Working on Traditional Style Furisode ^_^

Well...traditional except that it is made out of quilter's cotton - it's full or prettiness though ^_^

So I found a super awesome link Making a Yukata which details in depth the steps to make a traditional yukata from a yukata roll. As I don't have a yukata roll, I had to make some adjustments, but overall it is coming along nicely.  The main area of my adjustment comes in the form of a lining...as yukata generally don't have one and my furisode will.  I was particularly worried about the sleeve area, but I am a sneaky Kristins and found my old Simplicity Kimono pattern which, while not very accurate, has great detail for sewing kimono sleeves with lining.

My main mistake was not having enough lining fabric, having bought the main fabric and the lining at different times and not knowing exactly how much I would need.  Because of this, I had to piece the top part of the sleeve lining, and the front panels are a bit short.

What I did to resolve this is cut the fold of my sleeve so that I could add pieces at the top, as that is far less likely to show.  It came out looking very nice after I pressed it.  For the front lining, I have just a bit over where the collar attaches, and the lining doesn't show above where the collar attaches, so that is take care of too!

I will definitely be more careful in my calculations next time though.  oI_Io

So I should have the kimono finished tonight, which would be awesome.

And I have the obi done as well for it (all 7 yards of it...)  what I did for the obi is get 3.5 yards of a pretty quilters cotton, cut it in half along the fold and then seamed it in the middle.  I then sewed the whole length of the obi (7 yards....) and up one of the short ends too.  Then I took heavy weight fusible interfacing and folded it in half and then cut it up the middle and then fused it to either side of the middle seam...cause it was left over from another project.  There is about a yard on each end that does not have interfacing, but I will be using those ends to tie it so I am not to worried (famous last words? ... we shall see).  I then flipped the tube inside out and then pressed the whole thing so that the fuse would stick (some pulled up when I was turning it).  It came out very nice too.

I am planning on making an obi makura by sewing a "pillow" and then filling it with fiber fill and sewing a tie to it.  That should save me about $26.

Not sure what to do for the obi ita...maybe a white fabric with lots of decor bond and a zig-zag stitch?

We shall see!

Starting Up

Hello!

You've somehow stumbled upon the blog for Kristin's Kimonos, a soon to be started small business that will start out on etsy.com and will sell quality, handmade, kimono in a variety of fabrics, lengths, types, and prices.  My goal is that within two years of selling on etsy, I will also be selling at a variety of anime conventions and similar festivals. 
So, based on my research, this is what I need to come up/accomplish with to start my business:
1) File a DBA
2) Get a small business license (for tax purposes)
3) Finish designing the kimono & scan in images
4) Figure out dimensions/sizing of the kimono
5) Sew kimono to be sold on etsy - use scraps to create smaller kimono or patchwork kimono
6) When I get enough inventory of kimono, start selling at either the Artist/Creator Alleys or the Dealer/Vendor Rooms.  To accomplish this, I will need to:

1. Get the inventory
2. Find a way of transporting.storing the inventory
3. Find & purchase collapsible garment racks
4. Make or buy kimono hangers to safely hang kimono
5. Decide whether to be an artist or vendor
1. Pros for Artist
1. Less cost for booth
2. Less inventory required
2. Cons for artist
1. Less display space
2. Garment racks may be prohibited
3. Must set up/break down each day
3. Pros for Vendor
1. More space
2. More flexibility with set up
3. People usually willing to spend more in Vendor's room than in Artist Alley
4. More visibility
5. Would not have to set up/break down each day
4. Cons for Vendor
1. More inventory required
2. More cost for reservation
6. Reserve space at con/show

So....that's my basic plan - I will post here when it starts to take effect!

Later!

Kristin