no bagels for this weekend's market...

Obligations at home are preventing me from making it to the Lawrence Farmer's Market this weekend, apologies to anyone hunting for me on Saturday. I should be there the following weekend as usual.

Etsy

So, I don't always have a lot of things for sale. Usually only one or two. It used to be that I could stock them in Hyena Cart and they'd stay there until the cart was empty. Apparently that has changed, so it makes more financial sense to put those listings on Etsy rather than spending the monthly fee to keep the cart stocked on months where I'm not adding anything new.

So if you're interested in a Clothdaddy item, buy it in my Etsy shop.

Kimono Making for Gaijin progress report...

I'm doing some work on my instruction sheet for kimono making. Drawing up the pics and such to show what goes where shows me how much more I have to add to make a complete guide. I may have to dumb it down a bit for the Naka-Kon workshop, because I'll only have so much time to show people how to measure and make the pattern, then fit it to themself. 10 squares to the inch graph paper (tabloid size) is perfect for drawing things out, which I'll scan in later and arrange on paper with the text instructions.

So I think that I have the middle pretty much drawn up fine, how you put the major pieces together, and a draft for how to take the initial measurements. Now I need to draw up the graphics on how to fit the garment to your personal measurements, sleeve and garment length options, and exactly what I'm going to draw up for the obi and maybe hakama is beyond me. I may just limit myself to the basic kimono and ignore the hakama.

New Stocking

Available at Hyena Cart

Hakama Pants

On Tuesday I cut out pieces for the prototype hakama, which I was essentially doing as wrap pants with the outer seams sewn up. Tonight I sewed the bulk of it together, minus the waist band. Overall not bad for a first attempt, but the sewing machine kept having issues that tore the hell out of one pant cuff. I haven't bothered ironing in the front or back pleats, so it's like giant bellbottoms at the moment.

They appear to be about the right size, we'll see after the waist ties are in place. The next one will also be made out of four panels rather than two, so there is more ease with putting in pleats (and possibly sewing them in, too), and putting it all together will be a little more easy as a four panel garment. I'm still not 100% sure how I"m going to handle the waist ties, that is for another sewing night.

Hakama Day 1

I've finished drawing up the hakama pattern for my first attempt. It's kind of a mishmash between online instructions and my own modifications. I have the yardage rough cut for it, but some work with an iron is needed first. I think doing it at costume group may be easier, more room to lay out fabric and cut, not to mention iron.

I should have the first attempt done in another day or two, which will show me if the pleats are deep enough or not.

Kimono Making for Gaijin

I'm working on a worksheet where you take some basic measurements and make a custom fit kimono, which I'll use if I do a workshop/demo at Naka-Kon. So far I have the first draft that shows what measurements to take, next I'll show where to do the adjustments for the overlap and the collar angle.

drpaisley gave me the title to the worksheet. "Kimono Making for Gaijin". I like it.

Tonight I'll start on the hakama, and this time I mean it.