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Goro Caretaker Costume - New Plan

 

Yes, change colors again.
Now that I've had a little break, I'm ready to jump back into this project. It's gone through a few more revisions. 

1) I departed from the Miko style and started leaning more into just Kimono + Hakama. I was starting to get tunnel vision with color choices and making sure I was picking the right colors. This way relaxes cultural/religious connotations which were starting to make me feel weird. 

2) I changed colors AGAIN. But finally saw something on pinterest that I felt hit all the right marks for me and decided to borrow the color theme. I'm also going to put a pattern on the kimono and possibly on the hakama too via applique. 

Other than that here's the plan:

Study

While writing this post, I landed on this YouTube channel and it's helping me so much! I know I'm super cheating and still doing thing costume style. 

She also has sewing tutorials. 🎉
But watch just parts of her videos have already helped me with things like how to put things on, making me aware of more undergarments that may help with some issues I've had, and settle my brain down about a few things.

Under-Things

Now, in this case I AM making this a performance costume in a sense, because it pairs with a puppet. (Also have updates on him, but that'll be a new post.) 
So like I said I just learned about a few things like a waist pad that helps eliminate my Western curves in favor of the Eastern column so kimono won't make my ass bigger than it is. And it can help the obi sit right. This is optional, I'm still considering it. 

I am going to make my own juban in red cotton. I looked at my white one and feel like I can replicate it. The thing I hadn't noticed before is there an open gusset in the underarms (or a hole). I will make mine sleeveless making it more of a dicky but this also helps with the false arm situation. 

I've also already have white tabi so I don't have to knit new ones. 

Kimono

McCalls Pattern M2081

I'm re-using the pattern I used for my furisode but this time following the instructions for the detached sleeves kimono. The pattern has some adjustments like I shortened the sleeves to be more kosode shaped. I'm keeping the kimono short because I don't want to wrestle with 8 yards of fabric again. I'm also making the kimono itself short again because I don't want to deal with 8 yards of fabric. 

I will attach the sleeves only to the bottom of the sleeve hole similar to this costume. 

EDIT: OMG, I feel SO stupid. I forgot that the portion of the sleeve from the armpit to the bottom edge of the sleeve is completely open for female kimono sleeves. I actually could use my furisode and not have to cut anything. I was just putting it away today and made this discovery even though I had seen references mentioning this fact multiple times. Wow, confirmation bias or what? Well, still going to make a new kimono. But at least I have a back-up if this goes south.

Anyway, the design of the kimono sleeve for women make it ideal for puppeteering. 

Obi

I will still need to wear an obi (and thanks to the linked video, I know I'll need a half-width obi). I have a yukata that should have an appropriately sized one or if I'm lucky I may finish knitting my wrap belt obi. My hope is I do NOT have to make a new one. 

Hakama

Most of this planning started when I was reviewing my current pattern plan and trying calculate the fabric needed. I was comparing my two print patterns and did settle on things. I learned I didn't need to make a back board which is nice. And I learned about different styles. These hakama are done in the Andon Bakama style meaning they're a skirt!

I'm hoping that this video will finally help me figure out how to calculate the pleats.

(Note: Watched it. There is a formula but lord help me. I've got a simpler way to do it from a tutorial online. I'll get into it once I finally start making it. :))

Accessories

I have too many ideas for accessories. But #1 is the mask, definitely need that. Happy with my design still. I also plan on making little charms to hang from the mask. 
Also need to make a false arm. I have a solid enough plan how to do that using my duct tape dummy and hold it on my body. 
I'm using my wooden geta so no worries there. I have to learn how to walk in them again. 

So for now, I have pattern pieces cut and calculated. 
I have the fabric ordered. 
I'll start on this in late June. 

Next time I'll give updates on how Goro is coming along. 
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