Sewing Presents

I had decided that I was going to make a yukata for my best friend, that she could wear when going to matsuri and all. This process was easier said than done though, because I was being very particular about what fabric to use. I was insistent on finding something that was properly woven and nicely dyed. I did not want the simple stamped cotton with a white back. No.

Sadly, the images here do not do the whole yukata justice, because my dress form is too small to fit my friend. I promise to display better pictures once I have it on her!

When I realized that I still had so much of this purple left over from my Renaissance dress I wondered for only a few moments before realizing how well it would work for this project. It is not, perhaps, perfectly traditional, but fits the personality of the person for whom it has been made perfectly.

The whole thing when together in just over three hours. I made the obi on Friday, before sewing my dress. By the way, I used Simplicity pattern #5839, simply because I had it and it did not make sense to go through the trouble of sorting out the measurements for a handmade pattern, when I owned one already. (In truth, yukata patterns are pretty simple.) I admit being somewhat disappointed by the length of the obi. I did not think to measure it against my own, and when I went to tie it, found that it was much to short for an sort of knot. So, it will just have to be worn as shown here. I'm sure my friend won't mind.

  

    

  

Stitching together the obi.

Ironing out the obi

The completed obi and tie

On an amusing note: When I went to cut out the sleeves I had to go through each of the larger portions of remaining fabric to find pieces large enough for the pattern. Only when I went to start sewing did I realize that this was the inverse of my dress: the sleeves being of the smooth material, and the yukata of the more textured.