Modesty's Costume Closet

 The next kimono I made was Ruka Rengoku's pink spring Kimono. Making this a cosplay kimono. Currently, the kimono is unpainted. But I wanted to pause and admire the progress made since starting these kimono projects.  Things that went well:  All the major seams are French seams. I did it correctly this time!  The collar was a bit easier to do this time.  I put the chikara nuno in correctly this time. At least for one of them.  I was able to do a blind hem by machine!  It fits!  Some things I learned:  Matching thread color is important. Hot pink really shows up.  This polyester silk is a bit more slippery than I expected.  My Clover Seam Iron is hottest on the rod part and not the flat part. Burned a little hole! (I was able to hide in the hem.)  What still needs doing:  I want to paint the flower pattern onto the kimono. I'm trying to make stencils to help me with clean lines. But I'm having trouble with placement. It's really annoying that my only reference has been

 Sorry for the delay. I meant to write this out and post it a week ago, but I got laid off from my job a few days ago. However, I am pleased as punch with how my Yukata turned out. It makes me happy to look at it. So here she is!  Front view Back side. Infusible Ink Flowers I was SO scared this would not work. However, I can say I am SO HAPPY with how they look. It's spot on...except for one sleeve where I used the wrong green for the scattered leaves. 😖 It did help that I got the heat press.  Chest flower Sleeve flowers with the wrong green  Heko Obi To be honest I am already a bit worried about the heko obi. I serged it and I already had to redo the seams on my sewing machine due to little tears. I really should have learned more about sewing gauzy fabrics. Otherwise, it does match the character perfectly! Reminder this is the character. Things to Improve Like a dingus, I had written that I would use a microtex 70 needle and instead I used universal 80 for the yukata. That was t

When you want to dress up as a character but it would not be appropriate to cosplay at the event,  character bounding or casual cosplay may be the solution! Or if you just don't have as many chances to go to cosplay events.  Personally, I just like the idea and think about Character Bounding or Casual Cosplay in everyday life a lot. But let's clarify what we mean by character bounding and casual cosplay.   What is Character Bounding? Typically, character bounding involves using a character's color schemes or motifs in your everyday clothes to portray the spirit of a character. This is popularized by Disney characters since you can't really cosplay at any of the Disney parks (because that is a job at the park.) However, you are not limited to Disney or fictional characters. I've also seen people use historical figures or fashions as a form of "bounding". (I honestly don't know why it's called bounding. If I were a good blogger I'd probably look

So the male kimono projects are fairly straightforward. One will involve fabric paint but I feel much more confident about that aspect now.  Although I am finally working out my own pattern for my hakama trousers. I'll post updates about that when I make them. However, construction will be following what patterns suggest. I'm not going to get creative.  Shinjuro Kimono Pattern/Instructions:  Alice in Cosplayland Kimono  Other References:  Gathered Hakama Hashira Shawl Knitting Pattern Materials : Fabric: Polyester Twill (Wine), Cotton Broadcloth (Black) Needle: Universal 80 Thread: All Purpose Presser Feet: Normal, Blind Hem, Wide Hem, Button Hole Techniques/Methods: French Seam/Felled seam/Pinked Seam Blind Hem My Production Plan Sew Kimono using the pattern instructions but using Billy's sleeve construction method.  Use my own pattern for the Hakama Trousers.  Add pocket pouches to the leg panels.  Sew and serge crotch seam, joining the left and right front panels. Sew an

 More Roses! More Ruka!  My belly is also that big...but with a food baby! This all happened because I purchased a set of an obiage and obijime that were very similar to the colors in this screenshot. Then somehow I ended up with purple cotton polyester and pink silk dupioni in my shopping cart. No idea how that happened. 😝 Juban  The juban will reuse the white nagajuban from Gothic Rose and use a plain white han eri.  Kimono The plan is to make this a hitoe kimono with tomosode length sleeves. It's made of pink polyester dupioni and will include stencil painted Rose flowers in a darker pink and pale green. The flowers will be placed similarly to the flowers on the Yukata: Back and top of sleeves, over the chest on left front panel, on the bottom corner of the left front panel.  Obi I'm making a Nagoya obi in purple cotton with some sections done in leftover purple satin fabric. I think I might keep it all one width all the way through, but I may make it half han haba and part

 Two of my kimono projects are men's kimono which are constructed and worn differently than a women's kimono. But the projects are so similar that I'm going to talk about them in one post.  These are "formal" or semi-formal because they will include a haori and hakama. Despite making two they are the same design. I will refer to Kyojuro's Kimono as "Red" and Shinjuro's Kimono as "Rust".  Juban and Kimono For these outfits, I'm using the same juban! A black cotton hanjuban. The length of the juban should be around my hips and the sleeves very short!  You'll note that the sleeves on both kimono are short in length and height when compared to female kimono. Because we're busy fightin' and can't have sleeves in the way! The length of kimono will be above my ankles, but as you may imagine needs to be hiked up to wear hakama. This is often done by tucking the back hem of the kimono into the obi.  Hakama Speaking of Hakama

 My first kimono project is to recreate Ruka Rengoku (Luka in the english dub...ugh...) blue flower kimono from the anime.  This one! So some quick analysis.  What kind of Kimono is it? Going through my "design tree" I have these main questions to answer: Who is wearing it, what's the occasion/formality level and what time of year is it? Who: A middle aged married woman. This means that the height of the garment is my full height and the sleeves will be shorter.  Occasion: Sick in bed. So this will be a very casual kimono...even though it's pretty. They're pretty pajamas basically. The screenshot doesn't show it but she's not wearing juban, the sleeves are horizontally and vertically short, the obi is not very wide.  Season: Summer based on the colors and floral designs. Based on this information, I deduce this is likely a yukata. (Or possibly a sleeping kimono.) Either way, I will be making a yukata which means:  short sleeves A hanhaba or heko obi cotton

 My plan is to make a total of 4 kimono. 2 are cosplay kimono and 2 are original designs.  I am taking a different approach to these (and any future kimono) than I did with the Wisteria Fox project. Recently I sent images of it to fellow kimono stylists for feedback and got some helpful advice. I also got access to a Patreon video for tailoring kimono from bolt to finished product. Haven't had a chance to watch it yet, been busy with Halloween and Dance Comp dress which I finally got in the mail! I'm sure it will give me even more insight than I have now. But, I need to get this post out of my head and onto the digital paper.  So, first, if you want to make a kimono, These are the 3 videos I recommend you start with from Billy Matsunaga Ultimate Kimono Measuring Guide (video) Make an Authentic Kimono (the easy way) - Video ( Men's Version ) How to Put on Kimono by Yourself - (video) From there, it makes following these patterns and sewing tutorials a bit easier:  How to M

The side openings on hakama can feel a bit exposing if you're not wearing a full kimono underneath or perhaps you just can't stand to be without pockets! While these things are not necessarily historically accurate for the area, you can make it work.  Modesty Panels These will be panels of fabric that hang from your waist at your sides where the openings of the hakama are. You can choose to attach these to the belts (himo) of your hakama or to make your own waistband.  You can use any kind of cloth but the idea is to use any left over clothe from making your hakama. But if you want different colors or prints go for it.  You will cut a rectangle with rounded corners that is 16" tall and about an inch wider than your side openings (sasahida). To keep it from fraying, either use a serger or overlock machine to finish the edges except at the top. Alternatively, use a zig-zag stitch on your regular sewing machine all around the edges except the top..  Make a waistband from elas

Time for a new series! Haven't done one in awhile. It's my plan to share what I've been collecting in my mind for my Hakama. This is stuff to the best of my knowledge which to be fair is based entirely on what I can find in English. I did learn a lot but I don't want to go too in the weeds...like I did when I was looking for info. So, I'm not going to get into history or things like that per se unless it is relevant.  I also limited to the things I wanted to make or thought I was going to make.  There are 4 variations of hakama for this series:   Ando Bakama - this is what I'm wearing for the fox caretaker Hibakama - the miko stuff I'd been studying Hakama - martial arts style, I'm sure it has a specific name...maybe Tatti Hakama, but I don't want to go back to Wikipedia at the moment. 😅  Mompe Hakama /Karusan-bakama - Gathered trouser style hakama, could be used for Demon Slayer cosplay.  Here are the general things I was researching for my costum

So I managed to make a pair of Zori (thong sandals) to test if it would be a viable option for my Nezuko and Rengoku casual cosplay. I managed to make my test pair, and it's pretty comfortable, but I learned a lot and will gladly share.  The pattern I used and adjusted is by  Whistle and Ivy .  Additional Resources Before I jump into what I did for my tiny-ass feet, I wanted to share some resources on how to make Sandal soles for your zori. The videos in this list show how to crochet a sole for multiple sizes of feet. The videos use Medium weight or worsted-weight yarn, which is different from what I use. But it should serve as a good guide. Also, it includes how to make a Rope Sole or convert a foam flip-flop sandal into a base for your crochet shoe project.  You may also want to consider ways to make the bottom of the sandal non-skid or a bit more durable on other terrains. Whistle and Ivy shares 7 methods for making crochet slippers non-slip .  My Supplies Onto the show. These

 GUYS! I learned a new thing. This may be a "Yeah, duh!" kind of situation, but I never thought to knit or crochet sandals. Seems like a legit thing, especially for ME, who has small feet and a hatred of that round plastic between the toe rod of normal flip-flops.  These techniques can work for other series too that use the zori aka thong sandals. (AKA the bane of my feet's existence.) Method Considerations This is more than likely going to be a crochet project than a knitting one, to be honest. But all in all, there are 3 main methods for making knitted footwear:  90% Yarn  Hole punched Soles Repurposed Flip-Flop/Thong Sandals With mostly yarn, you're going to basically have super floppy, uncomfortable sandals unless you include some sort of stiff material like a stiff felt or EVA foam or an old sandal.  Hole punch soles or insoles let you knit up around the sole instead of knitting the sole itself.  Repurposed sandals provide the base, and you knit or crochet around

This shall be my final entry for Demon Slayer Knitting...for now. These are fun little extra dood-dads and accessories worn by the characters. I will note that some of these are crochet patterns and not knitting patterns. Honestly for stuffed animals I prefer crochet. Call the Crows! Crows and Sparrows A common companion for any demon slayer is their kasugai crow...or some other bird. I've collected a few patterns for knitting or crocheting your own crow or sparrow.  Knitted Aviary ($) Songbird Crochet Bird Knit Nature: Blue Tit Tree Sparrow ($) Raven Doll Nevermore! Easy Raven Raven Amigurumi Bald Eagle  (Hear me out. Crows can get very big and in the show they kind of look like this. Just make it all black and grey.) Inosuke's Boar Mask It won't be show/manga accurate but it will still technically work. Create a monster style ski-mask, baclava or beanie.  Hog Beanie ($) Baby Back Hog Hat ($) Oink Piggy Hat Zombie Pig Mask ($) Pirate Piggy Mask Trav's Baclava  <--Ba