Modesty's Costume Closet

 Continuing with our Mompe Hakama/Karusan-bakama we're going into some of the prep work for construction! See Part 1 for pattern drafting and design stuff .  Waist Band Closures A challenging part of this is that you WILL need closures. Because this is non-stretch fabric and we are not constructing traditional hakama, we must have an opening so we can get our trousers past our hips and up to our waist. However, I personally did not want to have that "J" shape fly on the front of my hakama and I wanted to have the closures hidden. So how to do this? I have a couple of options.  Buttons on the side Seams - I found a drawing I did where I drew a 1920s aviatrix with pilot pants and it had buttons up the side seams. I can hide the buttons easily enough and it is kind of like sasahida in traditional hakama. And the sides are usually not in focus or covered by haori. The downside is that it can interfere with the set in pockets. (Still possible.) Hidden Button Fly - It will add ...

The defining feature besides the pleats are the gathered portion of the trouser leg. I feel these can be the most complicated of the Hakama. So, I will have multiple posts. This post will go over design elements, other patterns, measurements, and pattern drafting. The next post will go into sewing instructions.  Update : Recently learned that Mompe is usually worn by female laborers and Karusan-bakama are the more ballooning type hakama seen in Demon Slayer. I will go over sewing for Karusan-bakama. Just wanted to make sure I had my facts on straight.  It still gathers at the ankle. You can see examples of this style of hakama in: Demon Slayer, Spirited Away, and Inuyasha.  Two Versions  So once again there is a more traditional look to these and a more western style to them. I'm leaning toward making this Demon Slayer style which definitely takes a more Western approach. However, the video that helped inspire this post shows a more Eastern Style with ties ...

The bright red hakama with a white kimono is a common sight in both anime and video game characters. Shrine maidens or Miko also wear this combination of colors when they work at Shinto shrines. Honestly, there is a LOT of history and cultural significance wrapped up in this one.  Anime/Games: Inuyasha, Genshin Impact, Sailor Moon,  So let's talk Design. Design Considerations Cultural Significance This is one I'd pay attention to if I was creating a character of my own. I assume that already created characters have had this research done and have taken their artistic license.  Some of the research taught me a few things: The color is technically scarlet or vermillion, not "red". 🤷 Miko are not part of the Shinto clergy. Sometimes they are just seasonal workers.  Generally, Miko are young women in their teens or early 20s. After a certain age, they wear different colors.  This was based on Heian nobility colors and fashions.  Color Like I said earlier, the ...

I get on kicks or fads every so often. Lately, I've been bitten by a knitting bug...and while researching those techniques brought up an old video I had watched about someone building a big sleeve dragon puppet, and it was all over from there. Now, I'm on a puppet kick. Puppet props, not puppet costumes like fursuits. That's a post for another time.  Design Considerations Size and Weight For any prop, you need to carry around or transport, you must consider how big it is and its weight. I'm not saying your puppet has to be small and lightweight...but know your limits. You don't want it to be so light that it breaks easily, either. I guess durability  is another feature you'd want to consider.  Desired motion and manipulation style How do you want the puppet to move? Will it open and close its mouth? Wiggle its ears? Blink? Wink? Have glowing eyes? Walk!? Once you decide how you want it to move, you need to figure out how to make that motion happen with the struc...

I've been experimenting with knitting socks on the loom. I found a tutorial on sandal socks and have adapted it to suit the loom I have. I've been able to knit ONE sock so far and it does fit, so successful test!  Supply List In the Round Loom (suggested below)  Sock Loom CinDwood wedge Loom KB Universal Loom KB Flexee Skinny  Loom Pick Stitch Markers Yarn Needle/Darning Needle Tape Measure Calculator  Technique List Basic Cast-ons, Bind off, Knit stitches, purl stitch, etc Kitchener Cast-on Drawstring Cast-on German Short Row Heels and toes Short Row Heel and Toes Kitchener Stitch Measurements For Tabi, these are the important-to-know measurements so you know how many pegs you'll need to cast on and how many rows you need to get Length.  Circumferences Ball of Foot Big Toe Group of Little toes Lengths Whole Foot Base of Toe to Ankle bone (insole) Length of Big Toe Length of Index Toe Length of Pinky Toe More Detailed Explanations The Best Way to Loom Knit Socks...

While more of an 'at-home' casual cosplay, knee socks can resemble the kyahan and tabi socks of the characters. I'm only making this post because I spent time making color charts while doing the leg warmers! Socks are typically an intermediate level project and color change socks increases that difficulty. I link to many tutorials to help but there will still be some research necessary for your particular project.  Basic Design  The concept of the knee sock versions is to knit a basic top-down knee sock pattern but include color charts and designs inspired by the characters for the leg portion. The foot portion is up to you. I think it would be fun to make the foot part the same color as the tabi, maybe include the sandal straps via fair-isle or duplicate stitch. The toes can be typical sock toes or you could make them split toe/tabi socks as well. I think it's just kind of a fun idea.  Techniques to Know: Stockinette Stitch (knit and purl) Ribbing Stitch Cast on in Rib...

Iconic characters have iconic jackets, aka haori. The nice-ish thing about these coats is that they are very loose fitting, so sizing will be a little easier to comprehend than something more fitted like the shirt and pants.  Nice, loose kimono-sleeved coat Focusing on the main characters and the Hashira, there are 3 flavors of haori:  No Sleeves (aka cloaks/shawls) Standard Sleeve Long/Wide Sleeve Then looking at the color changes, level of difficulty would probably be:  Simple = Kanao, Mitsuri, Nezuko Intermediate = Kyojuro, Tanjiro, Obanai, Zenitsu, Sanemi, Urodoki Advanced = Giyu, Gyomei, Shinobu The Cloakers Two of the characters wear a shawl or cloak instead of a haori jacket: Kanao and Kyojuro.  I've already provided a knitting pattern for Kyojuro . So I will speak no more on this cloak.  For Kanao, you want to use a crescent-shaped shawl pattern based on how she wears it. You can also knit the knotted pin using i-cord. Although, I might crochet the ...

 There's nothing like a show with uniforms to make you absolutely furious that no one seems to wear them according to regulation. Skirts at knee level, keep those shirts buttoned up and tucked in. (I'm not having flashbacks to school life from pre-school through my senior year of high school. Honest!) Anyway! While the basics of the Demon Slayer Corp uniforms are the same, everyone has to have a big personality and wear it differently.  I don't want to even be seen near you! Standard Uniform So the standard uniform includes hakama (wide-legged trousers) and a long sleeve button-up shirt with a mandarin collar and the kanji for "destroy" on the back. Actually, I think it's two layers of shirts, one white and one black. (But this is costuming, so of course, it's easier to make it one piece!) The female variation of the uniform allows for a skirt instead of hakama. Hashira uniform tops have gold buttons while other ranks have white buttons. The number is base...

 With the wide variety of tools and chemicals you can use when making a costume, I figured it might be advisable to create a general SAFETY FIRST type post.  Typically you'll want to be careful of:  Sharp Things Dust/Particles/Flying Debris Hot/Flammable Things Chemical/Fumes Electric Things Machines General Precautions - Research your Materials and Tools! Before using any material or tools, check for warning labels. If you find 'em, read 'em. Usually you can find these on the product itself if the warning is warranted. You can also do a little online research.  Common warnings are:  Flammable High Pressure High Temperature/Hot Hazardous Material Irritant Warning Skin Contact Warning Poison Just to name a few. - Be Alert and Focused One bit of advice I got from an online course is to never cut leather while upset or tired. You make a lot more mistakes if your brain doesn't have the capacity to focus and coordinate your movement. When handling sharp, hot, or dang...