This is the very first complete doll outfit I've ever made by hand: a kimono and an obi, both sewn entirely by hand. It took me about 5–6 days from start to finish.
The outfit isn't fully dressed yet, since I haven't found a suitable obiage and obijime to match the obi, which has quite a bold personality of its own.
I named this outfit "Crab Stick Sushi." It was made from one of my mom's old garments and a piece of photography backdrop fabric. If you look closely, you'll notice visible signs of wear on the obi. The original fabric had a black printed stripe running across part of the red-and-white pattern, and somehow it reminded me of imitation crab on sushi.
The obi actually started as a fun experiment. After countless revisions, this is probably the fourth or fifth version—and the final one, because I've used up all of that printed fabric.
Of course, sushi needs white rice. However, completely white kimono are relatively uncommon in traditional Japanese clothing, so I added embroidery to create more depth and texture while hopefully making the design feel a little more in keeping with kimono aesthetics.
I also tried to include several kimono details that I've learned about, such as the miyatsukuchi openings, a neckline that creates the erin o nuku look, extra length for ohashori, and a double collar to imitate the appearance of wearing a juban underneath.
The kimono is fully lined, so I think it would probably fall somewhere between a casual cotton kimono and a more modern fashion-inspired design.
That said, I'm still learning about kimono construction and etiquette, so there are almost certainly things I don't know yet. If you notice any mistakes, I'd genuinely appreciate your feedback in the comments.
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a look!