In order to make Kimono by yourself

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In order to make Kimono by yourself

When you make a kimono, techniques to make a kimono and obi are called the Japanese dressmaking. It is distinguished from the dressmaking to make clothes and accessories. A tool for use is different in the Japanese dressmaking and dressmaking. The biggest difference is that you do not use a sewing machine in the Japanese dressmaking. Since there is a habit of re-tailoring by unraveling many times, sewing by a sewing machine, which leaves needle holes, has been avoided even now. Because a kimono such as yukata is not used for a long time by making over, however, it is usually sewed by a machine for the cost down. In case that you sew your own clothes, you can sew using a sewing machine on the assumption that it will not be re-tailored because hand-sewing is hard.

You need knowledge of the Japanese dressmaking because you cut a fabric with a mark at a position that is indexed in the calculation without a paper pattern originally. The paper pattern of the yukata is available. You can make a yukata or kimono for summer only knowledge and skills of dressmaking if you can use the pattern. A way of making kimono varies slightly depending on the paper, but it is basically all straight sewing. I think that it is easier than it looks because attachment such as a button also does not need. Only making around the collar is a little difficult, but you should do your best since the degree of completion improves if it is made neatly.

Rework from Obi

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Rework from Obi (Kimono sash) : Pouch with a metal clasp
I made a pouch from an Obi fabric. The fabric is fairly thick and strong, so there is no need for reinforcements to make a pouch.This is not made from a Obi itself, but is using remnants of Obi making. Both can be made in the same way. If you would like to make a pouch from a used Obi, find a un-domaged place and put pattern paper thinking of the design of the finished goods.This example was made to show the woven Kanji pattern clearly. Although this example is using western cotton cloth coated with plastic as the lining, as this is a rework from Obi, a lining of Obi would have suitable thickness and match perfectly with the outer.

Metal clasps are available at handcraft shops. Many metal clasps are sold with a fitting pattern paper. This pouch is also made using a clasp came with a pattern paper. It took me two days to make it. As it seemed difficult to use a sewing machine for the curbs, I sewed all by hand, and it took longer than I had expected. If you are experienced, it might be possible to finish it in half a day.

Miko’s Costume

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Miko’s Costume

Miko’s costume consists of Byakue/ Hakui and Hibakama, and they generally wear white tabi and Zori as footwear, and wear a ponytail in the back of your head. It may vary a little between shrines, but they are mostly the same.

Byakui is explained as “white Kosode”, but it can be simply described as short white kimono.
When wearing, you do not pull the backside (emon), and let the front of your kimono overlap tightly up to your neck (don’t wear them loosely).

Hibakama means “hakama with the color Hiiro”, and Hiiro is a type of red color. They are generally Andonbakama which is easy to move along in your daily life, but when dancing Kagura-dance, Jouba-bakama (Horseriding -bakama) are sometimes worn to let your legs move freely. You don’t tie obi underneath, so the backside does not plump out that much. In formal places, you wear a jacket called Chihaya over these clothing. There is a similar thing called Suikan, but to explain it roughly, the front is open for Chihaya but closed for Suikan. It is defined that present Miko should wear Chihaya, but Suikan were also previously used, so if you are designing them for costumes, it is not a mistake to match Suikan with them.

How to make the half-breadth obi

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How to make the half-breadth obi

If the obi that fit your image is not available, you can make it by yourself. The formal obi is difficult for putting it on.
You can sew it in a straight line with a machine, if it is casual and you understand the structure. Here, I introduce an example of how to make the simplest the half-breadth obi.

The fabrics both for dress and for a length of cloth needed to make a kimono are OK. The fabrics with slippery surface should not be used because it is difficult to fasten. Please do not use the thin fabric because glue comes out through it when the fabric is pasted with glue. Please prepare a fabric with 30cm and double the margin for a seam in width and 3.5m in length. It does not matter if you connect fabrics on the way. However, the seams stand out when you tighten it if it sewed in the middle. It is preferable to sew pieces of fabrics with the odd number. I’d recommend the following way: prepare a fabric with 110cm in width and 1.2m in length, divide it equally among three, and then sew them. Press the fabric with glue on the whole surface of backside of the fabric except the margin. It is all right even if it protrudes a little. Then, fold the fabric in two so that the front side comes inside in the width direction and sew the periphery, leaving about 30cm near the center of the long side. After sewing, turn the fabric inside out from a part where it was not sewed, and then close the part by hand sewing so that the seams do not stand out  Finally, you shape up with an iron.

 

Hakama

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Hakama

Hakama is men’s formal wear, but in the Heian era it is said that both men and women wore them. After that period, women’s hakama were omitted, but in the Meiji era its easiness to move was recognized, and people started to wear them again. Nowadays, it is common to wear them in graduation ceremonies.

There are Andonbakamas which is like a skirt, and Umanoribakama which is like pants, but the original hakama is umanoribakama. Andonbakama is a simplified hakama to make it easy to wear, but nowadays these two are regarded as equal in class, and there is no difference in formality. When wearing hakama, you wear your kimono a little short in length, and men wear Tunoobi and tie them in Ichimoji style, and women wear Hanhaba-obi and tie them in Bunko style. The knot of the obi goes underneath the hakama, and thus becomes the foundation. When you put your leg in the hakama, you lift your front side, and you adjust your hakama so your obi shows a little from the top; then you pull the string to the backside of your body, then to your front, and finally to your back again and tie it. Next, you lift the back part up above your obi, and bring the string to your front, then to your back, and finally tie it in your front. There is a formal way to tie it, but when wearing them in daily occasions (not formal occasions), bow knot is just fine.

Tamoto

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Tamoto, it is a part look like bag under the sleeves of Kimono. It’s part of the sleeves, so there is not component that it’s called Tamoto. Tamoto like bag, so we can put something inside but it is not useful as a pocket because it is easy to fall something that we put inside because of shape of Kimono for women. The part which the side of the sleeves, Furi is open. It is good enough to handkerchief or pocket tissue. There is no Furi and inside of the sleeves are closed, some people put a wallet in Kimono for Men. Sometimes undershirt goes out of Furi, to prevent it, it is good to pin the undershirt’s sleeves with Tamoto from the inside.

There is a expression “separating the Tamoto”. it means breaking relationship. There are many theories, but no one explain the meaning clearly. Also ther is a expression “put together Tamoto”. It means doing same action and share own fortunes as a comrade.

About eri (collar)

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About eri (collar)

There are three types in the collar of the kimono, hiroeri, bachieri and bo-eri.

In hiroeri the inside of the collar is not sewn to the body. When you put on, fold it into two and spread it naturally toward erisaki (the bottom of the collar). It is used in many women’s kimonos. Its feature is that you can make its width as you like and finish it puffy.

Bachieri is sewn down to the body in such a manner as it naturally spreads towards the erisaki. You don’t have to fold it when you put on. It is called bachieri because its shape is like bachi (stick) of a samisen. Many of yukatas for women have bachieri. It is easy to wear than hiroeri, and it is very easy to make. In addition, it looks very cool because it isn’t so thick. This is why many people dare to use bachieri for summer kimonos except yukatas.

Bo-eri is a collar that is sewn to the body with a certain width to the end of collar, which is generally used in men’s kimono and children’s kimono. It is easy to put on and to make as well as bachieri.

It is thought that the collar of only women’s kimono is getting wider toward its end because it naturally goes along the brest of women.

Okumi

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The okumi is a thin piece of fabric worn in front of the kimono at slightly lower than the waist. Although a whole long square cloth called “Tanmono” is used for making a kimono, it is cut in half for making the okumi and collar. As you reform a kimono, do not forget that there is a thin piece of fabric coming out at that part, so you won’t waist any clothes. This kimono is open in front, so the front fabric has to be wider for the overlap than the back fabric. The additional fabric for the overlap is the okumi. The okumi by itself doesn’t have a specific meaning. As for the origin of the word, the former style of the kariginu, which are informal clothes worn by the nobility from the Heian period onwards, was called ‘Ookubi’. Then it’s said that it was changed into “Okumi”.

The stitches between the okumi and the main part of kimono is called “okumi-sen” (meaning okumi-line). This term is sometimes used for wearing a kimono. Standing straight up and placing the left okumi-sen at the middle of your right foot and leg, then the kimono position is the proper way of wearing a kimono.
Moreover, if the okumi-sen of Ohashori and the lower okumi-sen are lined straight, it will make your kimono look more beautiful. It is okay if you can’t make them a perfect line, but if there are too much gap between those two lines, you may want to fix it because some part could be loosen or a edge of a piece of fabric could be stuck in a string.

Miyatsukuchi

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Miyatsukuchi (side slit of kimono)

It referes to the small opening in the side of traditional Japanese clothing for women and children (e.g. kimono and yukata) located where the sleeve meets the bodice, below the armpit. We aren’t so aware of it usually, but say sometimes to explain how to wear the kimono like “pull the side slits” or “get your hand in the side slit to fix the kimono.”

The kimonos for men don’t have the side slit. It isn’t known clearly why the kimonos of women and children have this miyatsukuchi slits; they say that children wore their kimonos putting a piece of string through the slits in the old days. As for the kimonos for women, it is thought that it might have been put to facilitate the movement in the times when the obi became wider. It isn’t inconvenient at all usually if without it but would become necessary when you set ohawhori; the established theory is that it was born at the same time as the ohashori was thought of. When the side slits are left open, the singlet whichi is an underwear will be visible. Pull the underarm sides of the kimono right and left, smoothing out the wrinkles, so that they come just to the side slits. You can narrow the gap as much, even though not closing it.

Shijira weave

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Shijira weave

Shijira weave is a type of grained cloth, which is wrinkled on purpose by using the difference of thread’s tension or the thickness. Or, it describes the type of texture.

The most famous production area is Awa (now Tokushima prefecture), and is said to be originated in the beginning of Meiji era.
It is said that a woman living in Awa invented it, and according to the story, a cotton cloth became wet in the rain, and when she dried it under the sun, she saw interesting grains forming by the shrinking of the cloth; inspired by this, she made some improvement resulting this type of weave. Because of its origin, Awa-shijira is basically made of cotton. They are flat woven, but some warps are consisted of several threads, and by this unbalance the grain is formed. In other regions, shijira is woven with various materials , and for example, Hamamatsu in Shizuoka prefecture is famous for cotton/hemp shijira. Shijira weave is suitable for summer kimonos, for the contact area with your skin is small, and it doesn’t cling damply on you by your sweat. Moreover, inexpensive mass production items are also made, and are used in bed sheets, etc.