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Sewing a Japanese Kimono - Part 2

March 21, 2025 1 Comment on Sewing a Japanese Kimono - Part 2

In Part One, we talked about all the background for starting the 113 Japanese Kimono -- sizing, yardages, fabric, etc. Now we can start sewing! Find our 113 Japanese Kimono sewing pattern here and join along!

Cutting out the Pattern and Fabric

The first thing to do after deciding on your size and fabric is to cut out the pattern. You will cut the whole pattern. You will not cut your particular size (other than one end of the overlap where do you cut down to your size on the slanted end).

The front and the back of the kimono are cut as one piece (with no shoulder seam). To get this very long piece, you must tape the front and back pattern pieces together at the shoulder line. This pattern piece could not be printed as one long piece (too long for any printer), so the pattern piece must be taped together at the shoulder to create the long front/back piece.

paper pattern pieces on the table being taped

You will cut two of the Front/Back at the largest size. I find a long table (or the floor) is a great way to get the whole long piece held while cutting out the fabric.

Such a long pattern piece!

You can see that I cut the largest size, even though I am making a size Medium Woman -- the seam line will be here and my seam allowance will be large.

I cut the rest of the pattern pieces similarly. The other pattern pieces are one size, except for the end of the overlap, where I cut one end at the size indicated for the Medium Woman.

These pieces are easy to place on the fabric next to where the Front/Back were cut out. I cut the Sleeves at one end of my 3 yards, and I cut the Yoke and Overband from another piece of fabric (a white muslin). I will also note here that you don't have to add the Overband. It is a traditional addition to the kimono neckband to protect from oil and dirt so that it can be removed and washed or replaced over time. But, you don't have to add it.

Overlap and Neckband cut out from the rest of the width of my fabric.

The Sleeves are cut on the fold (fold is at the shoulder line). I cut the informal (shorter) sleeve and did have to cut my second sleeve on the cross-grain. This short sleeve is typical for a women's informal kimono. A men's kimono usually uses the longer sleeve.

Cutting one sleeve on the fold.

I also cut 2 of the Yokes from a white muslin. This part of the kimon is inside and won't be shown, so if you are short on fabric, this is a good place to use a different fabric.

I also cut the Neck Overband from the Neckband pattern piece and using the white muslin. Again, this piece will show, so if you want it to blend in with your fabric, use the same fabric as the body of your kimono. For the Overband, you will use the Neckband piece, cut it on the fold of the fabric and only cut to the line that is indicated on the pattern piece(almost half the size of the Neckband. You only cut one of these.

Sewing the Kimono: Preliminary Construction

The first sewing step is to sew the Backs together at the long center back seam with a 3/4" seam allowance. I have seen several options for finishing. This is a great place to bind the seam, which is what I did. But you can also serge, pink, or turn under edges and sew down.

My center back seam is sewn and I have some handmade bias tape to bind it with.

You will also sew the Neckband together with a 3/4" seam allowance, as well as the center back of the Yoke.

Close-up of Neckband seam allowance.

With the Yoke, turn under the top and bottom by 1/2" to the wrong side and stitch close to the fold.

Front Overlap to Front

This is where things get interesting in the construction. You will put the Front Overlap to the Front (on each side of the front), matching the 1/2" seam line on the Front Overlap to the seam line for your size on the Front. For me, this meant that the 1/2" seam line on the Front Overlap met the 1.75" seam line on the Front (for Medium Woman). I used the dots on the pattern pieces and a small ruler to help line up the seam lines.

putting pattern pieces together with fabric

I am using the pattern piece here to show how the Overlap lines up with the front. It helps to use one of these small rulers to be able to line up the seam lines. I pinned the Overlap in place and sewed along the seamline.

Overlaps are pinned to the Fronts.

You can see here how the seam lines line up. The Overlap has a 1/2" seam allowance and the Front has a 1.75" seam allowance (for my size).

Press the seam toward the Overlap. This means the larger seam line (or seamline from the Front) will cover the smaller seam line. Trim any overhanging pieces at the neck edge. You can finish the seam allowance on the Front by turning over 1/4" to inside and blind stitching it to the Overlap.

Front Overlaps sewn onto Front. Seam allowances are pressed toward Overlap. You can see some overhang here which I trimmed off.

Neck and Neckband

Stay stitch the neckline at the seamline, but pay attention to the seam line along the neck. The seamline moves from 1/2" seam line at the front to 3/4" (nearly 1") at the center back of the neck. The seam line curves toward the dots at the shoulderlines, which lie at 1/2" from cut edge.

Marking the center back seam line at 1".

The seam line is marked at the edge on the right side of the kimono. I used chalk to mark the line so that it could be easily stitched. I staystitched and then used this as a guide for the neckband as well.

Turn under a narrow hem on the center front opening edges of Front Overlap. Be sure to do this now! I forgot to do this and had to go back and finish it before moving on to further steps.

Now pin the Yoke to the shoulder line of the Front/Back on the inside (wrong sides together). Baste within the seam allowances. I hand basted here, but I would recommend machine basting for a more secure stitching as these do need to stay in place pretty securely to make subsequent steps easier to manage.

Neckband

Press under 1/2" on each short end of the Overband and pin the Overband to the right side of the Neckband, centering it over the back seam. Baste the Overband in place along the long edges. You can slipstitch the short ends to the Neckband also.

Now with right sides together, match the center of the Neckband/Overband to the center fo the back seam of the kimono. You will match the dots and center back seams -- and align the 1/2" seamline on the Neckband to the seamline you stitched on the kimono (which is 1" at the center back and curves to 1/2" at the dots). Pin well, or hand baste, then stitch between the dots along that seamline.

You can see how the Neckband will be pinned to the kimono -- matching the dots and along the seamline

Clip to the dots on the back only! NOTE: I sewed the Neckband to the back with the wrong sides together (here the wrong side of the Neckband is to the right side of the kimono) -- right sides should be facing! I picked out my stitches and did it correctly (as you can see in the photo above).

Now continue pinning the Neckband to the front of the kimono, curving the seam around the neckline and matching the 1/2" seamlines. Note that the instructions (for the last 40 some years) have said "matching notches 5". There is no notch 5 (and I don't know if there has been a notch 5 for at least 30 years). We have updated the PDF instructions and some of the paper patterns, but this is a correction that has been overlooked for many years.

Stitch along the seam line to the end of where the Neckband meets the center front. Press the seam allowance toward the Neckband.

Now we fold the Neckband. I found it much easier to do this step after I marked the neckband with the foldlines from the pattern piece. I used a chalk and a clear ruler to start the fold lines.

I marked the neckband with chalk where the foldlines go.

Now turn the outer third of the Neckband to the inside on the first foldline.

Then fold the Neckband to the outside (right sides together) along the second foldline. The first foldline should meet the seam (accordion-like).

Stitch across the bottom of the folded Neckband where it meets the hemmed straight edge of the front. Trim off the excess fabric below the stitching.

Turn the Neckband right side out and press. The neckband should now be folded so that all seams are covered.

Press the Neckband in place and slip stitch the folded inner edge over the seamline inside the kimono.

Sleeves

Hem the opening of the sleeve by turning under the unnoched (long curved) edge by 1/4" between the stars for women and between the large circles for men. Turn again by 1/4" and stitch in place between the markings. Backstitch a bit at each end to hold in place.

I am making the women's sleeve, so will hem between the stars.

Just as we did for the Front Overlap and kimono Front, we will line up the 1/2" seam line on the sleeve with the seam line for your size on the kimono body. For me, this was at 1.75". The right side of Sleeve will face the right side of the kimono body and you will match the markings and notches. I used the markings and my little ruler to get the sleeve pinned to the correct place, and then I stitched it in place. Once sewn, press this seam open.

Here I am getting the sleeve lined up on the kimono body.

Now, with right sides together, and kimono folded at the shoulder line, line up the bottom of the sleeve. Pin and stitch from the star (or circle) to the bottom of the Sleeve matching notches. Clip the curve so it will turn easily.

For the men's kimono, continue stitching from the bottom of the sleeve up to t the large dots, backstitching at the dots. The men's sleeve is not open at the side.

Sleeve sewed to kimono body and pulled out.

Here the sleeve is pinned for stitching.

Clipping the curve on the sleeve.

Side Seams and Hem

Now we sew the side seams. With the right sides together, pin side seams, again matching seamlines for your size. Cut lines here should match, but you may have a very wide seam allowance. I had a 1.75" seam allowance. Stitch from the bottom to the square under the sleeve for women (and to the large dot, closing the side, for men). Be careful not to catch the sleeve in this stitching. Press the seams open.

I found it helpful to mark the seamline with chalk, using a clear ruler so that when I stitched on my machine, it would be easy to see where my seamline was supposed to be.

seam allowance on kimono side pressed open

Seam allowance pressed open. This is a very wide seam allowance!

Finish these seams by turning under raw edges and bling stitching to the kimono body. If you have a selvage edge like I did, you don't have to turn under the raw edge (because it is not "raw"). Most of the kimonos we have in our collection have these hems blind stitched by hand. Every 1/2" or so a tiny, nearly invisible stitch was taken in the side of the kimono from the inside to tack the hem to the side of the kimono. These are like ladder stitches or whip stitches. You could also use a blind hem foot if you are wanting to use your machine to stitch them to the sides.

On the women's kimono, you also need to finish the slit opening on the bottom of the sleeve by turning under 1/4" hem as the arm opening was done.

I turned under a 1/4" hem on the sleeve opening and stitched it.

To hem the bottom of the kimono, you can turn up a narrow hem, twice and stitch. But, make sure you finish it at the length you want. Try on the kimono and if you need to make a deeper hem, do that. You can make a bit of a mitered corner at the bottom by turning the corner about 45 degrees in and then turning up twice at the bottom.

Turning up a narrow hem on the bottom of the kimono. I stitched this down and have a very small, simple mitered corner.

And, we are finished!

Make an obi (directions are in the pattern) or make a tie with self-fabric from your left over fabric (if you have any). Or wear the kimono open.

Tell me, will you try to make a kimono? What fabric would you use? Have you made one? Do you have other tips for making the kimono? Leave them in the comments!