Skip to main content

Kimono top.

A couple of weeks ago I came across a Kimono Tutorial video on YouTube from YouTuber, Peppermint Milk.
It looked pretty straightforward, gave all the pattern dimensions need, and only needed a couple of yards of material. I had some knit fabric that I obtained from my local "scrap store". It was easily long enough but it had a large flaw running across the width which I needed to avoid if I were to have a successful make.
I drew up the pattern on brown wrapping paper, just three pieces, laid it out on the fabric and was able to miss the flawed section of fabric with a little juggling of pieces. Pheeeeeew .........



Once I had the pieces cut out I followed much of the construction in Peppermint Milk's YouTube video, using my Toyota 3304 overlocker to do the sleeves, shoulder and side seams, using a 4 thread overlock. I pressed as I went to keep everything neat. Once all the pieces were attached together I decided that the kimono needed a different finish to the neck and front than the simple binding shown in the video.
I made a 3" front band from the material, with fusible interfacing inside, and attached it to the centre back, around the neck and down the front of the kimono using my vintage Singer 201K fitted with a jersey needle.
Sleeve and bottom hems and side slit were sewn on my Singer 201K. Similarly, I used the 201 to edge stitch sleeve and bottom hems, side slit and the outer edge of the front band.
I had deliberately made the garment 6inches shorter than the pattern so that it looked more of a lightweight jacket/top. It needed a couple of belt loops and a belt (made from the same material as the garment) to finish it off.
I rarely change things or add to patterns, but this worked out really well, so I guess I will be doing more in the future.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Singer 99: Edge stitching attachment.

Looking like a weird set of ladders the Singer edge stitch attachment is one of the most versatile attachments I have, so I thought that I would share some of the ways it can be used. First, it is a very effective and almost faultless way to stitch at the edge of material. Remove the normal presser foot and attach the edge stitcher and you are good to go. I like to turn under 1/8-1/4" of fabric first, and either press or finger press a sharp edge in place. The video below details the full edge stitching process using the attachment. Singer edge stitching foot   More edge stitcher techniques: Singer 99: Adding lace, ribbon etc to a garment edge with the edge stitching attachment
Post a Comment
Read more

My primary machine: Toyota's Super Jeans 34 after 10 months use.

This is my Super Jeans 34. The big daddy of Toyota's Super Jeans machines with 34 stitch options. It's black, well actually it's more like a dark brown to my eyes. Like almost every domestic sewing machines today, it has a plastic exterior with a rigid metal frame inside. This makes for a lightweight machine, but one which can still punch its way through multiple layers of denim fabric with ease. So what drew me to this machine and what is it like to use? Well, first let me say that my partner has been using a Toyota Quiltmaster 226 for close to 5 years and swears by it as a real, un-fussy workhorse. She is a quilter and has made a multitude of quilts on her machine since we bought it, and it has been totally reliable. I have a Toyota 3304 over locker that I use for garment construction too. It took me a weekend to get to grips with a machine that uses 4 threads instead of two, but since then I loved using the 3304, it's a great over locker, quiet, easy to use, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Hussif

A quick project that I did today was to make a Hussif which I found in the projects section of the Merchant & Mill "Sewing Book". A Hussif is a sewing roll of tools and thread inspired by the rolls that WW1 soldiers used to maintain their uniforms. My version, which is almost identical to the pattern in the "Sewing Book", holds a pair of small scissors, a tape measure, pack of Household needles, seam ripper, two pots of pins and two spools of heavy duty thread. The Hussif is not only a roll to store and protect the equipment, it also has a built-in pin cushion. As the Merchant and Mills pattern may be copyright, I have not included it here. I just need to find a couple of Tic-Tac boxes to hold the pins instead if the childproof "pill pots" which are a safe but a little on the chubby side.
Post a Comment
Read more