Kimono cardigans

 I've checked out a couple different kimono cardigans and I wanted to make one for myself. So here is my version of a kimono cardigan. Its honestly super duper easy to make if you know how to utilize a sewing machine. You can probably knock out this piece in less than 30 mins. Its perfect for a light cover up for the summer and you can customize it to your liking.

You will need:

a yard of a light fabric such as polyester or lace

scissors

thread that matches the fabric

sewing machine

sewing pins

trimmings of your choice

measuring stick

1. I went to the fabric store and got a yard of a solid beige pink polyester cloth and a yard of white spotted lace. With the fabric folded, the width was a yard and the length was about 23 inches. Using fabric thats about 23 inches long will give you more of a shorter kimono that hits right under the belly. So you can definitely use more length of fabric if your desired look is more of a longer kimono.

2. Start off by folding the fabric, make sure that the “nice” side of the fabric is facing each other while the backside of the fabric is facing you. Make sure the fabric is folded evenly, where both ends meet up together. Lay the fabric completely flat and find the middle of the fabric. Once you have found the middle, mark a line down right in the middle with pins or a light marker.

3.    Take your scissors and begin to cut the line down the middle of the fabric, ONLY cutting the one layer of fabric. I repeat, ONLY the FIRST layer. Gently cut down the middle all the way to the crease. Once you have reached the crease, you can keep the scissors to the side. That will be about the only major cutting cutting you’ll be doing, wahoooo!

4. Alright here comes the tedious part, you are going to hem each side of the fabric, including the sides of the slit you just cut. Make sure that when your folding the ends, that the flaps are facing you. I usually hem about ½ of an inch everywhere else except the middle slit. For the middle you can hem an inch for both sides of the slit. Once you have ironed all the creases on the sides you can run over to your sewing machine and start sewing.

5. Sorry, I wont be doing a tutorial on how to use a sewing machine with this project, so if you have no clue how to use a sewing machine, dont worry theres hope, thanks to google ;) Using the sewing machine you want hem each side, including both sides of the slit. Once your done hemming each side, you'll be moving onto the last few steps. Your almost done!

6. Just a reminder you are still working with the backside of the fabric facing you, don't turn it over just yet. The next part of this project are the sleeves. Make sure everything is lined up evenly and flat on the surface your working on. Starting with the left or right side of the fabric, measure out 10 inches from the top (where the crease is) down. Once you have measured 10 inches mark it with a pin. Everything below this mark will be sown. So hold your fabric in place with your sewing pins. Repeat the same steps on the other side of the kimono.

7. You will use the sewing machine again to sew a straight line from the 10 inch mark to the end of the fabric. Make sure not to sew anywhere above the mark because those holes will become the sleeves for the kimono.   

8. Once you have created the sleeves, your right and left side should look like the photo above. Guess what you kinda almost done ?! Flip that baby around and tada you got yourself a kimono

9) But wait, if you want to design your kimono with trimmings your not done just yet. You can either place the trimmings around the sleeves, the bottom of the kimono, or the by the sides of the slit. I decided to place the lace trimming in the middle of my polyester kimono. If you want, you can add a few buttons here or there, or for you show stoppers, bedazzle time!

The finished look

Hope this tutorial was inspiring and easy to follow. Happy sewing!

- Jenn