and maybe some dinorawers! We were going to take some more pictures now that I have my obi too, but Mommy needed to look up on youtube on how to tie it. I can't wear my new outfit a lot because I need some underwear that goes underneath. Mommy said she didn't want me looking like a Smurf. I had to ask her what that was.

 

I think tomorrow or the next day she will start working on Yuriko's yukata. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that Mommy said she would be happy to make your girls some kimonos once her pattern testing is all done.

 

Tama-chan you're so adorable. I love your kimono. You really look so cute. Your Mom does great work!

 

Hi there Katnaper! I'm not really cute, I'm just Tamayuki. *blushes* Oops, hold on a sec...

 

Dolly, take my new shoe off your head! I told you it is not your hat!

 

Are you still there? Sorry about that, Dolly took some pictures with Yuriko and I today and has been wild since then. I like the things Mommy sews. It is fun to watch her sew things really fast with her sewing machine, but it is a little scary trying to do it myself so I haven't tried. Say hi to Kaylus, Yuuto, and Ash for me!

 

~Tamayuki

 

Oh no! I almost forgot that Mommy wanted me to post some of the pictures from today. The first ones are just Yuriko wearing my yukata. It fits her ok, but it looks better on me because she has a big butt.

 

 

 

 

Still don't know why she had to wear it, Daddy has been making her so many skirts that she could wear a different one every day! Mommy did make me a new outfit that she said could go in Naiomi's costume trunk in case she might have a use for it in a play later.

 

Tamayuki: "Look, I could be a flower in a red flowerpot!"

 

Dolly: "Dude, why are you wearing a skirt??"

Tamayuki: "It's not a skirt!"

 

Tamayuki: "See, it's a boy's summer kilt. It's short so it doesn't get so hot."

Dolly: "Are you even wearing anything under there?"

 

~Tamayuki (again)

~~~~~

Side note from Mommy: That is not a kilt, it is actually a cheerleader skirt... Just don't tell Tamayuki.

I hadn't forgotten about Yuriko's yukata pictures, I just have kept myself too busy. The pattern needs a few minor alterations (I think I forgot the seam allowance on the body parts) so it doesn't wrap around quite far enough, the bottom hem needs to be lengthened for the yukata (although it should be fine for the kimono because of the lining) and the obe is too long but it still works.

 

 

 

This pic looks like the yukata is having a lot of trouble, almost all of it being caused by the forgotten seam allowances. The neckline won't close as much as it should, the wrinkles on her abdomen, the front flap not being closer to her hip, and the crooked bottom hem. I got mad that it wasn't wrapping as far as I thought it should so I kept tugging on it, causing the wrinkles. The other issue is the length of the yukata is too short so I couldn't fold the fabric under the obe right, and I'm not sure at what part of the body the end of the collar should be because I don't have a real kimono/yukata to look at.

 

 

The reason that Tamayuki's yukata fit Yuriko better than her own is because I didn't have the extra strips of white fleece around her waist to make her body the proper shape. I hadn't realized how much of a large difference it makes. Although I wonder if this is what a properly fitted M bust yukata would look like on the L bust.

 

 

One of the issues of drafting the yukata pattern is that it can't be tested on the body until it is almost finished because the sleeves need to be completed before sewing it onto the body pieces and the side seams can't be sewn up until the sleeves are attached. A catch 22 in sewing can be agrivating. Maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist and it didn't occur to me to do just the body part and baste it together to check the fit...

 

 

I'm so proud that she has a properly tied obe! This is the other reason for having the fleece 'bulking up' her waist; it is impossible to tie an obe against a hard DD body. The obe needs to be tied too tightly for it to work without the extra little bit of give.

 

 

The only difference it makes with the obe being too long is that the bow is a little bit chubbier because of the extra fold needed to contain the additional length. And please ignore the thread on the yukata seams. I couldn't find any that matched until I was almost done sewing it...

 

I think having the lining in the kimonos will not only make them easier to sew, it will hide the inside seams on the sleeve flaps.

 

 

I love how the collar sticks off of her neck like it should! I thought for a long time of how to make a "cheater obe", and without one to look at I cannot figure out how one is even constructed. So, these obes are just one long strip like a normal obe. The other reason was that there are many different ways to tie the obe, so it is much easier to design it this way rather than having to design them individually. I found some extremely helpful videos on YouTube on how to put on a yukata/kimono and how to tie the obe as well.

 

 

The only last issue I have with the yukata is not knowing what to use for an "obe board" used to smooth out the wrinkles in the obe. I probably could cut one out of the side of a plastic butter tub, but that just seems really gross to me.

 

 

Overall I am very happy with her yukata (minus the issues that I can easily fix on the pattern). If you would like to see additional pics of the yukata I'll have to do them with Naiomi because right after these pictures I took off Yuriko's head to practice Naiomi's faceup. (Don't worry though, Volks had a WS 01 head in stock so Yuriko will be home next week and will get her own faceup!)

 

I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining about my own work, I'm just pointing out that I know what's wrong and how to fix it so you don't think that this is my basic standard level of ability. Having to stop for a week and a half to research and make my niece's 16th birthday cake really put a kink in my time right after I took these photos. Thankfully it is done.

 

Overall it takes about 4 days to make a yukata, although I hope a kimono would take less time because I won't have to pin 1/4" seam alowances by hand before ironing, then sewing them down. With the additional cutting for the lining and all of that, it might just even out and take the same amount of time.

 

~Sister Kyoya

Of course, most of the mistakes aren't noticeable until you point them out.

 

The only last issue I have with the yukata is not knowing what to use for an "obe board" used to smooth out the wrinkles in the obe. I probably could cut one out of the side of a plastic butter tub, but that just seems really gross to me.

 

Would stiff cardstock work for this? Or do you need something stiffer than that?

 

Of course, now, you'll have to make her a few more for practice until you perfect it.

Would stiff cardstock work for this? Or do you need something stiffer than that?

 

Of course, now, you'll have to make her a few more for practice until you perfect it.

 

Cardstock isn't stiff enough but mostly it isn't durable. Just trying to stick it in between the tight layers of the wrapped obe would be enough to crunch it. I wish I knew where I could find some flexible plastic like the butter tubs in sheet form, but I don't really know where to look.

 

As for the practice... I think Yuriko needs to learn to sew for herself if she wants boatloads of clothes. I don't think a single person can keep up with her demands!

 

~Sister Kyoya

It is a GREAT fabric pattern for him. Also it's really well made, and I'm curious about how you did the tuck to make it easier to put on.

 

Here's a link to one of infinite love's MSD boy yukata. You can see the differences people are talking about for patterns between genders.

 

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=14114818652

It is a GREAT fabric pattern for him. Also it's really well made, and I'm curious about how you did the tuck to make it easier to put on.

 

Here's a link to one of infinite love's MSD boy yukata. You can see the differences people are talking about for patterns between genders.

 

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=14114818652

 

Thank you for the kind words. As for the tuck, I just followed a YouTube video on how to wear a kimono and followed it, so there are small ties around his waist hidden underneath the fold of the yukata and the obe. The actual length of the yukata is the same as his height. I've seen some people put a pre-sewn fold in the yukata or kimono to make it easier to put on (even normal sized ones) but I just found it more simple to do it the traditional way.

 

The Infinite Love yukata is so cute!

 

~Sister Kyoya