On sewing kimonos.

[chiiyo]

Here's for all you kimono-sewers/reconstructors!

Several questions... I've been sewing kimonos off and on for a while, mostly for cosplay, though I've sewed a yukata from a bolt I bought from Ichiroya and sewed a lined furisode for a volks doll...

Anyway, I've been thinking of sewing some yukatas for my friends so we can all turn up in yukatas for the natsu matsuri the japanese school organises every year. I'm also thinking of sewing han-haba obis to go along with them. Since they are not as passionate about kimonos as I am... =_= I'll probably be using cloth I find locally, from Spotlight or something. The thing is, I can't exactly find the correct stiff fabric for sewing the obis around here, so I was thinking I'll sew the obi with relatively thin fabric and line it with something.

So what would you suggest I line them with??

Oh. And how exactly does one sew a juban? I have the Make Your Own Japanese Clothes book by John Marshall, but he doesn't mention the juban at all. From my own juban I can tell there are several differences in the length and construction as opposed to the kimono, but has anyone who has sewn one know exactly the difference?

And and and. My friends have been purchasing Volks Dolls recently, and I helped her downsize measurements to make a lined furisode for her doll. She bought some cloth from Spotlight but it wasn't very pretty, and the patterns weren't downsized for the doll. Are there any places I can go to find cloth with relatively smaller patterns for dolls? The height of a Volks Doll is roughly equal to the length of your elbow to the tips of your fingers, if you need the size for comparison. Thing is, there are websites on the net with exquisite kimonos made for Volks Dolls, and everything is downsized perfectly, from the kimono motifs to the obi motifs to the obijime and collars. It's so cool. I wish I could make something like that... (will post a link once I find it)

Oh. And any other questions about sewing your own kimono can also post here... Has anyone ever tried buying one of those tsukesage bolts and sewing a kimono out of that yet? How hard is it to match the patterns??

[Kiyoaki]

The biggest difference is that the two half-panels in front are missing. That means the eri/collar remains vertical when the juban hangs on a rack. The eri will have a contrasting 'collar' sewn on neckband to protect it from soiling. These extra collars can be discarded if they get to soiled, which saves the trouble of cleaning the whole garment.

Juban can be lined or unlined, and are usually custom-made to suit the wearer's height. There is no overlap at the waist as there is for the outer kimono. They are sometimes even made 3/4 length, if one is to wear hakama over the kimono.

The sleeves are also left unseamed at the edge closest to the body, as they are for the outer kimono. Often the sleeves will be lined, even if the body of the juban isn't.

The fabrics used can be cotton, wool, or silk depending on the formal or casualness of the kimono to be worn with it. There is also a two-piece style of women's underwear, which consists of a hanten-like shirt, with a separate wrap-around skirt to complete the ensemble.

Lighter colors are currently favoured, especially pastels. In the Meiji and Taisho Eras, a vermillion red seemed to be universal.